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Parking brake shoe replacement tutorial

75K views 42 replies 30 participants last post by  NumberJohnny5 
#1 · (Edited)
I haven't seen a parking brake shoe replacement tutorial for the FJ so here goes.


Pray to the automotive gods above that you don't have to do this because it's a royal pain in the butt! >:D


Parts List: I bought everything at Autozone for ease of convenience:
Duralast Brake shoes Part #850 $34.99
Duralast Brake hardware kit part #17395 $19.99
Brake cleaner


Tool list:


17mm socket to remove the rear brake calipers
Long needle nose pliers
Flathead screwdriver
Bar clamp
Short prybar
Hammer
short 1/2" socket extension
Extra set of hands to help reinstalling the retainer cups (very helpful but not needed)


Before we start tearing everything apart here's a diagram of the rear brake assembly courtesy of perpetualjon from Toyotanation.com.



He goes into complete detail on a Sequoia here: Rear Parking/Emergency Brake Shoe Replacement Instructions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums


We obviously need to block the front tires, jack up the car, remove the wheels, and release the emergency brake lever.


The rear brake calipers are held on by a pair of 17mm bolts, takes those off and slide off the brake caliper. Rotate the axle so that the access hole is at the 6 o'clock position and you can see the star wheel. Release the tension on the star wheel so that you can slide the rotor off the hub.


Again image courtesy of perpetualjon



Once I took off the rotor I was presented with a badly worn brake shoe due to a broken retaining spring.



Use a flat head screw driver and/or pliers to remove the upper most shoe retention spring. Rotate the axle again so that the access hole is inline with the brake shoe retainer cup.



Use a pair of thin long needle nose pliers and depress the spring cup down to relieve the spring tension, then rotate the cup 90 degrees so you can release the spring cup.



Once the brake shoe is free remove the emergency brake line and you should have a brake shoe that looks like this with the emergency brake lever attached.



As you can see here my brake shoe was badly worn and cracked from dragging on the rotor all of the time.



Pry off the horse shoe shaped retainer from the old brake shoe and remove the emergency brake lever.



When I took off my old shoe....bits and pieces of the old retainer spring fell out and here is what it looks like compared to a new spring. LOL



The stud that is pressed into the old brake shoe needs to be reused so I used a hammer and a 1/2" extension to bang out the stud. Once removed you should be left with a short stud looking like this:



Grab your new bag of brake hardware and arrange the parts so that it's clearly visible as to where they go.



Hammer the stud back into the new shoe and reinstall the emergency brake level along with the new shim and horse shoe retainer.



Before reassembly be sure to spray down the brake assembly to remove any brake dust residue. Reattach the emergency brake cable on to the lever and install the upper most retainer spring. Remove the old spring retainer pin and install the new one along with the retainer cup with a leg attached. At this point I found it easiest to install the spring and top cup together as one unit behind the axle. Once all of the parts are aligned use the bar clamp to pull back the brake shoe so that you have enough room on the retainer pin to install the retainer cup and use the pry bar to keep tension on the retainer pin as you rotate the retainer cup with your needle nose pliers.


This is the MOST difficult part of the installation and once you get one brake shoe done, the other's will be much easier to do since you've over come the learning curve. The final juggling act looks like this:



Repeat the same steps for the other brake shoe and take note of how the shoe strut and spring are installed....because it can only go one way. Once the other shoe is installed just insert the star wheel into the slot and reinstall the anchor spring and you're DONE! Repeat the process on the other side and be sure to torque your caliper bolts and lug nuts to spec.


One a side note: there was very little wear on my OEM brake shoes even though I had 160,000 miles on them. The only reason I needed to swap them out was due to the broken retainer spring. With my driving style I would assume that I would have gotten 300,000 EASILY on the OEM brake shoes.

Good luck and I hope this tutorial has been helpful!


-B
 
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#4 ·
Thank you for the kind words! The parts are relatively cheap so I decided to swap it all out so I won't have to do it again for another 8-10 years. lol

-B
 
#5 ·
Has anyone attempted this with Nitro Rear Chromoly Axle Shafts? I have these and there is no access hole. I successfully adjusted my parking brake today, but had to remove the rotor in order to access the star wheel. After my first attempt the shoes stuck on the test drive, despite the fact that the wheels turned freely when reassembled on jack stands. Not the first time the shoes have been stuck, so I suspect the springs are not doing their job and would like to replace them.
On a side note, the previous time the shoes got stuck I had the dealer fix it. Today I was surprised to find the brake that they fixed was smothered in grease. Grease all over the shoes and in the drum. I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing.
 
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#7 ·
Thanks for this write up, it does not look fun. I drove next to a building today and heard a squeal from passenger rear. It got worse the longer I drove it. Took it home and started tearing down the brakes then the rotor. Once the rotor was eased off with two bolts all sorts of worn out parts started to spill out onto the floor. Retaining spring was in three pieces. Clearly I broke a spring or spring retainer. Off to autozone I go. I was hoping someone was going to say slide out the axle for easier access :)
 
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#8 ·
Many thanks for the write-up - awesome work!!!

Got my bits from Advanced Auto - paid around $50 for the shoes - a bit more than I liked - but they came with the studs.

Quite some fiddly work, took me all day. A large printout of the diagram was really helpful to me, worth mentioning: The setup on the FJ doesn't have an anchor spring (or at least mine didn't), otherwise the diagram is spot-on.

Maybe a small time saver: When I took my rotors off I saw that the hooked cups weren't slotted into the holes. After much mucking around I just took the nose needle pliers to the hooked cups and pulled them towards me and inwards, which allowed the spring cups just to slide off the slotted part of the brake shoes.

Again, many thanks - this helped a lot!
 
#11 · (Edited)


One a side note: there was very little wear on my OEM brake shoes even though I had 160,000 miles on them. The only reason I needed to swap them out was due to the broken retainer spring. With my driving style I would assume that I would have gotten 300,000 EASILY on the OEM brake shoes.

Good luck and I hope this tutorial has been helpful!


-B

@Blown383 thank you for this guide! Would it be possible for you to update the first post with working picture links? Photobucket has blocked the images :rawr:
 
#12 ·
x2 photo bucket rendering this thread almost useless now

The parking brake access is so difficult due to the rear axle flange in the way, it is so frustrating building that ship in a bottle, especially when you get to the simple step of rotating the star wheel in and out to adjust the shoes.

I wonder if it would be faster/easier to pull the half shafts out of the rear axle first! (only kind of kidding when I say that)

N
 
#16 ·
I just switched to Flikr - seems to work fine once you figure out how to get the upload URL.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for that excellent write up and all the suggestions. I've spent most of the day trying to replace one of the retainer springs. I gave up and will try again tomorrow. FYI: Don't try and put your automatic transmission from park to neutral after you have everything off. To do so requires you to apply the brake which then blows the caliper cylinder out. I can't believe I did that.
 
#38 ·
FYI: Don't try and put your automatic transmission from park to neutral after you have everything off. To do so requires you to apply the brake which then blows the caliper cylinder out. I can't believe I did that.
As mentioned in another post, don't remove a caliper and then decide to put it in neutral because you have to push the brake to do that! Doh!
Just a reminder for when you find yourself in this situation, that the FJ has a "Shift Lock Override" which avoids having to press the brake pedal to move the shifter out of Park:
Gesture Font Art Parallel Pattern
 
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#21 ·
This idea worked well for me and might save you some hassle reinstalling the retaining springs. I compressed the new springs with vise grips and then tied a couple of pieces of fishing line around them to keep them compressed. I then put it all in and was able to easily rotate the outer retainer and once everything was in placed lined up, I cut the fishing line with a small utility knife. It seemed to work well.
 
#24 ·
So I broke into my rear brakes to inspect and possibly replace me parking brake and it turns out it just needed adjustment...and had just needed adjustment for over a year and now I feel like a fool because the adjustment took all of 5 minutes. I did end up replacing the rear pads and rotors just because they were getting REALLY low at 105K miles.

I ended up doing the procedure of turning the star wheel up until it stops and then turning it down 4 clicks which put my e-brake engagement starting at about 8 clicks on the e-brake handle and locking up the rear tires at about 11 clicks. I am VERY happy I didn't have to go through the process of rebuilding my e-brakes but it will happen some day!
 
#25 ·
X2 on RaginFJ's comment of not having an anchor spring. I'm in this mess today and found that I don't have an anchor spring. After consulting Raybestos' site for spring hardware, there isn't an anchor spring included because it's not in use on the FJ. Hope this saves somebody else some headaches.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Great write up! AND thank you sir! I did this a while back and had to follow instructions and sequence of assembly for a different vehicle which caused me alot of grief. I wish I remembered how I went about getting this done so I could share. BUT the important thing is what works on a different vehicle is not necessarily how you piece these floating pieces together. Instructions from another parking brake is not a universal solution. so play around with it an do not start this job late in the day under time constraints. Patience is key here. It can be done- start early in the morning and this will take a few tries at it.
Lastly! I went and bought only a couple of the broken pins and doo dads from Toyota. In retrospect I should have bought the entire kit and shoes then replaced most if not all the parts because it will suck to do it again soon.
https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and...st-parking-brake-hardware-kit-17395/87304_0_0

update! I remember now. The Youtube video I watched was of a Toyota mechanic working on his own Tundra. This one was great for adjustments.


Watch a couple of these and note that the dimensions differ from vehicle to vehicle and therefore how one would assemble it is completely different even within the same manufacturer-but different model.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=parking+brake+shoe+replacement
 
#28 ·
I haven't seen a parking brake shoe replacement tutorial for the FJ so here goes.


Pray to the automotive gods above that you don't have to do this because it's a royal pain in the butt! >:D


Parts List: I bought everything at Autozone for ease of convenience:
Duralast Brake shoes Part #850 $34.99
Duralast Brake hardware kit part #17395 $19.99
Brake cleaner


Tool list:


17mm socket to remove the rear brake calipers
Long needle nose pliers
Flathead screwdriver
Bar clamp
Short prybar
Hammer
short 1/2" socket extension
Extra set of hands to help reinstalling the retainer cups (very helpful but not needed)


Before we start tearing everything apart here's a diagram of the rear brake assembly courtesy of perpetualjon from Toyotanation.com.



He goes into complete detail on a Sequoia here: Rear Parking/Emergency Brake Shoe Replacement Instructions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums


We obviously need to block the front tires, jack up the car, remove the wheels, and release the emergency brake lever.


The rear brake calipers are held on by a pair of 17mm bolts, takes those off and slide off the brake caliper. Rotate the axle so that the access hole is at the 6 o'clock position and you can see the star wheel. Release the tension on the star wheel so that you can slide the rotor off the hub.


Again image courtesy of perpetualjon



Once I took off the rotor I was presented with a badly worn brake shoe due to a broken retaining spring.



Use a flat head screw driver and/or pliers to remove the upper most shoe retention spring. Rotate the axle again so that the access hole is inline with the brake shoe retainer cup.



Use a pair of thin long needle nose pliers and depress the spring cup down to relieve the spring tension, then rotate the cup 90 degrees so you can release the spring cup.



Once the brake shoe is free remove the emergency brake line and you should have a brake shoe that looks like this with the emergency brake lever attached.



As you can see here my brake shoe was badly worn and cracked from dragging on the rotor all of the time.



Pry off the horse shoe shaped retainer from the old brake shoe and remove the emergency brake lever.



When I took off my old shoe....bits and pieces of the old retainer spring fell out and here is what it looks like compared to a new spring. LOL



The stud that is pressed into the old brake shoe needs to be reused so I used a hammer and a 1/2" extension to bang out the stud. Once removed you should be left with a short stud looking like this:



Grab your new bag of brake hardware and arrange the parts so that it's clearly visible as to where they go.



Hammer the stud back into the new shoe and reinstall the emergency brake level along with the new shim and horse shoe retainer.



Before reassembly be sure to spray down the brake assembly to remove any brake dust residue. Reattach the emergency brake cable on to the lever and install the upper most retainer spring. Remove the old spring retainer pin and install the new one along with the retainer cup with a leg attached. At this point I found it easiest to install the spring and top cup together as one unit behind the axle. Once all of the parts are aligned use the bar clamp to pull back the brake shoe so that you have enough room on the retainer pin to install the retainer cup and use the pry bar to keep tension on the retainer pin as you rotate the retainer cup with your needle nose pliers.


This is the MOST difficult part of the installation and once you get one brake shoe done, the other's will be much easier to do since you've over come the learning curve. The final juggling act looks like this:



Repeat the same steps for the other brake shoe and take note of how the shoe strut and spring are installed....because it can only go one way. Once the other shoe is installed just insert the star wheel into the slot and reinstall the anchor spring and you're DONE! Repeat the process on the other side and be sure to torque your caliper bolts and lug nuts to spec.


One a side note: there was very little wear on my OEM brake shoes even though I had 160,000 miles on them. The only reason I needed to swap them out was due to the broken retainer spring. With my driving style I would assume that I would have gotten 300,000 EASILY on the OEM brake shoes.

Good luck and I hope this tutorial has been helpful!


-B
To install the brake shoe
I haven't seen a parking brake shoe replacement tutorial for the FJ so here goes.


Pray to the automotive gods above that you don't have to do this because it's a royal pain in the butt! >:D


Parts List: I bought everything at Autozone for ease of convenience:
Duralast Brake shoes Part #850 $34.99
Duralast Brake hardware kit part #17395 $19.99
Brake cleaner


Tool list:


17mm socket to remove the rear brake calipers
Long needle nose pliers
Flathead screwdriver
Bar clamp
Short prybar
Hammer
short 1/2" socket extension
Extra set of hands to help reinstalling the retainer cups (very helpful but not needed)


Before we start tearing everything apart here's a diagram of the rear brake assembly courtesy of perpetualjon from Toyotanation.com.



He goes into complete detail on a Sequoia here: Rear Parking/Emergency Brake Shoe Replacement Instructions - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums


We obviously need to block the front tires, jack up the car, remove the wheels, and release the emergency brake lever.


The rear brake calipers are held on by a pair of 17mm bolts, takes those off

Additional tip.
To install the new brake shoe:
- Note:
On the FJ the adjusting access hole is too small to use a long needle nose to turn the top retainer cup.
  • So, first is to assemble the retainer pin, inner cup with tab, spring and top retainer cup
  • using a panel clip removal tool, compress the spring at the inner cup with tab
  • insert the brake shoe open slot on to the retainer pin.
  • release the removal tool
  • put a clamp on the brake shoe to keep it from moving.
  • Install the main upper and lower brake shoe springs.
I just realized that this thread has been "stickied" I feel honored!

-B
Great write up! AND thank you sir! I did this a while back and had to follow instructions and sequence of assembly for a different vehicle which caused me alot of grief. I wish I remembered how I went about getting this done so I could share. BUT the important thing is what works on a different vehicle is not necessarily how you piece these floating pieces together. Instructions from another parking brake is not a universal solution. so play around with it an do not start this job late in the day under time constraints. Patience is key here. It can be done- start early in the morning and this will take a few tries at it.
Lastly! I went and bought only a couple of the broken pins and doo dads from Toyota. In retrospect I should have bought the entire kit and shoes then replaced most if not all the parts because it will suck to do it again soon.
https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and...st-parking-brake-hardware-kit-17395/87304_0_0

update! I remember now. The Youtube video I watched was of a Toyota mechanic working on his own Tundra. This one was great for adjustments.


Watch a couple of these and note that the dimensions differ from vehicle to vehicle and therefore how one would assemble it is completely different even within the same manufacturer-but different model.
YouTube
 
#29 ·
Additional tip.
To install the new brake shoe:
- Note:
On the FJ the adjusting access hole is too small to use a long needle nose to turn the top retainer cup.
  • So, first is to assemble the retainer pin, inner cup with tab, spring and top retainer cup
  • using a panel clip removal tool, compress the spring at the inner cup with tab
  • insert the brake shoe open slot on to the retainer pin.
  • release the removal tool
  • put a clamp on the brake shoe to keep it from moving.
  • Install the main upper and lower brake shoe springs.
 
#31 ·
This right here. When I changed my parking brake shoes and hardware a few months ago, I fought and fought with the first side. It wasn't until I stepped back and pictured how it was designed to be installed on an assembly line that I saw that installing the retainer pins with the springs and retainer cups before trying to install the shoes. I just used my fingers to compress everything while sliding the shoe into place but using the panel clip removal tool would have been easier on my finger tips. I managed to sheer of one of the pins (probably from winching with the parking brake set and transmission in park) and ruined one of the shoes, so I'll be doing this job again tonight. Once you figure out the trick with the springs and retainers it is a 30 minute job per side.

Additional tip.
To install the new brake shoe:
- Note:
On the FJ the adjusting access hole is too small to use a long needle nose to turn the top retainer cup.
  • So, first is to assemble the retainer pin, inner cup with tab, spring and top retainer cup
  • using a panel clip removal tool, compress the spring at the inner cup with tab
  • insert the brake shoe open slot on to the retainer pin.
  • release the removal tool
  • put a clamp on the brake shoe to keep it from moving.
  • Install the main upper and lower brake shoe springs.
 
#30 ·
I unfortunately had to go down this path yesterday. I do not wish this job on anyone as it is a real pain. I tested various methods of install finally found this worked best for me, YMMV. You will need a helper or you will need to create a wedge or shim that will secure the rear of the holding spring pins steady. If you can be on a lift even better, other wise lots of time on the knees. Knee pads highly recommended. Any one with sensitive ears should leave the immediate area as considerable foul language might be heard.
Whole process took about 5 hours total. 2~3 hours figuring out how to do it with lots of trial and error. Your time may vary, but be forewarned.
Key points:
Masking tape to cover the new shoe liners from dirt/oil/grease​
Compress & secure shoe hold down springs with zip ties​
Secure brake shoe strut and spring together, fishing line or similar​
Tacky grease on adjustment knob on PB(Parking brake) adjustment piece​

Here are my lessons learned/procedure for posterity: Some steps are omitted, but these are the procedural highlights.
  1. Compress the shoe hold down springs, each with two thin (2.5mm wide, 18lb) nylon/plastic zip ties 180 degrees apart. You will also need thin cutting pliers to later remove. No vise needed just cinch down side by side. Cut remainders from ties
  2. Use fishing wire or thin copper wire, in my case I used very thin wire solder and secure the parking brake shoe strut and spring. This just needs to hold/stay together. I used several wrap arounds of multicore 1mm wire solder, but fishing wire, one or maybe two loops, would have probably been best. With the solder worst case will melt and fall, leak out, or work into PB liners eventually. Not too worried.
  3. Prepare parking brake adjustment assembly, grease thoroughly, try to use a tacky grease for the adjusting piece. Grease supplied with brakes usually lower quality, not as sticky. Buy the smallest tube of good grease.
  4. Using masking tape, cover the shoe liners to protect from dirt/oil/grease
  5. Grease back plate at shoe contact locations with appropriate (lithium base) grease
  6. Assemble the holding spring pin resembling U shape first. Insert pin, inner hold down cup, compressed spring, outer hold down cup. Keep proper U-pin orientation,U notch is for the #1 shoe and PB shoe lever. Tension in place either with helper and use of large flat screw driver or other method. Rotate outer hold down cup 90 degrees to prevent falling out from pin.
  7. Slide brake shoe #1 into place. Using screwdrivers and needle nose pliers (thin & long preffered) orient pin and spring into correct placement in the shoe. Rotate inner hold down cup to position. Cut one side of the nylon zip tie and remove said tie remnants from area using needle nose pliers. This will provide some tension to the inner and outer hold down cups. Mostly keeping the inner hold down cup in place.
  8. Attach shoe #1 return spring at the top of the assembly. Helper or clamping tool will support the lower part of the brake shoe.
  9. Rotate/orient shoe hold down compression spring so the second zip tie is accessible, cut and discard remnants. Now the spring will be fully pressing the #1 shoe against the back plate. Helper no longer needs to hold down shoe, but shoe might be at an angle
  10. Insert parking brake shoe strut, with spring attached. Check it seats correctly against installed #1 shoe and PB shoe lever.
  11. Insert lower shoe return tension spring on installed shoe #1, spring needs to remain inside, behind the axle during the rest of the assembly or risk being damaged/bent
  12. With helper securing or other method; Insert straight holding pin, inner hold down cup, compressed spring, outer hold down cup. Rotate outer cup 90 degrees to prevent falling out.
  13. All actions at same time; insert parking brake adjustment assembly, attach brake shoe return tension spring to shoe #2 while using brake shoe #2 rotate from bottom up so the parking brake adjustment assembly is held in place. It is also possible to do without inserting brake shoe return tension spring to shoe #2 in this step. Just keep the PB shoe return tension spring behind the axle
  14. Align straight pin into position on brake shoe #2 and align bottom hold down cup in to correct position
  15. Visually inspect parking brake shoe strut and spring is in correct position against both brake shoes
  16. Cut one zip tie on shoe hold down compression spring to allow some tension to press against the #2 shoe and outer hold down cup. Discard cut zip tie remnants
  17. Attach brake shoe #2 return tension return spring. Helper or clamping device might need to hold lower part of shoe.
  18. Rotate the shoe hold down compression spring to permit access to second zip tie, cut and discard remnants.
  19. Attach brake shoe return tension spring to shoe #2 if not done during during step 13.
  20. Visually inspect brake assembly,
    1. Hold down spring inner cup tabs must be in correct locking location on shoes
    2. Inspect PB shoe strut location/position and spring
    3. Inspect PB adjustment assembly in correct location.
    4. Inspect both shoe return tension springs are secure, not on top of each other, but side by side on the mounting pin
  21. Test functionality of parking brake adjustment, rotation should cause the shoes to expand. After testing reset back to fully closed position.
  22. IMPORTANT: Test axle rotation and ensure no touching of axle and retention springs. In my case my aftermarket U-pin was too long or incorrectly bent and would nip the axle at a particular spot. Not good. I opted for the simpler correction of adding a spacer between the pin and rear of the PB brake plate then clamping closed in place. Again, In my case I cut the long hook from the old return tension spring and inserted it between the pin and outer back plate and pinched it closed. Rotating the axle now was clear from all parts.
  23. Remove masking tape from shoe liners. Clean off glue residue if necessary.
  24. Insert disk, remove disk, adjust parking brake set screw, repeat as necessary.
  25. Continue as necessary with brake pad bracket
 
#33 ·
Thanks for the super glue idea. This process sounds worse than working on old drum brakes and I HATED working on drum brakes. The retainer spring installation was always the biggest PITA because you had to hold the shoes in place while installing them. I'm glad I still have all my drum brake tools if and when I need to do this job. :eek:
 
#34 ·
I am replacing the hardware on my parking brakes and have a question. There are green and black upper return springs. Is there a proper position (front or rear) for the green springs? Also I read all the posts about how hard this is and I came up with something that works for me. I use a small Stanley Wonder Bar (pry bar made for trim work) to hold the compressed retainer spring assembly and slide the brake shoe in underneath it. The notch in the straight part of the pry bar for pulling nails is perfect for the pin. Then I rotate the tab on the retainer into the hole. I got both done but then decided to replace the hardware so I won't have to repeat this anytime soon.
 
#35 ·
1165413
1165414
1165415


Just wanted to share what I learned on my son's 2007. I was surprised to see that where there would normally be an access hole or something cut out of the hub to get a brake spring compression tool in place, on the FJ, there is nothing like that. And not really even clearance to get the spring into the work area. After a lot of piddling with no luck, I decided to pre-compress the spring with long-nose pliers and then hold that compression with small/skinny zip-ties. I positioned the zip-tie lock as pictured to allow the spring retainer to 'seat' on the spring better. Also, I cut flush ONE SIDE of the zip-ties to allow me to use the remaining zip-tie like a lasso, to help position the spring. Using finesse and skinny long-nose pliers from the front 'access hole' while hold the pin in place from the rear, seemed to get it done for me. Once all is in place, use a long razor knife to cut the zip-ties to allow spring to release and pull out the cut zip-tie with long-nose pliers. Once I had this idea, I did all four springs (both sides) in about 20 minutes. I did not have to replace the shoes, I just replaced the pins/springs because they bent when removing the old rotors.

Still sort of a PITA, but I have no idea how you guys were able to actually do this otherwise. Hope this comes in handy for someone.

-Ben
 
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