Do you need the cotter pin/hair pin? No, as you've found out. However if the clevis pin backs out it could damage your caliper or pads when it hits the rotating wheel. Much better to put a nail in there and bend the end of the nail so it won't back out.

the only problem with using a nail is that there is no hole for a hair pin, it needs to be cast into it because it is too small to drill (try finding a drill bit) .

do u actually need a hair pin in the end of the clevis pin?? none of my clevis's have a pin in them at the moment. i might do some ringing around tomorrow after school and see if i can still buy them and if so at what price. im not paying heaps for something that resembles a nail.

and as always if anyone still reading my post has one that they could send me in the post or local pick up, it would be much appreciated.

you may be able to just get one of the proper dimensions at good hardware store. It looks like a typical sort of pin, as long as it's long enough another few mm wouldn't matter.

someone min AU or OZ ought to have a junk caliper to steal one off.

at one point I had 8 sunny b11 calipers because they were just too cheap to bother repairing.

it gets better...
Hair pin cotter:



Cotter Pin:



This too is called a cotter pin:



Clevis pin:



Oddly with a clevis pin, you need a Hair pin cotter. it's very in consistent.

My Nissan factory manual calls them "clevis pins".

Where in Australia can you get them? At the Nissan dealer. Or ask at Repco.

In any case, don't let it stop you. use a nail of the same diameter, it'll be fine.

thanks dattoman_1000 it is really appreciated. there is already a pic up of new shiny pins and they look like the same ones. i don't know how to post pics up here anyway...

Quote:

Use a nail or something ,dont let it stop you doing the job, put the real one in when you get one , but for now a nail will work fine.

Please post up a picture of the caliper you have
And a picture of the sample pin you have

I'll have a look around

so what is the technical name for it, iv'e just been calling is a pin but what would you call it if someone was to look it up on a parts system? im still not 100% shore where to shop for one in australia, maybe some where like supercheap, repco or rare spears might be able to get one in but only in a pare, with all this other #### that i don't need or afford. the local wreckers where i brought the struts from in the first place didn't have any, i even went around the yard with the bloke and we couldn't find one. so my search continues, its just a small little thing that is holding me back its sooo frustrating!!

Your local auto parts store should be able to get these parts -- it's called a "brake hardware kit". Or just get it from the wreckers, all the B110, B210 and B310 used these.

You don't need the split pins, you can use ordinary cotter pins. I even used a paper clip for years, didn't have a problem.

thanks LONGBROW, but that site didn't work. thanks for the pic though. do you need the little split pins?? i may have to just buy some of those, because none of the pins had any.