How to Install Drum Brakes
Automotive drum brakes use a hydraulic master cylinder to pressurize individual wheel cylinders that push brake shoes to an interior drum surface, stopping a vehicle. The four-wheel drum braking system was phased out during the 1970s and replaced with disk brakes, but some inexpensive cars and trucks still use rear drum brakes. The average backyard mechanic can replace drum shoes in about 30 minutes per wheel.
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Instructions
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1
Raise the rear end of the vehicle and place its frame rails onto jack stands using the floor jack. Most vehicles will be lifted in this manner, with supports on the frame, not the suspension parts.
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2
Remove both rear wheels by turning their lug nuts counterclockwise, then set the wheels away from the vehicle. The wheels and tires will come off in one piece after the lug nuts have been removed.
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3
Remove the drum brake's keeper bolt by turning it in a counterclockwise direction, if applicable. The keeper bolt is a hex-head bolt in the center of the drum, or just off-center, that keeps the drum mounted. Remove the drum by pulling it free, sliding it over the shoes towards the outside.
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4
Remove both shoes by unscrewing the primary bolt springs in the center of each shoe, then leveraging the longer springs out with the screwdriver. Two long springs tug at each end of each shoe; these springs are clearly visible when looking at the front of the brake. The longer spring hooks can be pried over the shoe's hook (small loops manufactured into the shoe plate) by pressing the screwdriver into the spring's hook and tilting it away from the center of the brake. The shoes will slide out toward the outside.
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5
Install new shoes by pushing them into position, then replacing the main bolt springs by turning them clockwise into each shoe. Replace the long springs by using the screwdriver to slide the spring hooks over the shoe's hooks. The main bolt spring should be tightened until the spring makes contact with the shoe, and should not be over-tightened.
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6
Slide the drum over the shoes until it is against the back mount plate, lining up the keeper bolt hole with the hole on the brake hub. Place the keeper bolts into the hole and turn it in a clockwise direction until it is fully seated.
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7
Repeat steps 3 through 6 on the brake on the opposite side of the axle.
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8
Replace the wheels and turn their lug nuts in a clockwise direction, in an alternating pattern.
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9
Lower the vehicle from the jack stands with the floor jack.
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Tips & Warnings
Check the wheel cylinder for leaking or damage to its rubber seals while the drum is off, and replace these seals if they are leaking.
Use extreme caution when working under a vehicle.
