How to Install Rear Brakes
The rear brakes on most cars use drums with brake shoes that work with the parking brake. Installing rear brake shoes is more difficult than front brake pads, because the assembly involves multiple springs that you must insert precisely. The exact procedure will vary depending on the model, so an automotive guide for your specific model is recommended.
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Things You'll Need
- Jack stands
- Metal-cutting tool
- Lug wrench
- Brake cleaner
- Drain pan
- Brake shoes
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
Instructions
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1
Block the front wheels and release the parking brake, then raise the car's rear end on jack stands. Slip the brake drum off the axle, marking its relationship with the axle so you know how to reinstall it. If it's held on with pressed metal washers, cut them off with a metal-cutting tool; you don't need to replace them.
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2
Disconnect the springs from the shoe by grasping their ends with pliers. Remove the shoes from the assembly; they often have clips that require a flat-head screwdriver to remove. Unhook and disconnect the adjuster level from the shoes, and disconnect the parking brake lever from the rear (trailing) shoe with the screwdriver.
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3
Clean each assembly's backing plate, if needed, with an aerosol brake cleaner; use a drip pan to catch the residue. Apply high-temperature brake grease to the plates' contact points. These points are the oval-shaped tips at the left and right sides and the two near the top; don't get grease on the rest of the surface.
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4
Connect the new rear shoe to the car's parking brake lever using needle-nose pliers. Place the shoe onto the backing plate, and connect the brake assembly's lower retractor spring to the hole in that shoe. Connect the adjuster screw assembly and the the adjuster level to the top end of the shoe.
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5
Install the front (leading) shoe onto the backing plate, and connect the adjuster screw assembly and both springs to the shoe. Use pliers to stretch the springs in place.
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6
Slip the brake drum back onto the rear brake assembly via the wheel studs. Pump the brake pedal in the car a couple times to set the brakes and spin the drum. If you hear the brake shoes rubbing against the drum, turn the adjuster screw's star wheel with the screwdriver until the shoes don't rub.
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7
Repeat the procedure for the other side, then reconnect the wheels and lower the vehicle.
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