How to Adjust Rear Brakes on a Honda 300EX

Typical brake drum

The Honda 300EX is equipped with rear drum brakes. Drum brakes have brakes shoes that contact the brake drum, creating friction that slows and stops your vehicle. Over time, the brake shoes wear and require manual adjustment to maintain the proper distance between the brake shoes and drum. The brake assembly has an adjustment wheel with teeth that engage a spring in the brake assembly, which allows the shoes to be pulled closer to the drum. You use this wheel to adjust the brake shoes to the drum clearance.

Things You'll Need

• Brake spoon
• Flat-head screwdriver

Instructions

1. Locate the rubber stopper that covers the adjustment window on the rear wheel you wish to adjust. The stopper is behind the brake drum, near the brake fluid drain valve.

2. Remove the rubber stopper with a flat-head screwdriver.

3. Locate the adjustment wheel inside the window. This wheel has teeth that you can engage with the tip of a brake spoon.

4. Turn the adjustment wheel clockwise using the brake spoon until the brake shoe just touches the brake drum.

5. Replace the rubber stopper by hand.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful to only just contact the brake shoe to the drum. Otherwise, the shoe will wear sooner than usual.

• Be careful with your fingers around the adjustment wheel. Your fingers can get pinched.

• The procedure for both wheels will take about 20 minutes.

• Do not misuse the hand tools for this procedure. This could damage equipment and cause injury.

• Turning the adjustment wheel the wrong way will cause the shoe to move away from the drum. If the shoe is too far away from the drum, it will not stop the Honda correctly.