How to Change Drum Brakes

How to Change Drum Brakes?

To ensure that your car runs smoothly, regular maintenance is important. Replacing the old, worn out drum brakes with the new ones is also an important part of overall car upkeep. However, the entire process of changing the drum brakes is quite intricate and requires careful attention. Here is a step-by-step procedure to change the drum brakes quickly and easily.

• Before undertaking this task, it is essential to collect all the requisite materials. Do not proceed, if you do not have the right set of tools or proper materials. The things that you would need is are new brake shoes, brake fluid, white lithium grease, brake clean, hammer, pliers, brake spring pliers, wrenches, screwdriver, pry bar, brake retainer tool, anti seize, jack and jack stand.
• It is important to ascertain whether the vehicle is front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive because this will help you determine the manner in which you remove the drum brakes.
• In the next step, find out the master cylinder of your car and drain out approximately half of its contents. Add the same amount of new brake fluid into the container.
• If your car is rear-wheel drive, remove the rear tires.  For this, first loosen the lug nuts, and then raise the car with the help of jack and jack stand. On the wheel stud, search for a round clip. Remove the clip, and thereafter, remove the drum brake. If the drum brake isn’t coming out easily, locate the brake adjustment screw and turn it to create enough space for the drum brake to come out.
• If your car is front-wheel drive, then first remove the bearing cap and wheel bearings. Subsequently, proceed in the same manner as you did for the rear-wheel drive. Again if the drum brake doesn’t come out effortlessly, then either apply lubricant to slacken off the brake from the axle or turn the brake adjustment screw to ease off the resistance from the brake lining.
• If the drum brake has a parking cable, then it should also be removed. The springs that hold the brake shoe against the wheel cylinder are also to be taken off. First the return springs are detached and then the hold-down springs. The remaining components of the brake shoe are taken off, and finally, the brake shoe is removed.
• Once, you have removed all the worn out components, its time to replace them with new ones.  Start with the brake shoe first. On it place the screw assembly and the self-adjustment spring, and screw them together. Reattach the drum brake and make sure that the drum spins freely against the brake lining. Put back the wheels and take your car for a test drive.