Contents
How should brake shoes fit?
Place the new drum over the brake shoe set and screw the axle nut on to hold it in place.
- A new drum is required to allow the brakes to seat properly onto the new braking surface.
- Replace the dust cover, then mount the wheel back on the vehicle and repeat the process on the other wheel.
Is it hard to replace brake shoes?
Drum brake shoes are slightly more difficult than rotor pads as there are more pieces and those pieces don’t necessarily go back together in an intuitive way. It’s a good idea to take a picture of the springs and retainers for reference before taking them apart.
How often do brake shoes need to be replaced?
The brake shoes on your car are designed to last around 35,000 miles, but in some cases they will not make it that far. There are a variety of things that can lead to increased wear on a set of brake shoes, like damaged hardware or warped brake drums.
How do you know when brake shoes need replacing?
Technical Bulletins
- Inconsistent brake pedal feel. If the rear brakes are drum brakes, the driver may feel vibrations under braking.
- Hand brake feels loose. If the hand brake requires a hard yank to keep the car from rolling off, chances are the brake shoes need replacing.
- Scraping noise while braking.
How long do brake shoes last?
Does the bigger brake shoe go on the front?
No the primary aka front shoe is always the short one or the one with the least amount of friction material. The secondary or rear shoe always has the most friction material. No, NOT always. Non-servo brakes, like the old Ford LockHeeds, have the longer primary shoe lining towards the front.
How do you change rear car brake shoes?
Adjust the brakes using a screwdriver or dedicated brake spoon. Expand the shoes until the drum can just barely be turned by hand. Back off the adjusting screw 12 notches. If the shoes still are dragging, back off the adjusting screw a couple more notches.
How do you change the brake pads on a car?
Pull the brake shoe set free from the backing plate. Grip the brake pads on either side and pull them directly toward you to separate them from the backing plate. The springs will come with the brake shoe set, but the parking brake cable should remain with the vehicle.
What’s the best way to install a parking brake?
Use a pair of pliers or dikes to pull the parking brake spring away from the end of the cable. This will leave the end of the cable exposed to make it easier to install it back onto the brake assembly. If you are doing this job yourself, you may want to use locking pliers to hold the spring back from the end to make it easier to install.
Where are the springs for rear brake pads?
If you are replacing the drum as well, it doesn’t matter if you damage it. Use pliers to remove the primary brake shoe springs. The primary brake shoe springs are the large springs located beneath the drum once you remove it. Some vehicles will have one spring for each brake pad, while others may have two.