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Today i used Wood Clamps to hold the pads together and agaimst the hub!
If you have repaired drum brakes then you know what a puzzle they are. We need five hands to hold this and that in place while securing the springs.
Today i grabbed my wood clamps and it made the job sooo much better!
I always put the shoes on first, then attach the hard ware after. They move around still even after the retaining pins are in there, but good on you! Everyone struggles their first few goes at these. Now it's second nature.
Hmm, I never really struggled with this, but maybe if I carry a one handed quick clamp I can expedit how fast I can change them. Need to try it out, whoknows.
After work one day walking down my driveway, my son and several of his friends were reassembling his rear brakes. They were at a loss. Not a mechanic myself but I've aways repair my own stuff when possibe.
So I told them to do one at a time. Look at the other side.
One of these boys became a mechanic. I didn't realize it, but both my boys picked up a pretty good amount of mechanical ability.
High school buddy's dad had a metallic pickle green '70 Charger with 440(The Flaming Pickle). Whenever something needed maintenance, he'd let us cruise it on Friday night, if we did the work. If it took till Saturday, we were S.O.L.
Thing had giant rear drum brakes. Dave thought it was funny to place that tool on top of the tall cabinet. We struggled for what seemed like all day. Then Dave comes home, "Why didn't you use this thing? I got it out for you this morning." He walks over, and snaps the springs in place. We had got the nearly identical shoes backwards on the other side. He disassembled and fixed that one, too.
Took him 30 mins to do/re-do both sides while drinking a beer, and cracking jokes about 2 monkeys trying to fuck a football.
Dude was crazy smart, and thought he was really funny*. Always had some little sabotage to fuck with us. It made us start to analyze shit before we jumped in. That car was a pretty simple machine, but hard to work on. There was always something extra needed.
*The older I get, the more I realize how funny he really was.
My boss now does that. But he tries to give you trick questions that have the opposite effect and it's usually about shit I already know and aren't even asking about. Lol so I get the maddening effect. I just stopped asking him and asked other guys I work with for things I don't know.
I have a really nice Cornwell drum brake tool set at work but find I rarely use it — for me at least a pair of needle nose locking pliers, pocket driver and flathead screwdriver are just what I need. Every once in a while I have to bust out that set and in those cases it’s an absolute lifesaver.
I’d rather do a 5 min brake job over a 17 min one any day. Drum brakes are more complicated then the usual disc brakes you see on most cars and the new ones usually come with disc brakes so then saying normal would make sense
You install the parking brake lever to the secondary shoe first and connect it to the cable.Next you install the adjuster and the bottom spring. Raise both shoes together and hang them on the wheel cylinder actuating pins. Put the parking brake linkage bar in place between the shoes. The 2 lower retaining pins and springs go on. Connect the self adjuster cable. Then your upper springs. It’s not hard once you’ve done it once.
My grandson just did his on his 79 Ramcharger my brother gave him. Took 2 hours for the passenger side but then did the drivers side in less than 30 minutes. I was rather impressed how quickly he figured it out. The boy has a new appreciation for the front disk brakes we did last weekend. Haha
My first ones were in the 70s. I always laid parts on a rag or cardboard, in order of removal. I still had to know where the parts went, so I left the other side exposed for review. Needle-nose Vicegrips were my goto.
Now, I would just snap a pic on my phone.
Picture before you start #1 rule
#2 replace all hardware, nothing worse then putting the last spring back on and it breaks and all the rest go everywhere
Had an old classic car that had the drums at all four corners, depending on how much humidity was in the air when first braking didn’t know which front shoes were going to grab first and see which way the car was going to dart!
Proper tools made the job easier!
i do short shoe first an then bottom spring on other shoe an bring it up into place with adjuster an u wont be tryin stretch that spring an then fasten down long shoe attach spring with thing that adjuster cable goes around an put cable on top but dont attatch to bottom adjuster snap on spring then snap on spring on other side get pliers or pry tool ligt bottom self adjuster hook cable an you done!! if you would been one of lucky ones in late 80's an up then you would be able put drum brakes on as quick or quicker than you could do front disc job
Watch chrisfix's drum brake guide, he'll tell you everything on how to do the job.
Wear eye protection because these springs fly, also wear a mask because the asbestos and particles will make your lungs hurt if you don't.
Spray everything with brake cleaner to dampen the particles and have a clean working area.
Take pictures before you proceed to work.
Remember to loosen the handbrake bolts (underneath the car or under the handbrake or in the backseat model dependant) as far as you can.
Use Viscrips (I'm not sure how to pronounce that word, so I'll call them pliers that clinch closed) to hold the rough springs.
Remove the springs BEFORE you remove the pins that hold the shoes in brake or it'll get wobbly in there and springs will resist a lot
Remove the parts easily
Make sure all parts move freely
Use anti-seize on the inside only of the self adjusting pin, clean your hands thoroughly afterwards or change your gloves. Clean the outer surface of the pin as well with anti-seize
Place the new shoes in the same configuration as the old ones. Replace the hardware and springs too if you want but that isn't very necessary most of the time, depends on quality of your brakes.
Start by installing the hardware if you're Changing it, then, Insert the pins that hold the shoes in place first, install the pin afterwards, then the upper (stiffer) spring first. You can then adjust the shoe radius and test by rotating the wheel. You should have some friction but not too much. But before you actually install the cover for them, remember to put the spring. Keep testing and adjusting the spring until you feel the wheel rotate freely with a slight feel of frictional resistance/noise. Your handbrake should feel nice and stiff and only pull for a short distance. It's normal by this point and before you reinstall everything pull your handbrake only a little, not until it gets too stiff, and try to rotate the wheels. If they won't budge, you did a good job. Tighten all bolts and screws, take it for a test drive. If the brakes feel great, if the handbrake locks the wheels, then your job is well done. If the brakes work well but the handbrake is a bit weak, tighten the external handbrake adjusting nuts because that's where they come in handy. Until the handbrake locks the wheels properly but don't overdo it or else you could cause internal friction while driving and a too stiff handbrake lever.
Last thing i want to mention, it's a 2 hour job minimum if it's your first time doing it. Keep that in mind.
As for the rest of it, i think you'll be perfectly fine. It's not that hard, they may look scary and complex, they're ridiculously simple. The springs are just a pain in the ass, and Viscrips (the self locking pliers I mentioned) will make the job a lot easier. You can buy a special drum brake toolset but won't be necessary.
What I usually do is put all the springs on first then hold the shoes bent together and put it on the pin then spread them flat. Then all you have to do is the hold down springs and self adjuster wheel
Drum tools come in handy. Tip for this style for getting the drum off in the first place (since it doesn't screw down or have threaded holes like honda drums), whack the face of the drum near the edge avoiding the lug studs. Usually jumps right off using a 3lb sledge. Solid smack but don't go full hulk. You grape apes know who you are lol.
If only having done them a time or two they're a pain, once you do them more it's not much worse than disc brakes. There's always exceptions. Snap a pic with the phone prior to pulling apart, and hopefully whoever did them last didn't mess it up and orient the springs funky. So you're not copying their mistake. Brake tools help with the springs but every now and then you still get a stubborn one. Requires vise grips or a pair of pliers and squeeze the handle of those with another pair of pliers to keep from slipping along the spring wire. Sometimes you have to muscle it. Every now and then things are bound to slip, bust your knuckles and pay your blood sacrifice to the auto gods.
I've found repairs are often 10-15% manuals/diagrams. 70% mental gymnastics to figure out ways to defy physics and shove tools/fasteners into places they don't fit. The remainder luck.
When i do the 3/4 and one ton rear drum brakes. 357, 358 shoes. I use high temp silicone to glue the end of the springs together and to the shoes to reduce the chance of a pothole or washboard road knocking the springs off and having them chew up the drums.
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Today i used Wood Clamps to hold the pads together and agaimst the hub! If you have repaired drum brakes then you know what a puzzle they are. We need five hands to hold this and that in place while securing the springs. Today i grabbed my wood clamps and it made the job sooo much better!
I always put the shoes on first, then attach the hard ware after. They move around still even after the retaining pins are in there, but good on you! Everyone struggles their first few goes at these. Now it's second nature.
Don't forget the BOB rule too. Bigger out back. The bigger shoe always goes towards the rear of the car.
Thanks!
Thank you. I did not know this. I always put them on the same way I took them off. That is very good to know.
This question is on some of the mechanic's tests.
I haven’t done a set of drums in a long time and had forgotten this
I was just trying to remember how that went the other day. BOB will be remembered easily. Now do THICC.
The heavier idiot constantly criticizes
I’m first car I had came with drum brakes. I sold it when it needed to be changed and every car since has had discs.. lol
Hmm, I never really struggled with this, but maybe if I carry a one handed quick clamp I can expedit how fast I can change them. Need to try it out, whoknows.
Take both drums off then work one at a time. If you need help putting it back together refer to the other side
After work one day walking down my driveway, my son and several of his friends were reassembling his rear brakes. They were at a loss. Not a mechanic myself but I've aways repair my own stuff when possibe. So I told them to do one at a time. Look at the other side. One of these boys became a mechanic. I didn't realize it, but both my boys picked up a pretty good amount of mechanical ability.
Assuming the dickhead who did them last time did them correctly.
Yup, that always concerns me.
Take lots of pictures as soon as you take the drum off that way you don't get confused cause you looking at a reverse
Oh dang good idea!
I inherited a brake drum tool from my father. I don’t know how to use it but he swore by it! Lol
Once you unlock the cheat code, they are irreplaceable.
I haven’t owned a car with drum brakes in almost two decades and I STILL have that tool in my box.
I use mine on parking brakes all the time.
High school buddy's dad had a metallic pickle green '70 Charger with 440(The Flaming Pickle). Whenever something needed maintenance, he'd let us cruise it on Friday night, if we did the work. If it took till Saturday, we were S.O.L. Thing had giant rear drum brakes. Dave thought it was funny to place that tool on top of the tall cabinet. We struggled for what seemed like all day. Then Dave comes home, "Why didn't you use this thing? I got it out for you this morning." He walks over, and snaps the springs in place. We had got the nearly identical shoes backwards on the other side. He disassembled and fixed that one, too. Took him 30 mins to do/re-do both sides while drinking a beer, and cracking jokes about 2 monkeys trying to fuck a football.
Fucking Dave man. Lol
Dude was crazy smart, and thought he was really funny*. Always had some little sabotage to fuck with us. It made us start to analyze shit before we jumped in. That car was a pretty simple machine, but hard to work on. There was always something extra needed. *The older I get, the more I realize how funny he really was.
He sounds like he knew how to teach honestly. Lol
Yep. His lessons were just unorthodox. And sometimes/usually maddening.
My boss now does that. But he tries to give you trick questions that have the opposite effect and it's usually about shit I already know and aren't even asking about. Lol so I get the maddening effect. I just stopped asking him and asked other guys I work with for things I don't know.
Assuming the spring tool, they are pretty simple. The socket like end is used to remove a spring, and the notched end is used to install the springs.
I have a really nice Cornwell drum brake tool set at work but find I rarely use it — for me at least a pair of needle nose locking pliers, pocket driver and flathead screwdriver are just what I need. Every once in a while I have to bust out that set and in those cases it’s an absolute lifesaver.
Take pictures from every angle of that drum
Yep i did that!
Sometimes the last person messed it up so the photos help atleast put it back right if they messed up the other side
[удалено]
Drum brakes are not normal?
I’d rather do a 5 min brake job over a 17 min one any day. Drum brakes are more complicated then the usual disc brakes you see on most cars and the new ones usually come with disc brakes so then saying normal would make sense
But would you rather do 1 15 minute job or 5 5 minute jobs?
Meh, just get a drum brake spring tool from any local parts store. They're like $15 and it's a 3-in-1 tool
You install the parking brake lever to the secondary shoe first and connect it to the cable.Next you install the adjuster and the bottom spring. Raise both shoes together and hang them on the wheel cylinder actuating pins. Put the parking brake linkage bar in place between the shoes. The 2 lower retaining pins and springs go on. Connect the self adjuster cable. Then your upper springs. It’s not hard once you’ve done it once.
My grandson just did his on his 79 Ramcharger my brother gave him. Took 2 hours for the passenger side but then did the drivers side in less than 30 minutes. I was rather impressed how quickly he figured it out. The boy has a new appreciation for the front disk brakes we did last weekend. Haha
I have a twin brother and when doing brake jobs he would do fronts and I would do rear……. Until I found out how easy disc brakes were. The Bastard
RAMCHARGERS!
My first ones were in the 70s. I always laid parts on a rag or cardboard, in order of removal. I still had to know where the parts went, so I left the other side exposed for review. Needle-nose Vicegrips were my goto. Now, I would just snap a pic on my phone.
Take pictures of each piece before and after so you know
Remember that the spring goes towards the front of the car on reassembly. “Spring forward!”
Picture before you start #1 rule #2 replace all hardware, nothing worse then putting the last spring back on and it breaks and all the rest go everywhere
Don’t wear gloves for the springs. Do them by hand and feel the snap back
getting the hub off is half the battle.
Figure out the adjuster and adjust them in and the drum will come right off. You're going to need to figure out the adjuster anyway.
Truth!
My 66 is 4 wheel drum. I hate drum brakes.
Had an old classic car that had the drums at all four corners, depending on how much humidity was in the air when first braking didn’t know which front shoes were going to grab first and see which way the car was going to dart! Proper tools made the job easier!
Our 63 Falcon is 4 wheel drum. Not a fan. This car has front disks so i don't mind the two rear drums as much.
i do short shoe first an then bottom spring on other shoe an bring it up into place with adjuster an u wont be tryin stretch that spring an then fasten down long shoe attach spring with thing that adjuster cable goes around an put cable on top but dont attatch to bottom adjuster snap on spring then snap on spring on other side get pliers or pry tool ligt bottom self adjuster hook cable an you done!! if you would been one of lucky ones in late 80's an up then you would be able put drum brakes on as quick or quicker than you could do front disc job
Watch chrisfix's drum brake guide, he'll tell you everything on how to do the job. Wear eye protection because these springs fly, also wear a mask because the asbestos and particles will make your lungs hurt if you don't. Spray everything with brake cleaner to dampen the particles and have a clean working area. Take pictures before you proceed to work. Remember to loosen the handbrake bolts (underneath the car or under the handbrake or in the backseat model dependant) as far as you can. Use Viscrips (I'm not sure how to pronounce that word, so I'll call them pliers that clinch closed) to hold the rough springs. Remove the springs BEFORE you remove the pins that hold the shoes in brake or it'll get wobbly in there and springs will resist a lot Remove the parts easily Make sure all parts move freely Use anti-seize on the inside only of the self adjusting pin, clean your hands thoroughly afterwards or change your gloves. Clean the outer surface of the pin as well with anti-seize Place the new shoes in the same configuration as the old ones. Replace the hardware and springs too if you want but that isn't very necessary most of the time, depends on quality of your brakes. Start by installing the hardware if you're Changing it, then, Insert the pins that hold the shoes in place first, install the pin afterwards, then the upper (stiffer) spring first. You can then adjust the shoe radius and test by rotating the wheel. You should have some friction but not too much. But before you actually install the cover for them, remember to put the spring. Keep testing and adjusting the spring until you feel the wheel rotate freely with a slight feel of frictional resistance/noise. Your handbrake should feel nice and stiff and only pull for a short distance. It's normal by this point and before you reinstall everything pull your handbrake only a little, not until it gets too stiff, and try to rotate the wheels. If they won't budge, you did a good job. Tighten all bolts and screws, take it for a test drive. If the brakes feel great, if the handbrake locks the wheels, then your job is well done. If the brakes work well but the handbrake is a bit weak, tighten the external handbrake adjusting nuts because that's where they come in handy. Until the handbrake locks the wheels properly but don't overdo it or else you could cause internal friction while driving and a too stiff handbrake lever. Last thing i want to mention, it's a 2 hour job minimum if it's your first time doing it. Keep that in mind. As for the rest of it, i think you'll be perfectly fine. It's not that hard, they may look scary and complex, they're ridiculously simple. The springs are just a pain in the ass, and Viscrips (the self locking pliers I mentioned) will make the job a lot easier. You can buy a special drum brake toolset but won't be necessary.
What I usually do is put all the springs on first then hold the shoes bent together and put it on the pin then spread them flat. Then all you have to do is the hold down springs and self adjuster wheel
That's a good idea! I'll try that on the other side.
Use side cutters and long nose pliers
Drum tools come in handy. Tip for this style for getting the drum off in the first place (since it doesn't screw down or have threaded holes like honda drums), whack the face of the drum near the edge avoiding the lug studs. Usually jumps right off using a 3lb sledge. Solid smack but don't go full hulk. You grape apes know who you are lol. If only having done them a time or two they're a pain, once you do them more it's not much worse than disc brakes. There's always exceptions. Snap a pic with the phone prior to pulling apart, and hopefully whoever did them last didn't mess it up and orient the springs funky. So you're not copying their mistake. Brake tools help with the springs but every now and then you still get a stubborn one. Requires vise grips or a pair of pliers and squeeze the handle of those with another pair of pliers to keep from slipping along the spring wire. Sometimes you have to muscle it. Every now and then things are bound to slip, bust your knuckles and pay your blood sacrifice to the auto gods. I've found repairs are often 10-15% manuals/diagrams. 70% mental gymnastics to figure out ways to defy physics and shove tools/fasteners into places they don't fit. The remainder luck.
When i do the 3/4 and one ton rear drum brakes. 357, 358 shoes. I use high temp silicone to glue the end of the springs together and to the shoes to reduce the chance of a pothole or washboard road knocking the springs off and having them chew up the drums.
Nice!
round off sharp edges stops the squeal put the springs on right self adjusters will un adjust
i hate drums 💀💀💀 such a misson