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Removing/adjusting brakes

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drooartz

drooartz

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I'm working on my rear brakes tonight, getting things adjusted and inspected. I'm trying to remove the outer drum. With the wheel off, and the 2 little screws removed (or missing, as in my case) should the outer hub just pull off? Mine seem rather stuck. BFH?
 
Is there a hole in the drum where you can insert a screwdriver in order to turn the brake shoe adjustment screw anticlockwise.
(The adj. screw is about 5 o'clock....Turn the drum until it lines up)

Sometimes the shoes will wear a ridge around the drum and it takes some wiggling.

Sometimes the drum rusts to the axle....That's where you need the /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
(A little bing-bing should do it.....Don't go & try to ring the bell w/ some big mallet)
 
There is such a hole, and I could move the adjusters. I've never really seen how they work, though, and thought it would be a good idea to pull the drums off and have a looksie.
 
Yep....The little adjustment screw thingy goes click-click.....

Turning it clockwise spreads the shoes apart & conversely.
The adjustment compensates for shoe wear.

When you put the drums back on, turn CW until the shoes expand against the drum then back off a click at a time until the drum turns w/o dragging.
(It is OK if there is a little rub)

Put the 2 screws back in & push on the brake pedal......recheck that drums turn.

Take for a test drive & stop somewhere where you can put your finger through one of the holes in the wheel and check that the drum is not getting really hot.
( I like to do the finger thing occasionally in order make sure I don't have a shoe hanging up)

Your front drums should always be hotter than the rear.
(they get 2-4 hundred degrees after some spirited driving)
 
I've given up on removing the rear drums for now. Going to take some persuasion, and that sounds like a winter project for me. Got the rears adjusted, will do the fronts tomorrow.
 
Heh Drew, should only take a few min. Soon as you do the first one you are going to be upset with yourself.
 
Jack, the adjusters worked fine, but I couldn't seem to get a hammer in right to loosen up the drums to get them off. Partly I just don't want to mess with them too much, since they're working now and the driving season is drawing to a close here. Want as many driving days as possible before the winter. I'll have plenty of time in the cold winter to take things apart.
 
Rubber mallet, not a hammer. The rear drums on my healey came off without an persuasion (but were poorly adjusted). The rear drums on my Jeep required a mallet blow which almost knocked the jeep off the jack stand :-o. Talk about some serious rust.

I would reccomend some rust blaster, just to free anything up. You do have the parking brake off, right?

Ben
 
[ QUOTE ]
You do have the parking brake off, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Good call.....Forgot that one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
(I don't have any)

If the drum doesn't wiggle at all, it has somehow bonded to the axle & or studs.

If it wiggles and doesn't come off, it is hung up on the shoes.
 
Usually I just use the short side of a 2x4 and a steel hammer to tap the drum off, this protects the drum but gives you some power too.
Bill
 
Doesn't wiggle at all, and yes, I did remember to take off the parking brake. Thought about that very specifically before I got started. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'll try some pb-blaster when I get back to it. Got both a rubber mallet and wood an large hammers at hand to assist.
 
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