How Do I Change the Back Brakes on a 1991 Honda Civic?

The rear brakes on your 1991 Honda Civic comprise brake drums with shoes to stop the car. When you apply the brake, the shoes press on the drum, creating friction, slowing the vehicle. The rear brakes also house the parking brake mechanism. Over time, the composite, alloy or ceramic material that provides a pad on the brake shoes will wear out. When this happens, you will notice the brake pedal needing to be pressed harder to stop the vehicle. Replacing the brake shoes is a job that most home mechanics can complete in less than two hours.

Instructions

Removing Old Brake Shoes

1

Use the lug wrench for your Honda Civic to break the lug nuts loose on the wheel.

2

Place a jack under the frame of the vehicle, and raise it until the wheel is no longer touching the ground.

3

Place the jack stands under the frame of the car to safely work on the vehicle.

4

Remove all of the lug nuts from the wheel, and take the wheel assembly off the hub.

5

Remove the brake drum from the vehicle. If the drum is stuck on the vehicle, you can place 8mm bolts in the two holes on the drum, and turn them evenly to pop the brake drum from the hub. Do not use a hammer to remove the drum.

6

Squeeze the retainer spring on the top of the brake shoes, and turn it to remove the tension pins.

7

Lower the brake shoes, and remove the lower return spring.

8

Remove the brake shoe assembly from the hub of the car.

9

Disconnect the parking brake cable from the parking brake lever. This is located on the back side of the brake shoe assembly.

10

Remove the upper return spring, self-adjuster lever and self-adjuster spring from the top of the brake shoe assembly.

11

Separate the brake shoes, and set them aside.

12

Remove the U-clip to remove the wave washer, the parking brake lever and the pivot pin.

Installing New Shoes

13

Apple brake cylinder grease to the sliding surface of the pivot pin.

14

Install the parking brake lever and wave washer with a new U-clip. This may have come with your new brake shoes. If not, purchase a new U-clip.

15

Connect the parking brake lever on the back side of the brake shoe assembly to the parking brake cable.

16

Shorten the clevis, which is the two-piece bar on the top half of the brake shoe assembly.

17

Connect the self-adjuster spring to the self-adjuster lever, and connect the assembly to the brake shoe.

18

Install the clevis and the upper return spring to the brake shoe.

19

Replace the brake shoe assembly on the brake backing plate.

20

Reinstall the lower return spring, the tension pins and the retaining springs to the brake shoe assembly.

21

Place the brake drum over the brake shoe assembly.

22

Install the wheel on the hub. Tighten the lug nuts, until you can not turn them with your fingers.

23

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands, and use the lug wrench to finish tightening the lug nuts.