How to Put Back Brakes on an A92 Buick Regal

The 1992 Buick Regal comes equipped with brake shoes instead of brake pads on the rear wheels. The brake shoes stop the rear wheels from turning by applying friction to the inside surface of the brake drum. When the rear brake shoes are engaged, the brake shoe springs work together to compress the brake shoes to the surface of the drum. Over time, the brake shoes will wear down and require replacement. Replace the brake shoes before the shoe thickness reaches 1/8-inch to prevent the brake shoes from damaging the drums.

Instructions

1

Park the 1992 Buick Regal on a level surface and turn the engine off. Position the wheel chocks in the front of and behind both front wheels.

2

Loosen all of the lug nuts from both rear wheels with a lug wrench or a tire tool.

3

Jack the rear of the 1992 Buick Regal up and place the jack stands under the proper rear jacking points on both sides of the car. Lower the rear of the car onto the jack stands and leave the jack in the up position.

4

Remove all of the lug nuts from the rear wheels. Pull both rear wheels off and place them flat down near each side of the car.

5

Move to the driver-side rear brake drum and position the brake drum puller over the top and bottom edges of the brake drum. Position the actuator of the puller over the center of the wheel hub. Turn the bolt head on the front of the actuator clockwise with a ratchet and a socket until the puller has pulled the brake drum completely off the brake shoes. Loosen and remove the puller from the brake drum.

6

Finish removing the brake drum with your hands. Place the brake drum on the ground. Remove the top two brake springs from the top of the brake shoe plate with the brake spring removal tool.

7

Remove the two lower brake shoe hold down springs from the retainers on each brake shoe with the brake spring removal tool. Pull the brake shoes off the brake shoe plate and place them on the ground.

8

Place the new brake shoes onto the brake shoe plate. Reinstall the bottom two retainer springs with the brake spring removal tool. Reinstall the top two brake shoe springs with the same tool.

9

Slide the brake drum over the new brake shoes. If the brake drum will not fit over the new brake shoes, adjust the brake shoes until the brake drum will fit over the new shoes. To adjust the brake shoes to compress inward, locate the brake shoe adjuster star wheel at the bottom the brake shoe plate. Use a flat-head screwdriver to turn the start gears clockwise to move the brake shoes toward each other. This will make the room needed for the brake drum to fit over the new brake shoes.

10

Slide the wheel back on and screw the lug nuts on tightly. Move to the passenger-side rear brake drum and repeat the same process as outlined in the steps above to replace the brake shoes. Slide the wheel back onto the wheel hub and screw the lug nuts on tightly.

11

Jack the 1992 Buick Regal back up and remove the jack stands. Lower the car back to the ground.

12

Finish tightening all of the lug nuts down tightly with the tire tool or lug wrench.