How to Take Off the Drum Brakes on My 1995 Honda Civic

The rear suspension of a 1995 Honda Civic uses drum brakes. These brakes provide a percentage of the braking power for the vehicle and function as the parking brake. Drum brakes don't wear out very often; but when they do, they need to be replaced as part of the braking system. The first part of the process is to remove them, which should take about an hour to do.

Instructions

1

Place wheel chocks in front of and behind the front wheels. Lift the rear of the Civic with a jack and position jack stands underneath the rear of the chassis. Remove the lug nuts from the rear wheels with a tire iron then pull off the wheels.

2

Pull the drum off of the rear suspension. If the drum will not come off, thread two 8 mm bolts into the threaded holes on the face of the drum and tighten them with a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket until the drum pops off of the suspension.

3

Spray the rear brake shoes with brake cleaner. Locate the retainer spring on the center of the brake shoe around the perimeter of the braking assembly. Push the spring toward the center of the spindle on the suspension with a flat head screwdriver until the shoes come free. Pull the shoes off of the rear suspension.