Instructions for Replacing a Brake Shoe

Brake shoes are much more difficult to replace than brake pads. Used mainly on rear wheels, drum brakes use shoes that work with the parking brake and are part of an assembly that uses multiple springs and levers. The exact setup and how you remove and install the shoes can vary slightly on a particular model. Check with your mechanic before working on your vehicle's brakes.

Instructions

Removing Brake Shoes

1

Raise the rear end of the car and support it on jack stands, then remove both of the rear wheels.

2

Mark the brake drum's relationship to the hub with washable paint or chalk to make sure its dynamic balance isn't altered upon reinstallation. Slip the drum's front end off the studs.

3

Clean the rear brake assembly with brake cleaner spray, using a drain pan to catch the residue.

4

Disconnect the actuator spring, which is near the top of the brake assembly, on the adjuster lever at the rear shoe using needle-nose pliers. Remove the retractor spring near the bottom of the assembly from the shoes.

5

Remove the rear shoe (which is connected to the adjuster lever), the adjuster screw assembly from the top and then the front shoe.

6

Disconnect the parking brake lever from the old rear shoe and remove the adjuster lever from the shoe.

Installing Brake Shoes

7

Lubricate the brake drum's backing plates with high-temperature brake grease at the areas where the shoes come in contact. Lubricate the adjuster screw assembly's threads and socket end.

8

Install the new rear shoe by connecting it to the parking brake lever, placing it on the backing plate and connecting the retractor spring to its hole. Install the adjuster screw assembly and adjuster lever to the shoe.

9

Place the new front shoe on the backing plate, making sure it engages with the adjuster screw assembly, and connect the retractor spring to the shoe with the pliers.

10

Connect the actuator spring to the front shoe and stretch it with the pliers to connect with the adjuster lever.

11

Install the brake drum back onto the studs.

12

Adjust the brake shoes by using a screwdriver to turn the star wheel--the star wheel is usually inside a hole on the assembly with a rubber plug you must remove. Turn the wheel until the shoes drag against the drum as it rotates, then turn it the other way just enough for the drum to turn freely.