How to Get the Back Drums off a 2000 Camry

Removing the rear brake drums from your 2000 Toyota Camry to access the rear brake shoes or replacement of the drums can be done in the driveway or garage at home. Doing the work yourself will save you money, and the parts are available from the Toyota dealer network should you need to replace anything inside the drums. If the drums have never been removed before, they may require extra effort to remove.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the rear of the car with a lug wrench but do not remove them from the wheel studs yet.

2

Position a jack under the rear of the car and raise it until the rear tires are off the ground. Remove the lug nuts from the wheel studs, setting them aside for now.

3

Remove the rear tire and wheel from the wheel studs and set it out of the way while you work. Position a set of jack stands under the rear axle of the car and lower the jack until the car is resting securely on the stands.

4

Look near the base of the wheel studs where they pass through the brake drum and find the locking rings that hold the drum in place. There are normally two rings but they may have been removed already if the drums have been off the car before.

5

Pry the retaining rings off the wheel studs with a flat screwdriver if they are still there. Discard the rings; you will not reuse them.

6

Grasp the drum at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock with your hands and pull the drum straight off the wheel hub and studs. Repeat the process for the opposite drum if you are removing both.