How to Release the Rear Brake Drum on a 1989 Chevy 1/2 Ton

Removing the brake drums from the rear of your Chevy truck will allow you to access the rear brake shoes and the slave cylinders; it will also enable you to replace the brake drums themselves. If the drums are heavily scored or worn on the inside, it may prove difficult to remove them. Be sure to back off the adjustment on the shoes to allow the drums to come off with less force. Resurface or replace the drums with new ones when you reassemble the brakes.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the rear wheel studs with a lug wrench, then raise the rear of the truck off the ground with a jack. Position a set of jack stands under the rear axle and set the truck on the stands by lowering the jack.

2

Remove the lug nuts and wheel from the wheel studs and set them aside. Locate the brake shoe adjustment hole in the rear of the brake drum backing plate.

3

Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the hole and slide it between the brake shoe adjuster and the star wheel. Insert a brake spoon into the hole and turn the star wheel up, in order to back the shoes off the brake drum.

4

Grasp the sides of the drum from the front side and pull it straight off the shoes and backing plate. Sometimes rust will build up around the hole in the center of the drum. If that happens with your truck, spray the center of the drum with penetrating oil to loosen the rust.