How to Install Brake Shoes & Pads

Brake shoes and pads are vital components in vehicle brake systems. About half of all car manufacturers still use drum-style brakes for the rear wheels. Constant friction causes shoes and pads to wear out, so they need to be inspected and changed whenever they show signs of excessive wear. While servicing front disc brakes is fairly easy, rear brake drums can be difficult without specialized tools made specifically for them.

Instructions

Loosen rear wheel lug nuts, jack the car up and take off the tire. Work on only one wheel at a time. The brake drum should slide off fairly easily after hitting the outside edge of the drum with a hammer to loosen it. Once the drum is off, you'll see the right and left brake shoes that need to be removed on either side of the brake assembly, held together at the top by the return spring. Using the spring removal tool, take off the return spring located just below the cylinder at the top of the wheel. This is the first of three springs that need to be taken off the brake shoes.

Take off the second spring from the brake shoes, one that joins them together at the bottom, using the spring removal tool. Then, using the retainer clip tool, remove the retainer clips holding the shoes on the wheel assembly. Twist the clip tool counterclockwise to loosen and remove the clips, located on each brake shoe, midway between the top and bottom of the shoe. Keep the retainer clips and springs aside for now to use on the new brake shoes.

Pull the brake shoes outward from the axle and remove them from the wheel. The third and final spring, the brake adjuster, can now be taken off the shoes and put aside with the others. Disconnect the emergency brake from the right brake shoe by prying up on the ring holding the shoe to the emergency brake arm using a screwdriver. Check the brake drum against specifications in the owner's manual and have it resurfaced if necessary. A brake drum can be resurfaced several times before being replaced. Check with a certified brake mechanic for more details.

Spray brake cleaner on all visible surfaces to eliminate caked-on brake dust. Apply nondrying silicone brake lube to the six points of contact made where the three sets of springs touch the wheel assembly; the wear marks are plainly visible.

Insert the pin from the emergency brake arm into the new right brake shoe. Attach the adjuster spring to both new shoes and pull them apart to fit around the axle. Screw in the retainer clips for both shoes, then use the spring removal tool to replace the spring at the bottom of the shoes and the return spring at the top.

Loosen the front lug nuts, jack up the car and finish taking off the front wheel. The disc and caliper assembly are visible once the tire has been removed. Use the hex wrench to unscrew the caliper mounting bolts. Caliper mounting bolts are usually located on the back of the caliper assembly, one at the top of the caliper mechanism and one on the bottom. Remove bolts counterclockwise. Consult your owner's manual for the proper size hex bolt.

Lift the brake piston caliper off the rest of the caliper assembly and inspect it for leaks. Set the brake piston caliper aside for now, being careful not to damage the pressure hose attached to it. The disc, or rotor, is visible through the caliper mechanism that remains on the wheel assembly. The brake pads are also visible, on either side of the rotor.

Remove the old brake pads, retaining the anti-rattle device for the new set of pads. The anti-rattle device is simply a backing frame that clips onto the pads. Check the rotor for unusual wear patterns and have it turned if necessary. This is a grinding process, similar to drum resurfacing, that restores the rotor to a serviceable condition, and can be performed several times before the rotor needs to be replaced. Consult a certified brake mechanic for more details.

Press the piston open on the brake piston caliper using the C-clamp, again being careful not to damage the pressure hose. Place one side of the C-clamp on the piston, using an old pad to protect it, and put the other side of the C-clamp outside the piston caliper, twisting the clamp until the piston is fully depressed.

Clip the anti-rattle hardware onto the new pads and install the pads in the caliper assembly, then replace the piston caliper over the pads. Apply a small amount of brake lube to each caliper mounting bolt to ensure that the caliper unit slides freely. Bolt the brake piston caliper onto the caliper assembly. Be sure the caliper assembly slides back and forth as it should.