How to Remove Trailer Drum Brake Dust Covers

Trailers that are on the road today are designed to carry just about anything you can think of hauling. Whether it is horses, hay, lawn equipment, livestock or a load of tires, there is a trailer made to carry all of these things and more. Trailers come with two braking options, depending on the cost of the trailer. The standard option is drum style brakes, while the second option is disk brakes. Removing the dust cover from trailer drum brakes should take no longer than an hour, even if you have never attempted this work before.

Instructions

1

Lift on side of the rear axle on the trailer with a 2-ton or greater capacity jack. Place a jack stand beneath the axle housing. Jack up the other side of the trailer and set a jack stand under the second side of the axle housing. Remove the wheels from the trailer using a wheel lug wrench.

2

Remove the brake drum by hand if possible. If the brake drum gives resistance, use a hammer to gently tap the front of the brake drum near each lug stud and tap a few times on the side of the drum. Repeat this step until the drum is completely removed from the trailer.

3

Remove all drum brake hardware, including springs, fasteners and brake shoes. Use a brake drum hook or a flat head screwdriver to remove springs and fasteners. Remove the shoes by hand.

4

Remove the wheel cylinder from the backing plate or dust shield of your drum brake system. The wheel cylinder is a cylindrical object with two metal pistons protruding outward. The metal pistons are what provide the outward motion of the brake shoes into the brake drum when you apply the brake pedal. Use a 3/8-inch ratchet and socket to remove the wheel cylinder mounting bolts. Do not remove the brake line from the rear of the wheel cylinder.

5

Remove the dust shield mounting bolts. Twist and slide the dust shield over the wheel cylinder if possible. If the dust shield does not provide the clearance to be removed past the wheel cylinder, then use tin snips to cut two channel lines into the dust shield. Be careful not to move the wheel cylinder too much as the hard brake line in the back can snap.

6

Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for removal of the second dust shield. If you are installing a new dust shield onto the first side, remove the drum from the second side and you will have a reversed diagram of how to put your drum brakes back together. Do not remove the drum hardware or brake shoes from the second side if you intend to use it as a visual reference for reconstructing the brakes on the first side.