Rear brake pads, called "brake shoes," are used on vehicles equipped with drum brakes in the rear of the vehicle. A drum brake consists of a steel housing (a drum) and pads (brake shoes). When you press the brake pedal, it pushes hydraulic fluid through the system, which pushes the shoes against the drum. Since these are friction wear parts, over time, the brake shoes will wear down and you will have to replace them. Usually this is necessary when the brake pad is 1/8-inch thick.
Instructions
- 1
Place the socket end of the wrench over the lug nuts and turn the wrench 1/8 turn counterclockwise.
2Put the vehicle in 1st gear. If it is an automatic, then leave it in park and engage the emergency brake.
3Jack up the rear of the vehicle using the rear jack point. This should be near the trunk area and will be an extension of the vehicle's main frame.
4Finish removing the lug nuts from the wheel and take the wheel off the hub assembly.
5Remove the spindle bolts and take off the outer drum. You may need to hit the outer drum with a hammer to knock the rust and corrosion loose before being able to remove the drum.
6Carefully remove the return spring for each of the brake shoes using the brake spring removal tool.
7Hold the back of the retainer pin and place the brake shoe removal tool over the retainer clip. Press the tool in, and then turn it counterclockwise which will remove the spring and the retainer. The brake shoes should come right off at this point.
8Spray all of the brake parts down--including the inner drum--with brake parts cleaner. Put the new brake shoes on. Installation is the reverse of removal.
9Put the wheel back on and tighten the lug nuts. Then, lower the vehicle to the ground and torque the lug nuts to 100 foot-lbs. with the torque wrench.
