The 1997 Venture van comes equipped with brake shoes behind the rear wheels. The brake shoes stop the van by applying pressure to the inside of the brake drum as it is turning. Over time, the brake shoes will become worn and grooved. Excessively worn brake shoes can damage the inside of the brake drums. Change the brake shoes out before the brake shoe reaches 1/8-inch of thickness.
Instructions
- 1
Park the 1997 Chevy Venture van on level ground and set the emergency brake.
2Loosen each of the lug nuts from both rear wheels with a tire tool or lug wrench.
3Slide the jack under the rear end of the van and jack the van up high enough for the jack stands. Position the jack stands under the designated rear jacking points. Lower the van onto the jack stands and leave the jack upright.
4Finish removing the lug nuts from the rear wheels. Pull the wheels off and set them to the side of the van.
5Pull the rear, driver-side brake drum off the wheel hub and set it down near the rear of the van. Locate the retaining springs that are located at the top of each brake shoe. Grab the springs with the spring removal tool and slide the end of each spring out of the spring holes. Pull the springs out and lay them to the side.
6Locate the spring retainer clips on the front of each brake shoe. Position the end of the spring retaining clip removal tool over the head of the retaining clip. Push the tool inward and turn it counterclockwise at the same time. Pull the clips out and place them to the side.
7Pull the brake shoes out of the wheel hub assembly. Transfer the spring retaining clips to the new brake shoes and secure the clips to the shoes with the tool. Position both brake shoes into the wheel hub assembly.
8Reattach the springs to the spring retaining clips inside of each brake shoe and to the spring holes with the spring removal tool. Make sure that the top end of each brake shoe is up against each end of the brake cylinder.
9Slide the wheel back onto the wheel hub and tighten down tight with the lug nuts. Move to the other side of the van and repeat the same steps. When finished installing the rear brake shoes, be sure to secure the wheel to the wheel hub with the lug nuts. Jack the van back up and remove the stands. Lower the van to the surface and remove the jack.
10Torque all of the lug nuts on the rear wheels with the tire tool until tight. Crank the 1997 Chevrolet Venture and pump the brake pedal in and out five or six times to seat the top of the brake shoes to the proper distance from the inside of the brake drums. Test-drive the van in a safe area to test the operation of the new brake shoes.
