Brake shoe replacement on drum brakes.

by Steven Cook Firststop Autocentre

Whenever you take your vehicle for a maintenance run, make sure that brakes on it are checked. Brakes on a vehicle with use wear down and need to be replaced. When I say replaced I mean parts of the brake assembly need replacing. Based on the type of brakes used on the vehicle the brakes may need new brake pads, discs or new brakes shoes. Traditionally there are two types of brakes fitted to a car. Disk brakes and drum brakes. Some new vehicles may have both. Disk brakes on the front wheels and drum brakes on the rear. Different brakes are used because of the way they function, their life and their effect on the car’s performance. Today we will talk about drum brakes and how their parts are replaced. For easy replacement of drum and disk brakes visit Brake Repair Bilston.

Drum brakes are generally used on the rear wheels of a vehicle. This is done as they are quite bulky and obtrusive in comparison with disk brakes. Drum brakes are different from disk brakes because in a disk brake the brake pads apply pressure on the disk to create friction slowing the car down, whereas in drum brakes the brake shoes apply pressure outwards onto the rotating cylinder.

Now let us look at how they brakes shoes in a drum brake are changed.

Check which kind of brakes your vehicle uses.

It is very easy to check which type of brakes your vehicle uses. Just take a peek. Disk brakes will have a metallic disk with a brake calliper. Drum brakes, on the other hand, will have a cylindrical shape attached to the wheels without visible brake shoes or disk.

Opening up the drum brakes.

Once sure that your vehicle is indeed using drum brakes you can start the process of changing them. The first step will be to jack up your car so that you can remove the wheels and access the brakes. Remember to make sure that you so with the utmost care as carelessness can result in damage to the vehicle and injury to you.

Opening a brake shoe assembly.

Remember drum brakes are not as simple as disk brakes. Their brake shoes are held in place by an assembly of pins and springs. Remove them carefully to ensure that you do not damage them. It is best to remove the entire assembly first. Then work on changing the brake shoe.

Changing brake shoe.

Once you have taken the brake assembly apart you can change the brake shoes and perform a thorough clean-up of it. There will be quiet a lot of soot in the assembly deposited by the wearing shoes. Once this is done put the old assembly on one side (one with the old brake shoes) and the one with replaced shoes on the other. This will help you get a clear picture of how to put the assembly back together.

Reinstalling the brake assembly.

Once you have reassembled the brakes start with the bottom. Get the brake shoes over the brackets at the bottom of the assembly. At the top, it helps to compress the brake pistons and the assembly will slide over the ends of the wheel cylinder. Now replace the two spring-loaded pins that hold the assembly onto the brake backing plate. Do this by compressing the spring and then twisting it.

Changing the shoes on a drum brake can be tedious and time-consuming. To avoid destroying your car’s brakes because of inexperience it is advisable to visit an expert who can do this for you. First Stop Auto is the den for many such expert hands that will ensure that the brakes on your vehicle are as good as new. Visit them for brake shoe replacement, check-ups and regular maintenance.