You can repair worn-out brake drums by replacing the brake shoes. This increases the stopping power of your rear brakes because the pads are what create the friction against the inside of the brake drums. To repair the brake drums you need a brake drum puller. If you don’t have one, you can rent or purchase one from most automotive parts supply retailers.
Instructions
Things You’ll Need:
- Jack
- Jack stand
- Tire iron
- Marking paint
- Socket set
- Brake drum puller
- Pliers
- Rubber mallet
- 1
Place a jack under the frame right in front of the rear tire, jack the vehicle up and place it on a jack stand. Remove the lug nuts using a tire iron and pull the wheel off the rear of the vehicle to expose the brake drum.
- 2
Put a strip of marking paint on the back of the brake drum. Make sure you get the paint on the back of the drum and the axle hub. This will help you to line up the brake drum when you put it back on.
- 3
Place the three fingers of the brake drum puller around the back side of the brake drum, and then place the threaded spine of the brake drum puller against the hub located in the center of the brake drum. Turn the threaded spine using a socket and ratchet and pull the brake drum off the axle hub.
- 4
Remove the springs that secure the brake shoes onto the axle hub using a pair of pliers and discard the brake shoes.
- 5
Place the new brake shoes onto the axle hub and secure them into place using the springs and pliers.
- 6
Place the brake drum onto the axle hub and line up the paint markings on the back. Pound the drum onto the hub using the rubber mallet.
- 7
Place the wheel onto the axle hub, secure it using the lug nuts and tire iron and then remove the vehicle from the jack stand.
- 8
Repeat the process on the other rear wheel.
