Always use jack stands when working on a jacked up vehicle. Unscrew the lug nuts and remove the wheel. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual if you need assistance locating the designated jack points.
The dust cap may have rusted in place or could be stuck due to brake dust and road grime. If the cap doesn’t come off easily, spray it with rust remover like WD40 and allow it to sit for a minute before trying again.
A traditional 3/8-inch drive socket wrench may not allow you to put enough pressure on the nut to break it loose. Set the nut aside someplace safe for use when reinstalling the drum.
The drum may be extremely difficult to remove.
You may bang on the drum with a rubber mallet to help loosen it up. Do not strike the drum with a hammer, as it may damage it. If you are replacing the drum as well, it doesn’t matter if you damage it.
You may be able to remove the springs with your fingers, but it could pinch or injure you. Try not to bend the springs out of shape, as you will reuse them when installing the new brake pads.
Make sure to set the clips aside someplace safe for reuse when installing the new brake pads. If the clips are damaged, you can often purchase replacement ones at your local auto parts store.
If you can’t determine how to remove the parking brake cable easily, refer to the service manual for your specific vehicle for further guidance.
Once the brake shoe set have been removed from the backing plate, you can begin replacing the pads.
Compare the two sets of brake pads. Aside from the wear on the old ones, the two sets should be identical.
The number of springs and hardware you transfer may vary from vehicle to vehicle. Refer to the service manual specific to your vehicle for further guidance.
You may also wind the threads inward to make the adjuster as short as possible before installing it if it does not have a pin. The adjuster is designed to self-adjust for your parking brake once installed.
If you are doing this job yourself, you may want to use locking pliers to hold the spring back from the end to make it easier to install.
Some drum brake sets will come with replacement clips in the event you damaged the old ones.
Be careful not to overstretch the ends of the spring. If you do, you may be able to bend it back into place using the pliers, but if not, they will need to be replaced. You can purchase replacement springs at your local auto parts store. Reconnect the parking brake cable as well.
A new drum is required to allow the brakes to seat properly onto the new braking surface. Replace the dust cover, then mount the wheel back on the vehicle and repeat the process on the other wheel.
