I have to change the rear wheel cylinder (drum brakes). Any tips/procedures on removing the brake springs and brake shoes ? Any special tools I should buy. Should I remove the hold down springs first or the return springs ? best way to remove return springs (besides eating my wheaties)? Any tips and comments welcome.

ps . I have worked on and replaced every thing on my front disc brakes. Just never had to work on the rear since they last so long.

 

No experience with drum brakes but I LOVE my cross drilled brake lines. $69.95 is a good price too. Good luck.

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...&products_id=1

 

Bump.

 

http://www1.autozone.com/az/cds/en_u...rInfoPages.htm

http://www1.autozone.com/az/cds/en_u...rInfoPages.htm

 

Yes, I know. Go read it. All it says is remove stuff and then put it back. now read my post. It asks for TIPS on best way to remove stuff ( and if anyone has pics go ahead and post)

 

don't know if you'd consider this a tip or not.
but my advice is to only do one side at a time so you have the second side to look at for reference.

 

OK - let me be more specific in my question.

Please answer this only if you have done a drum brake job (replaced shoes etc) yourself.


1. Should I remove the lower return spring first, or the upper return spring or the hold down spring.

2. Is there any special tool used to remove the lower and upper return springs, if not do I just yank on it with a needlenose plier. ( I have the tool for the hold down spring)

 

I've never done the drum brakes on my Maxima, but I've done them on countless Chevy's, including my 3/4 ton van, my mothers Dodge Caravan, a Geo Storm, Honda Accord, and a few others I can't recall right now.

Wear gloves of some sort, that brake dust is a pain to remove from hands. If the drums are stuck in place a bit of heat around the hub, followed by some Liquid Wrench often works wonders.

Once you're inside, I generally remove the return springs first. If you take the anchor springs / pins off first, then the return springs often whip the brake shoes up into a funny position, and it's a pain to get things moved around and taken apart. Take pictures of how things fit together, especially note the positions of the springs, and the emergency brake bracket, and which end of the springs go in which direction. I like to lay the parts out on a sheet of cardboard in the relative position that I remove them from the brake in, facing the right direction. A bit of duct tape will hold them in place, then when it is time to put things back together, you know where the part goes, and what direction it is oriented in.

Once the return springs are off, I usually take apart the self adjuster next, then the anchor springs / pins last. Clean off as much brake dust as possible with brake parts cleaner, lubricate the contact points on the mounting plate, then reassemble. I usually install one brake shoe (the one WITHOUT the emergency brake bracket / cable) with it's mounting pin / spring first. Next I attach the emergency brake cable / bracket to the other brake shoe, and install that shoe with it's mounting pin / spring. Next I put together the self adjuster, and then the return springs go on last.

As I said above, I've never done the job on a Maxima, and drum brakes do vary a bit from car to car, so you have to take a look at what you've got in there, and then adapt my method as necessary, but this is a good general plan of attack.

As for special tools, well this could depend on the Maxima brake setup, perhaps someone else can chime in, but the tools I use all the time for drum brakes are a pair of brake spring pliers, a little tool that pushes in the retaining spring cap and makes removing the retaining spring / pin a LOT easier, a small pair of vice grips, and a good pair of diagonal cutters. The diagonals do a great job of grabbing springs that you can't pry off with the pliers.

Eating your Wheeties that morning isn't a bad idea. Wear your safety glasses too, even if they do make you look like a dork. Nothing will wreck you day worse than a brake spring in the eye, and those retaining springs can come off of there with some force.

 

Yes I to have the same problem. Well sorta. My emergency brake isnt releasing all the way. Im thinking.... Either that or the brakes are to tight. I cant really tell.

 

my e-brake is stuck up but wheels are still rolling...