What happens if brake shoes fail?
Reduced brake response If the brake shoes become excessively worn or overheated, their capacity to slow the vehicle may be reduced. This may result in a vehicle that takes longer to stop when the brakes are applied, especially during high speed or heavy braking situations.
What’s the best way to change rear brake shoes?
Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface. Use a tire iron or the appropriate socket to loosen the lug nuts on the first rear wheel, then slide a jack beneath one of the vehicle’s rear designated jack points to lift the vehicle up. Always use jack stands when working on a jacked up vehicle. Unscrew the lug nuts and remove the wheel.
Where do you put the brake shoes on a drum brake?
Start at the bottom, getting the brake shoes over the brackets at the bottom of the brake assembly. At the top, it helps to compress the brake pistons so that the assembly will slide over the ends of the wheel cylinder. They will spring back some.
What happens when you step on the brake pedal?
When you step on the brake pedal, hydraulic pressure from brake fluid activates a piston in the wheel cylinder. The piston causes the shoes to expand internally and drag on the lining of the brake drum, slowing the vehicle down via friction. Stiff return springs then retract the shoes when braking is done.
Where are the springs for rear brake pads?
If you are replacing the drum as well, it doesn’t matter if you damage it. Use pliers to remove the primary brake shoe springs. The primary brake shoe springs are the large springs located beneath the drum once you remove it. Some vehicles will have one spring for each brake pad, while others may have two.
When to change brake shoes?
Brake shoes should be replaced when the friction material has worn down to within 1/32 inch (0.8 mm) of the rivets. If the friction material is bonded to the backing plate (no rivets), then the shoes should be replaced when they have only 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) of material left.
How do you replace brake shoes?
Grip the brake pads on either side and pull them directly toward you to separate them from the backing plate. The springs will come with the brake shoe set, but the parking brake cable should remain with the vehicle. Once the brake shoe set have been removed from the backing plate, you can begin replacing the pads.
What are rear parking brake shoes?
Parking brake shoes are installed on cars that have rear rotors (also known as rear disc brakes). Most new cars (made after 1999) have rotors at the rear wheels. In the older cars that have drums at the rear wheels, the brake shoes inside the rear drums act as the parking brake shoes.