English

Aug . 14, 2024 03:32 Back to list

Steps to Properly Adjust Rear Brake Drums for Improved Vehicle Performance and Safety

How to Adjust Rear Brake Drums A Comprehensive Guide


Proper maintenance of your vehicle's braking system is crucial for safety and performance. While most modern vehicles come equipped with disc brakes on the front, many still utilize drum brakes in the rear. Understanding how to adjust rear brake drums can enhance braking efficiency, ensure even wear, and extend the lifespan of your brake components. In this article, we will walk you through the steps to adjust rear brake drums effectively.


Understanding Drum Brakes


Before diving into the adjustment process, it’s important to understand how drum brakes work. Unlike disc brakes, which use a caliper to squeeze brake pads against a rotor, drum brakes utilize a set of brake shoes that press against the inner surface of a rotating drum. When the brake pedal is engaged, hydraulic force pushes the shoes outward against the drum, creating friction that slows the vehicle down. Over time, the brake shoes wear down, leading to decreased braking performance and requiring adjustment.


Tools Needed


To adjust your rear brake drums, you will need the following tools - Jack and jack stands - Lug wrench - Brake adjustment tool or flat-head screwdriver - Ruler or feeler gauge (optional) - Work gloves and safety goggles


Step-by-Step Adjustment Process

1. Safety First Ensure your vehicle is parked on a level surface. Engage the parking brake for added safety. If you’re working on a front-wheel drive vehicle, consider placing wheel chocks behind the front wheels as well.


2. Raise the Vehicle Use the jack to lift the rear of the vehicle, and secure it with jack stands to prevent any accidents. Remove the rear wheels using the lug wrench.


how to adjust rear brake drums

Steps to Properly Adjust Rear Brake Drums for Improved Vehicle Performance and Safety

3. Remove the Brake Drum Depending on your vehicle, it might be necessary to remove retaining screws or clips before lifting the brake drum off the hub. If the drum is stuck due to rust or wear, gently tap around the edges with a rubber mallet to loosen it.


4. Inspect the Brake Components Once the drum is removed, inspect the brake shoes, springs, and other components for signs of wear or damage. It’s critical to replace any damaged parts before proceeding with the adjustment.


5. Adjust the Brake Shoes Locate the star wheel adjuster, which is typically found between the brake shoes. Using a brake adjustment tool or a flat-head screwdriver, turn the adjuster to expand or contract the shoes. If the shoes are too close to the drum, you'll need to adjust them outward until you can just barely slip a feeler gauge or ruler between the shoes and the drum, typically around 0.010 inches (0.25 mm). If the shoes are too far from the drum, contract them until you achieve the desired clearance.


6. Reassemble After making the necessary adjustments, replace the brake drum. Make sure it spins freely without dragging. Reattach any screws or clips that were removed earlier.


7. Reinstall the Wheel Place the wheel back onto the hub, hand-tighten the lug nuts, and lower the vehicle back to the ground. Once on the ground, use the lug wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a crisscross pattern to ensure even distribution of pressure.


8. Test the Brakes Start the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times to ensure that the braking system is functioning correctly. Take the vehicle for a short test drive, checking for any unusual noises or behaviors from the rear brakes.


Conclusion


Regular adjustment and maintenance of your rear brake drums are vital for safe driving. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that your brakes perform optimally and enhance your vehicle's overall safety. If you’re unsure or uncomfortable performing this task on your own, don’t hesitate to consult a professional mechanic for assistance. Remember, your safety is worth the effort!




Share

Next：

Latest news

If you are interested in our products, you can choose to leave your information here, and we will be in touch with you shortly.


Hit enter to search or ESC to close
en_USEnglish
afAfrikaans sqAlbanian amAmharic arArabic hyArmenian azAzerbaijani euBasque belBelarusian bn_BDBengali bs_BABosnian bg_BGBulgarian caCatalan cebCebuano coCorsican hrCroatian cs_CZCzech da_DKDanish nl_NLDutch eoEsperanto etEstonian fiFinnish fr_FRFrench fyFrisian gl_ESGalician ka_GEGeorgian de_DEGerman elGreek guGujarati htHaitian Creole haHausa hawHawaiian he_ILHebrew hi_INHindi hmnMiao hu_HUHungarian is_ISIcelandic igIgbo id_IDIndonesian gaIrish it_ITItalian jaJapanese jvJavanese knKannada kkKazakh kmKhmer rwRwandese ko_KRKorean ckbKurdish kyKyrgyz loLao laLatin lvLatvian lt_LTLithuanian lbLuxembourgish mk_MKMacedonian mgMalgashi ms_MYMalay ml_INMalayalam mtMaltese miMaori mrMarathi mnMongolian my_MMMyanmar ne_NPNepali nb_NONorwegian nyNorwegian orOccitan psPashto fa_IRPersian pl_PLPolish pt_PTPortuguese pa_INPunjabi ro_RORomanian ru_RURussian smSamoan gdScottish Gaelic sr_RSSerbian stSesotho snShona sdSindhi si_LKSinhala sk_SKSlovak sl_SISlovenian soSomali es_ESSpanish suSundanese swSwahili sv_SESwedish tlTagalog tgTajik ta_INTamil tt_RUTatar teTelugu thThai tr_TRTurkish tkTurkmen ukUkrainian urUrdu ug_CNUighur uz_UZUzbek viVietnamese cyWelsh xhBantu yiYiddish yoYoruba zuZulu en_USEnglish