How To Replace Your Drum Brakes

Drum brakes aren’t exactly what you call cutting edge technology, but they remain a very popular option for manufactures due to their low cost to produce and high braking efficiency. While the disc and caliper system is very straightforward, drum brakes can often lead to questions or problems when you are trying to do this job yourself.

The Drum braking system consists of two brake shoes ( the pads behind the friction that slows your vehicle), the wheel cylinder (which is actuated by your hydraulic brake system) and a series of very strong springs. These shoes are shaped to reside on the inside part of your drum and meant to catch onto the inner surface while slowing your vehicle.

The springs in your system are meant to either auto-adjust your tension or return your brake shoes to the disengaged position. The wheel cylinder is what actually forces the brake shoes into action, which are controlled by your brake hydraulics through your brake pedal and master cylinder.

Today we’ll be looking at the brake drum replacement job on a 2001 Honda Odyssey with drum brakes in the rear of the vehicle. The part numbers we’ll be replacing are :

• 42610-S0X-305 – Brake Drum
• 43053-S0X-000 – Brake Shoes

We’ll be replacing them with some Centric versions of the OEM Honda Parts, otherwise known as :

• 122.40013 – Centric Floating Rear Brake Drum – Outer Diameter 313.6mm – Height 77.30 mm
• 111.07440 – Centric Rear Brake Shoes – 254 x 45.0 FMSI number 1512-S744

As with all of our writeups, if you are not comfortable doing this procedure or still feel as though it may be difficult despite reading this guide please stop and take your vehicle to a licensed mechanic in your area. We are not responsible for any damages however indirect, for any modifications or work you perform on your vehicle. Please be prudent and take your vehicle to the professionals if you feel this may be too difficult.

Although this job is very easy to do it requires you to reassemble springs and set tensions that may prove to be dangerous if not deadly not done correctly.

This vehicle utilizes a floating drum design, thus will not require you to take off anything, simply slide off the brake drum in question.

If your brake drums are being difficult or will not come off, try some brake cleaner or other kind of lubricant with a soft blow hammer to try and knock loose the brake drum in question. Otherwise you can use bolts to screw into the drum itself and try to bend the drum off, make sure that these screws are not important as this process usually bends the bolt.

Now with the brake drum removed take this time to familiarize yourself with the inner workings of your brake drum system and how it works.

When you depress your brake pedal the hydraulic pressure will force the wheel cylinder to activate, pushing the pistons outward and forcing the brake shoes to interact with the brake drum. Check the inside of the drum and the outer surface of the shoes for any glazing or cracking, or simply proceed with replacement.

As you can see here this vehicle is in dire need of a brake shoe replacement, because it’s not only cracked but has high and low spots in the surface of the shoe. Let’s begin!

First disconnect the spring to your auto tensioner using a pair of needle nose pliers or a monkey wrench, set this spring to the side. Depending on the level of familiarity you have with drum brakes, you may want to label these springs as you remove them.

Next you will have to remove the circlips on the mounting tabs that hold the top part of your brake shoe. This pivot provides an excellent fulcrum for your drum system, there will be two of them for either shoe.

Here is where you should be on the process with the circlips removed and the shoes ready to be dismounted. Next we will remove the auto tensioner arm and the bottom u-clips that will allow us to take everything off.

Next remove the adjuster arm and disconnect the brake shoes from the upper pegs where you took off the circlips, this will loosen the shoes and allow you to remove them and disconnect your e-brake cable.

Now with the star undone and the tension arm loosened you can remove the entire adjuster arm completely.

Take care not to yank or bend the lower bracket that holds your ebrake cable to the drum itself, now you are ready to tackle the lower uclips.

These lower pegs are removable and very thin, make sure not to bend or warp these pegs when you are removing your brake shoes.

Now locate your e-brake cable and which the lower bracket it’s connected to, undo the clip that holds it in place and the springs that set tension to the brake shoes. You can let the e-brake cable hang, and now you are ready to remove both shoes.

You should spray down the backing plate with brake fluid and clean thoroughly. You can apply a very thin film of grease to the backing plate where the shoes make contact with to minimize any noise and protect both the surface and the brake shoe.

You will want to take the time to inspect your wheel cylinder for any leakage or damage, if there is any leaking or weeping from either of the pistons coming from the wheel cylinder replace it immediately.

Now grab your new shoes and mount the lower peg on one side of the drum assembly, now connect the brake shoes using the lower spring bracket and assembly. And make sure to connect the ebrake cable and clip to the assembly before completing the other side of the drums.

Push the u-clip through the lower mount of the brake shoe, and then mount the other side after checking your e-brake cable connection.

Now put back the retaining spring and the auto-adjuster but do not mount the upper step or circlip just yet as you will have to put back the adjuster compensator arm

This arm will automatically turn the star wheel in the adjuster arm, but you will still need to set the tension in the adjuster arm manually before the brake drum will fit back over the entire assembly. Using the pilot hole on the back of the mounting plate turn the star wheel until the arm has taken up any slack in the brake shoes.

Now put back the circlips to the upper mounts while making sure that the brake shoes are properly aligned and seated in the wheel cylinder.

Now put on your new brake drums and you are ready to finalize the tension in the adjuster arm. Re-using that pilot hole, turn the star on the arm until the drum turns slowly. Make sure not to set tension so tight that the drum does not turn at all, but rather you will want a slight “drag” on the shoes as you get the first few miles underway on your rear brakes.

You have now changed the rear brakes on your 2001 Honda Odyssey, make sure to test drive your vehicle so there are no noises and the rear brakes are indeed slowing your vehicle.

Congratulations!

• Pro Street Staff
• www.prostreetonline.com