Have you ever been faced with a delay in deceleration when you apply your brakes? This is a clear sign that your drum brakes are affected and need adjustment or replacement. In this article, we will explain how to adjust drum brakes.
Though drum brakes are durable, they can start dragging after long use and lead to grinding noise.
The noise is an indication that the brake shoes have worn out. If not attended to, the bad brake shoes can cause severe damage to the wheel drum, which will cost more bucks to fix.
However, regular adjustment of these brakes ensures that they respond quickly whenever you engage them.
You need to always ensure your brakes are working properly before hitting the road because your life depends on it. The paragraphs below provide a practical explanation of drum brakes adjustment.
what are drum brakes?
With disc brakes, brake pads apply pressure to rotors and stop your vehicle. Drum brakes work similarly, but with a few different parts. Drum brakes three main parts are: the drums, brake shoes, and wheel cylinders:
- Drum: Cylindrical piece of metal attached to the wheel of the car
- Brake Shoe: Curved piece of metal that holds the brake lining
- Wheel Cylinder: Hydraulic mechanism that presses the brake shoes against the drum
These three parts are put into action when you hit the brake pedal. The pistons in the wheel cylinder are pushed outward against the brake shoes that then press against the rotating drum.
The friction between the drum and the brake shoes is what causes your car to drop speed and come to a stop.
How Do Drum Brakes Work?
Let’s take a look at the operating principles of the drum brakes before going deep into the method of adjusting rear drum brakes.
Drum brakes consist of hydraulic wheel cylinders, brake shoes and a brake drum. When the brake pedal is applied the two curved brake shoes, which have a friction material lining, are forced by hydraulic wheel cylinders against the inner surface of a rotating brake drum.
When you are driving, and you step on the brake pedal, the power is amplified by the brake booster and changed into hydraulic pressure by the master cylinder.
The pressure reaches the brakes on the wheels through tubing filled with brake fluid. The delivered pressure pushes the pistons on the brakes of the four wheels.
The pistons press the brake linings, which are friction materials, against the inside surfaces of the brake drums which rotate with the wheels.
The linings are pressed on the rotating drums, which in turn decelerate the wheels, thereby slowing down and stopping the vehicle. If there is any problem with each part of the brake, you need to make adjusting drum brakes by backing up.
Why Do Drum Brakes Need Adjustment?
Usually brakes don’t need adjustment unless you’re replacing the brake shoes. Even though the lining wears thinner with use, the automatic adjusters will keep the brake shoes in adjustment all the way to the point where the lining is gone and it’s metal to metal.
The brakes are designed to stop the vehicle until they’re so totally worn out that they fall apart. But don’t ignore brake noises from any of the brakes. Always check them or have them checked if you hear or feel something that seems abnormal.
How To Adjust Drum Brakes?
Firstly, the parking brakes are a part of a more extensive system known as the drum brakes. Automobile manufacturers have preferred drum brakes from the last 100 years. You should see the shoe is the star of the drum brake system.
It offers sufficient friction against the drum, which stops the car when one-steps on the brake pedal.
The drum brake system is useful in only the rear wheels these days, as they are not much efficient and require much maintenance than the one available these days.
Let us now find out how to adjust drum brakes without damaging the system. You can browse online to find the best maintenance tips for your car brake system.
#1. Removing The Brake Drum.
Once you remove the car wheel, use a small chisel with a hammer to remove the damaged dust cap. In some cars, the drum will easily slide off or held in place by a thin metal sheet, which you should remove before the drum.
Make sure to remove the drum using a twist and pull motion. It will help to release the unit from the axle and brake shoes.
#2. Clean The Brakes.
You should use regular water to do away with the harmful dust particles and allow it to dry. Wipe out any water from the axle. In case, you are using a garden hose during the cleanup, do not blow the brake dust into the air when the pressure hits the brake shoe.
It is a crucial step to remember if you want to know about adjusting drum brakes without any hassle.
#3. Check The Brake Shoes.
Make sure to check the thickness of the brake shoes to the new brake shoes, as each shoe can be a little different and might require a thorough comparison. Do not forget this step, as it is essential for you to get matching brake shoes.
#4. Removing Brake Shoes.
Now remove the brake shoes by identifying the primary brake shoes spring. We recommend you use a pair of side cutters and grasp the spring, and pull it towards the brake shoe.
You need to use a pair of needle-nose pliers to release the brake shoe hold-down clips, as there will be one on each brake shoe. It is a good idea to use a brake shoe tool for the job.
Once, you release both the brake shoes, grasp both the shoes firmly, and pull outward. It will allow the shoes to separate from the backing plate.
Once the brake shoes are free from the backing plate, remove the parking brake cable spring downward and release the cable from the parking brake arm.
At last, the brake shoe would become free from the backing plate. It is a crucial step to remember when you want to know about how to adjust drum brakes.
#5. Replacing The Wheel Cylinder.
Keep the wheel cylinder in good condition, as poor maintenance will cause it to leak and ruin the new brake shoes. In case you have a new car, then you can wait until the next brake maintenance.
However, if the wheel cylinder is leaking, then there is no doubt it needs replacement. Remember if the wheel cylinder fails, then you will surely lose a part of the braking system pressure, which can lead to an ugly situation while driving.
#6. Installing New Brake Shoes.
You should use a medium-size flat surface to start the spring and e-brake lever change onto the new brake shoes.
Note the location of both the springs and shoes, as it is an excellent time to use a new spring hardware kit, especially if the brakes are a bit hot. You should know that springs can quickly lose their power if the vehicle is too hot.
#7. Reinstalling / Repairing the Brake Drum.
Before installing the brake drums, it needs replacement to create a square surface for the new shoe to connect when applying the brakes.
Make sure to install the brake drum with a spinning motion. Move the shoe outward every time you hear the shoemaking contact with the drum. In short, the drum needs to spin freely with minimal contact with the brake shoe.
#8. Checking The Brake Fluid.
Now, lift the car hood and find the brake master cylinder’s fluid reserve. Clean the brake master cylinder top of using a towel, then loose and remove the lid. You should follow this important tip to know how to adjust rear drum brakes without hassle.
#9. Set the Rear Brake Shoes.
After work done on both the wheels, the brake shoes are ready to set to the drum brake system. Utilize your foot and hold the brake pedal down.
FAQs.
Q: Which way do you adjust drum brakes?
It is pretty easy to adjust your drum brakes. However, you must understand the right direction to push the adjuster.
In most vehicles, the right place to turn the adjuster is clockwise, while a few others are designed to work anti-clockwise. As you push the adjuster downwards with your screwdriver, the adjustment wheel moves upwards or in a clockwise direction.
Q: Will drum brakes self-adjust?
When there is much space between the brake and the drum, most modern cars have automatic adjuster which senses the anomaly and reset themselves when you apply the emergency brakes.
However, if you don’t apply the emergency brake for a long time, the automatic adjuster will not adjust.
Q: Do drum brakes self-adjust in reverse?
Yes, whenever you apply your brakes when you are reversing, the automatic adjuster adjusts itself.
A lever adjusts inside the brake system to adjust the wheel a little bit anytime you back off. However, this does not apply to all cars and is not a total remedy for adjusting your brakes when it is in a critical state.
Q: How often do you need to adjust the drum brakes?
On average, a drum brake needs adjustment at every 10,000 miles or earlier until it needs replacement.
However, there are few signs that show your brake shoes require adjustment. So, if you’re asking how to tell if drum brakes need adjusting, watch out for these;
- Strange or grinding noise from the back wheels
- Lose the parking brake lever
- The car moves smoothly while on hand brakes
- The ABS light tells you when there is something wrong with your brake. So, when you see the light on, you should drive carefully to a safe place and check your brake system components.
Final words
At this juncture, you’ve seen that brake drums last long. However, with time they can start malfunctioning.
So, if you want a safe drive, you need to ensure your brakes and other car systems are working properly. And that’s why we’ve provided a step-by-step guide on how to adjust drum brakes.