Brake Shoe Replacement
04-13-2017
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Brake Shoe Replacement
In the Haynes/Chilton it shows photos of removing the drum brake shoes as a group with "the hub removed for clarity." They LIE! The hub must be removed to remove the brake shoes using the method described because the adjuster won't fit between the hub and the slave cylinder. I managed to make it work on one side by carefully filing just a bit off the side of the soft aluminum slave cylinder, but it was still a PITA because the hub is larger around than the opening within the brake shoe group. Lotsa fiddling, lotsa foul language.
For the other side I just went ahead and removed the hub with the drum. MUCH easier! I was done in a half hour, no cussing, no banged knuckles.
There are two things you need to know to use this method:
1) You'll need a 1-1/4" socket or box-end wrench.
2) The Jesus nut is intended to be used only once, with a flange peened over into a keyway to prevent unscrewing at speed. So, to do things right, you'll want to have a replacement nut on hand. Or you could cheap out like me and carefully unpeen the nut with a hammer and punch (a nail will probably work) before removal and just repeen it when reinstalling. This nut isn't carefully adjusted like cone wheel bearings of old; it's just torqued down.
For the other side I just went ahead and removed the hub with the drum. MUCH easier! I was done in a half hour, no cussing, no banged knuckles.
There are two things you need to know to use this method:
1) You'll need a 1-1/4" socket or box-end wrench.
2) The Jesus nut is intended to be used only once, with a flange peened over into a keyway to prevent unscrewing at speed. So, to do things right, you'll want to have a replacement nut on hand. Or you could cheap out like me and carefully unpeen the nut with a hammer and punch (a nail will probably work) before removal and just repeen it when reinstalling. This nut isn't carefully adjusted like cone wheel bearings of old; it's just torqued down.
