The rear wheel must first be raised and supported by a jackstand. Hubcap should be pry off and placed aside.
Get rid of the lug nuts. I employ an impact or socket wrench. You owe it to yourself to purchase an air compressor and some air tools if you are performing this type of repair right now without using air tools. The majority of these repairs and maintenance may be completed in half the time. By the way, this DeWalt impact wrench runs on lithium-ion batteries if you don’t have an air compressor to power a pneumatic impact wrench. I never imagined the day when a battery-operated impact wrench would be considered a useful equipment!
The wheel should be removed and put aside. If the wheel has rusted on, see this thread for information on how to remove it and how to avoid it in the future.
Don’t feel terrible if the brake drum has corroded to the hub; this is extremely typical. Utilize the drum’s two holes. Put a bolt through those and gradually tighten it until the drum comes off. In my case, they were M8 x 1.25 mm and were metric (8 mm diameter with 1.25 mm thread pitch). Take a look at the new ones instead of the old ones as I don’t have any pictures of them. The removal holes are the two holes that aren’t being used.
You will need to make a decision like this. Here are a few images demonstrating the old brakes and their component locations. The brake assembly’s top section is depicted in the top shot, which also indicates where the brake cylinder is located, while the bottom is shown in the bottom photo. Take special note of where the little springs and connectors are located.
The hardware kit, brake shoes, and drums may be found at any parts store, however I purchased mine from Amazon. Here are the part numbers in case they are useful:
In This Article...
Can you change your own brake shoes?
You’ll be pleasantly delighted to learn that you can quickly, simply, and without specialized tools replace the brake pads in your car’s disc brake system. You will also spend much less money if you do it yourself.
Is it challenging to swap out brake shoes?
You can perform some auto repair and maintenance tasks on your own, but not all of them. Should you attempt to replace your own brake pads? A DIY brake job has the following benefits and drawbacks:
DIYYou’ll Always Know When Your Brakes Need Changing
You’re probably already accustomed to the agonizing brake squeal, which is produced when metal rubs against metal. Your brake pads are worn and need to be replaced if you hear what sounds like nails on a chalkboard. This may be the most obvious indication that your brake pads need to be replaced, but it’s not the only one.
The stopping distance of your vehicle, or the distance required to bring your car to a complete stop, is another important consideration. The lengthening of the stopping distance for your car may be a sign that the brake pads need to be replaced because they are worn out.
Another clue that it’s time to change the brake pads is feeling vibrations through the brake pedal. When it’s time for a brake job, the brake pedal may even sit lower to the floor than usual, albeit this may be more difficult to notice.
Looking at them is a better approach to determine whether your brake pads will last a long time. When the friction material in your brake pads is less than 4mm thick, the majority of experts advise replacing them. To keep your car safe, your brakes should be replaced right away if the measurement is less than 3mm.
Additionally, looking at your brake pads will show you if they’re wearing unevenly, which could mean that your braking calipers need to be replaced or may be stuck.
Don’t DIYIt Can Be Tricky
Many individuals believe that reading about it online or watching a YouTube video would teach them how to replace brake pads. Although replacing brake pads is straightforward in theory, it may easily become a challenging undertaking. Your brake job could go wrong in a variety of ways, necessitating the use of extra tools or parts that you don’t currently have.
Complexity is rising in modern automobiles. For instance, if your car has an electronic parking brake, it’s frequently necessary to use an OEM-level scan tool when servicing the back brakes. And a novice or do-it-yourself mechanic wouldn’t generally have that in their toolbox. Additionally, before you can change the brake pads on a car with automatic emergency braking, you usually need to do some additional preparations.
Every automobile is unique. Therefore, before attempting to change your brake pads, make sure you refer to the manufacturer service information for your automobile. If not, you run the risk of damaging both your car and yourself.
DIYYou Can Check for Other Problems
The good news is that when you’re changing your worn brake pads, you have a great chance to examine other brake, suspension, and steering components if you know what you’re looking for. For instance, you can learn more about the operation of the brake system and check the brake calipers, brake fluid, and wheel bearings.
Don’t DIYIf You Make A Mistake, You’re Risking Your Own Safety
We’re not trying to scare you, but if you mess up changing your brakes, you can endanger your own safety. Consider this: Your brakes are essential to stopping your wheels from moving. Making a mistake when installing brakes can have major repercussions for both the safety of your vehicle and yourself.
You can be looking in the wrong place and end up doing something incredibly risky. For instance, the fasteners that hold the brake caliper and the mounting bracket for the brake caliper (if your car is equipped) must always be torqued to the proper measurement.
Don’t forget to pump your brakes many times before starting the automobile after the procedure is finished and the wheels have been replaced. Pump the brakes first with the engine off, then again with it running. The brake pedal should be pressed firmly. When you go to drive your automobile, you’ll have little to no braking capabilities if you don’t complete this stage. And that might lead to a truly miserable day.
DIYNot A Difficult Job (On Some Cars)
Replacement of the front brake pads is typically regarded as an easy, entry-level repair. However, keep in mind that you will require some instruments to complete the task. Additionally, you’ll need a space where you can work without distractions in safety. It may be worthwhile to spend money to get your worn brake pads replaced if you lack these fundamentals.
Don’t DIYCan Be Time Consuming
A set of brake pads typically has to be changed within 30 to 60 minutes. Expect to pay a professional around an hour’s worth of labor if you hire them to finish the task. It’s important to note that, as a novice, replacing your brake pads could take you up to 3 or 4 hours (perhaps even longer). Of course, everyone has to start somewhere.
DIYWider Range of Brake Pads to Choose From
The majority of individuals work very hard to increase their car’s speed but neglect to consider stopping power. Different brake pads offer various features. Additionally, if you’re changing your own brake pads, you can select the friction material that best suits your driving preferences from a variety of options.
For instance, you might prefer the extra stopping power of a semi-metallic brake pad if your car is a high-performance model. On the other hand, a ceramic brake pad will reduce wear and brake dust if you mostly drive your car in congested traffic to and from work. Finally, if you almost ever drive your car, you can probably get by with a cheap, natural brake pad and save some money.
Are there rear brakes on Toyota Corollas?
Your Toyota Corolla rear brake pads will normally deteriorate at the same pace on both the left and honest side of your car, similar to how front brake pads do. Due to the brake mechanics of rear wheel drive cars, most rear brake pads tend to wear out more quickly than front brake pads.
How can I tell if my car has drum or rear brakes?
It’s critical to recognize whether you have disc brakes or drum brakes before having your brakes changed. If you want to order new parts, you must be aware of this information.
What kind of brakes are on my car?
Nowadays, most new cars have drum brakes in the back and disc brakes up front. Disc brakes are also frequently seen on all four wheels. However, only extremely ancient cars still have drum brakes on all four wheels; disc brakes were introduced in the 1970s.
How to tell whether your brakes are drum or disc
Look through one of the holes at the top of your front wheel to make sure. Your disc rotor is visible as a glossy, flat metal surface. Your brake drum, on the other hand, is that circular, rusty surface. Some rotors may have microscopic rust spots.
Another method to tell is to look at the back of the wheel; a drum brake will have a metal tube, while a disc brake will have a rubber hose leading to the brake calliper.
Drum brakes
Every wheel on early automobiles had drum brakes installed by the automakers. They get their name from the fact that the entire braking system is housed inside of a spherical drum that revolves with the wheel. The drum is pressed against by the brake shoes, slowing the wheel. Due to the drum’s inability to contain the heat buildup caused by forceful braking or steep hills, these brakes frequently fade. Drum brakes were regarded to be dangerous for these particular driving situations as a result of this design fault and the performance failures that resulted from it.
Disc brakes
Manufacturers at the time realized that disc brakes, a new kind of automotive brake, gave car racers a higher performance in contests. This design uses the caliper and brake pads to brake rather than shoes in the brake drum, leaving the disc (or rotor) constantly exposed to outside air. In contrast to the drum brake, which retains heat, the disc brake has a chance to truly cool down. This brand-new design from the era allowed heat to escape, greatly enhancing braking performance. The majority of cars at the time were front-wheel drives, and as the front wheels generate the majority of braking force (6090%), it was decided to switch to disc brakes in the front. The front disc and rear drum brake configuration used on the majority of new cars and trucks is entirely safe thanks to advancements made to both types of braking since the 1970s.
Types of brakes on your car
While your car may have disc or drum brakes to help you stop or slow down, there are really additional brakes to be aware of! The other kind of brake is an emergency brake, sometimes known as a parking brake, which is intended to work independently from the standard braking system. In the event that the standard brakes fail, these use levers or cables to stop the vehicle. These often travel to the car’s back and halt it there. If your car is a more recent model, it can also include an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).
When ought drum brakes to be changed?
Drum brakes, which are still used on many cars, especially older ones, may appear strange and out-of-date in comparison to disc brakes. Drum brakes are still standard equipment on the back of new cars, despite the fact that the technology is not new. The combined handbrake and foot brake shoes and the handbrake only shoes are the two common options for drum brakes on the rear axle. Like ordinary drum brakes, handbrake only shoes are frequently installed inside the disc rotor and are generally sealed away. This makes it difficult to visually inspect for wear and tear.
Drum brakes work by applying pressure with the rotating component that rotates with the wheels, the brake shoe, to the interior of the drum brake. The iron alloy used to make the drum was particularly created to be very durable. The friction lining of the brake shoes is adhered to a metal backing plate.
- inconsistent sensation of the brake pedal. The driver may experience vibrations when applying the brakes if the back brakes are drum brakes. When the brakes are first heated up, the initial bite might not be there. This is due to the brake shoes’ extreme wear, which prevents them from securely pressing against the drum.
- The hand brake is unsteady. It’s likely that the brake shoes need to be replaced if applying the hand brake demands a strong tug. The drum or brake shoes need to be checked if the automobile moves a few inches on a steep incline before coming to a stop. It might just be a loose hand brake cable, which is considerably simpler to fix.
- brake noise that scrapes. Under braking, you might hear a metallic scraping sound if the brake shoes were so thoroughly worn away that just the metal shoe platform was left. If the damage is this serious, you might need to machine the drum or completely replace it.
When replacing brake shoes, go for Bendix Brake Shoes for their durability, stopping power, and lack of noise and dust. You can always put your foot down with confidence thanks to this product’s specially developed mix for all driving circumstances.
After changing shoes, do drum brakes need to be bled?
Your braking system is the most important one in terms of essential parts. You must be able to stop at any time, no matter how quickly you’re moving. Hydraulic braking systems for vehicles operate by pushing pressurized fluid. There will be less pressure, spongy-feeling brakes, and lengthier stops if there is an air bubble in the system. But that’s only the start. The car might not stop at all if left unattended.
There is a technique to avoid this in addition to fixing it. Let’s examine when and how brakes should be bled.
When to Bleed Your Brakes
First off, you aren’t truly bleeding brakes; rather, you are removing air bubbles that may have developed prior to pouring fresh brake fluid by bleeding fluid and air out of the braking system.
When should you bleed your brakes?
- when the brakes begin to feel soft.
- when pauses take longer and you start to lose confidence.
- if you discover a leak Air may also be let in through leaks in addition to fluid. Bleeding your brakes after fixing the leak is the only way to ensure that your system isn’t affected by an air bubble.
- if you’re changing out worn-out brake pads, as this could lead to air getting into the master cylinder. More brake fluid is needed while braking with worn brake pads, which empties the reservoir and leaves room for air.
- if you replace your brake pads or rotors. For the purpose of safety, every brake job needs to include a brake bleed.
- As part of good preventive maintenance, once a year.
How to Bleed Your Brakes
You’ll need a screwdriver for Torx screws (detectable by the six-pointed groove on their heads), as much fresh brake fluid your car needs, and a container to catch the used fluid for all four methods of bleeding brakes.
Here are the four techniques for bleeding brakes:
- Put a container underneath the bleeder screw, turn the screw to let the old fluid fall into the container by gravity. Afterward, there will be cleanup. The liquid won’t fall in a straight line; instead, it will drip down components in the space between the container and the bleeder screw.
- By hand: Place a container beneath the bleeder screw and open it as someone gently presses and releases the brake pedal, forcing the fluid and air out of the system. Smoothly use the brakes to prevent the formation of further air bubbles that could linger and contaminate the fresh fluid. Make sure the fluid isn’t frothy, as that indicates that new air bubbles are beginning to form.
- Once more, place a container under the bleeder screw and open it to provide pressure. The fluid and air should then be forced through the system and into the container using a tank of pressurized braking fluid at the master cylinder.
- Vacuum: For this technique, when you open the bleeder screw, fasten a vacuum bleeder to it. It extracts the liquid and air into a connected container.
Regardless of the route you take, bleeding your brakes when there is a problem or as part of routine maintenance ensures that your braking system operates as effectively as possible and keeps you and your passengers safe.
NAPA Online has a comprehensive selection of brake fluid; or, visit one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare facilities for regular maintenance and repairs. Visit your neighborhood NAPA AUTO PARTS store to speak with a trained specialist for more details on bleeding your brakes.