I know i should know better, but what should i look for when i check the brakes? I know there should be substantial lining left on the shoes, but do i need to check the springs or anything like that?

Thanks Guys

 

Every 'mechanic' I've talked to has insisted on changing out the "brake hardware" ..springs, keepers etc.. however...I've done many of my own brake jobs without doing that....

Your question was ...what to look for...well you do NOT want to see any brake fluid oozing out of the Wheel Cylinder on to the drum or well, really just anywhere.....

You want to see that all hardware is sound..no excessive wear spots...like on the bottom where the adjustment sprocket is turned.. Now, bear in mind...I have had 'sound looking' brake hardware break on me as I was reassembling.....and I have had the top spring snap on me after a long time had passed.. But in those days I was a hard driving fool...straight up idiot..so I went through some brakes...

You want to see that the friction surfaces have plenty of 'meat' on them.. There are two types shoes...Bonded and Riveted...there is a minimum thickness for each..but basically if it's looking like it's getting less that 1/8 thick put new ones on..I think you're talking like $60 for 4 shoes in the rear and about the same for the front...

In the front, you want to look for ...Grease on the Brake Assembly...you don't want any ...in the rear...look for axel oil....you don't want any ...if you have ...you have a failed seal...

On the drums...look for excessive wear...I just did quickie brake job on an F250 and on the passenge side you could see where the shoes had worn their own groove into to drum...NOT the rivets the entire width of the shoe had worn into the drum....my guess is that someone had let the bonded type of shoe go metal to metal at some point...The existing shoes had plenty of meat....but the drum was just shot... ($135 a drum)

Another type of wear you DON'T want to see is groves in your drum this is caused when riveted shoes have gone metal to metal....

If you see that type of wear on a drum...go get new ones or at least plan on getting them when you do the brake job...

If you see oozing brake fluid from the wheel cylinders ...just go ahead get new ones... It's best IMO...I just never had ANY luck trying to rebuild wheel cylinders...it just didn't work for me ....

TH1567
I'm sure someone will fill in with all kind of technical information I'm not furnishing...

 

thanks TH1567
you seem to be the one guy who gives me a complete answer on any question i have, Thanks and thanks again!

 

Dan, th1567 has covered most of the bases for problem areas. I'll add one more item to check, look over your rubber brake hoses carefully for cracks, weathering, rubbed spots, etc. If you have the funds I would replace them in a vehicle as old as ours. My mother had a rear hose blow in her '65 Mustang and it left her with NO BRAKES, fortunately she was returning from the neighbors and was able to slowly coast into the driveway. The one major drawback to the single reservoir master cylinder!!

 

Putt is right...it's always wise to expand 'checking the brakes' beyond the brake assembly itself...The rubber 'flex hoses' up in the front...right...alway a good idea to look...you right there anyhow...

I'm no mechanic...just guy that had one or two rolling wrecks to keep ready for that Monday to Friday work week..

Thanks for the compliment...but as I said..there's a lot of technical details I know nothing about....

TH1567
There's a wide, wide world out there...get out in IT. Drink experience down to the dregs and live...

 

The rubber hoses are cheap to replace ($12-14 each). I recently tore apart the rear brakes on my 1979. In addition to visual inspection, I took the dirty little springs to my wire wheel. Once you get the surface crud off you can see if there is any type of pitting on the springs. Word of caution on the drums themselves. If there is a wear ring that you can feel, take them to someone who really knows how to use a resurfacing tool. Some jerk at o'reilly did not center mine in the machine and then claimed the drum must have been warped. Might be cheaper in the long run to just by new drums for $20 if you need them. I would trust an actual shop rather than a wanna be over the counter mechanic to resurface them if you go that route.

good luck.

 

Ok. What if i cant get a drum off? what should i do?

 

Consarn it! I wish the drums on my truck were $20....the dude at the parts house said I'm looking at ~135...since I just did the work as a favor to the new owner of the truck...I just said..."That's on you my friend...leaky wheel cylinder fixed, new shoes, fixed..parking brake keepers, fixed you do the rest."

Course that's a 1966 F250....2 inch shoes...a set of them were $60....the wheel cylinders ...$47~ each...plus chemicals and a couple of lug nuts...

TH1567
.....Goin up the country, gotta get away...

 

Getting a drum off..mm...Fronts should be easy...pop grease cap, see the big nut, see the cotter pin, straighten and remove cotter pin, remove nut, gently remove drum

Get a brake spoon...It's always wise to back down the brakes away from the drum using the brake adjustment 'pin wheel'.

Rears: If 1/2 ton, remove wheel, remove drum.

For stuck drum, make sure you adjusted brake shoes AWAY from drum...keep going ...keep going.....try to remove drum...No Go? get a hammer....not a big one...may a 2 pound mini sledge..and if you can...as you turn the drum and tap it from the back side..

You can also just tap around the drum itself.. NOT TOO HARD...just good sound taps...may be just slightly rusted to its seat...

Still not budging....get a piece of wood and hit the back edge of the drum do this all around the drum NOT in one place.. This will prevent it from binding

NOTE: Hitting/pounding on metal heats it up...that's a good thing in moderation when removing difficult parts ...like a drum

On 3/4 Ton...remove wheel, remove 3 Machine Srews, Loosen Brake Shoes away from drum,...remove drum....

NOTE: The cover/flange/hub on the 3/4 tons can be an area where the 3/4 ton drums can prove difficult to remove....I had to gently grind away some of that flange to get the drum off...just a taste here and there...

Use guidelines for hammer usage as on 1/2 ton if drum proves difficult....

TH1567
.....Yep, it's Sunday..