How to Replace the Brake Shoes on a Honda
- 1). Lift your car using a lift or a jack. Make sure the car is on a flat surface so you can work on it comfortably and safely. Use a screwdriver on the edge of the hubcap and pop it off. Then remove the lug nuts with a wrench and save all of them.
- 2). Remove the the clips around the studs to release the drum. Just use a screwdriver to bend them back and break them off. You will find two clips on two of the studs in new cars (It'll not be necessary to replace them.) Now sharply hit the the drum on the edge or shoulder by using a hammer to make the drum pop out. Do it as hard as you can, you don't have to be afraid to mess anything up if you hit it right on the shoulder.
- 3). Slide off the drum and take a look at the different parts of the exposed break shoe. Now set a stick between the rear brake shoe and the wheel cylinder and secure locking pliers onto the backing plate at the center of the rear shoe.
- 4). Use needle-nose pliers to remove the top break spring. Apply pressure to the brake spring where the rear shoe connects with brake adjuster until the spring comes out and then withdraw the lower return spring. Release the retainer spring from the pin by pressing the top of the spring toward the internal edge and then turn the pin 90 degrees with the pliers.
- 5). Withdraw the front brake shoe, the brake adjuster and connected elements, then use the pliers to extract the parking brake cable from the rear brake shoe bracket. Secure the shoe in a bench vise to hod up the pivot pin head and lever arm. Remove the lever arm by driving the u-clip of the pin with a hammer and chisel.
- 6). Relocate the lever arm and lubricated pivot point (use brake grease) to the new brake shoe and install both the shoe and arm lever into the vise. Use a new washer and u-clip. A flat-nosed pliers will help you bend the open end of the clip closed. Do not forget to lubricate the pivot point.
- 7). Clean and lubricate the brake adjuster threads, clevis point, the resting blocks of the lower brake shoe, and the grooves in the wheel cylinder. Do the same with all raised areas on the backing plate in direct contact with the metal components of the brake shoes.
- 8). Attach the brake cable into the rear shoe lever arm and put the the shoe back onto the backing plate. Use new retaining pins and springs. Set again the stick in between the shoe and wheel cylinder to fasten the locking pliers back onto the backing plate.
- 9). Install the front shoe. First place the adjuster and springs on the front shoe. Proceed by linking the spring in lower position with the rear shoe. Finally, connect the upper spring to the rear shoe by using another set of pliers.
- 10
Take the locking pliers and stick off and put the brake drum back in place. Turn the star wheel using a flat screwdriver until the drum drags slightly. Repeat the process with the other brake and replace the wheels once you finish.