I'm Wondering if anyone could give me some tips on this before I start on rear drum brake re-build on my 1998 Monte Carlo LS with ABS.

I finished with the Front Disc brakes & everything seems to work well. The rear need to be done soon. I pulled the drum off & it looks to be a little more complicated than the old '65 Impalas I have much experience with!

Any expertise on this ? Things I should beware of ? I have a Hayne's manual... but- you know how that is... !!

Thanks!

 

The drum brakes aren't bad to do, just time consuming. Do one side at a time, so you can use the other side as a reference to put it back together if need be. Make sure you check the wheel cylinders for any leakage. If they need replaced, they are cheap(about $10.00 a piece). You will need a drum brake tool to take some of the springs out. This tool is also pretty cheap at any auto parts store.

Take the actual drums to a machine shop and have them turned for a new smooth surface. When you get it back together, you will need to adjust the star wheel(looks just like the name at the bottom of brake assembly between the shoes) So when you turn the assembly with the drum back on, you can hear just a slight scraping sound(these are the shoes lightly contacting the drum.

Once its all back together drive the car in reverse and hit the brakes hard. The brakes have automatic adjusters for when the brakes ware down they adjust closer to the drum. Hitting the brakes hard in reverse adjusts the brakes.

If you have to replace the wheel cylinders, make sure you bleed the brakes before you do any driving with it. After that it should be good to go.

 

Thanks for your response & good info. Doesn't sound too hard!

 

I'd replace them with disks personally, the ones off a Z34 monte of the same years bolts right up- and they can be had pretty cheap at a junkyard. If all you're doing is replacing the shoes on your daily driver, then its probably cheaper just to do that, but if anything major is seized up or broken, I'd at least consider a swap.

 

if you do rebiuld and dont replace them with disks make sure you have a spring puller because 2 of the three springs are next to impossible to attach with out it or atleast for me