How Do You Change Brake Shoes?

[Gavin]

My brake shoes are gone on my 96 N/A ep. Have not ever touched the rear drums. How are they taken apart? Is there a guide on here somewhere?

[Asad]

Car up supported safely, wheel off, handbrake off (you should be able to spin the drum now) just hammer it off slowly or put a flat screwdriver inbetween....be warned tho on alot of older cars ive noticed that as soon as you take the drum off etc the wheel cylinder starts to leak so do the job in the morning on a weekday (so you can go get the cylinder if need be)

[Minorand944man]

Car up supported safely, wheel off, handbrake off (you should be able to spin the drum now) just hammer it off slowly or put a flat screwdriver inbetween....be warned tho on alot of older cars ive noticed that as soon as you take the drum off etc the wheel cylinder starts to leak so do the job in the morning on a weekday (so you can go get the cylinder if need be)

Having just taken the drums off my starlet to inspect prior to MOT, I can say this is not correct. On my car (1997, P reg, Sportif EP91 chassis) the rear brake drums are integral with the hub, so you have to remove the hub to get at the shoes. Jack up the rear of the car, I chocked the front wheels, jacked my car up with a workshop jack via a flat piece of wood just infront of the rear swing arm suspension mounting, where there is a hard bit of floor that can take jacking. Then supported via axle stand under the crossbeam between the wheels, Supported the car with both jack and axle stand.

Then, remove rear wheel and lever off the small centre hub cap with screwdriver/ small pry-bar, you will see a split pin and hub nut cage, remove the split pin with pliers and take off the cage, the hub nut will now undo. With the hub nut removed the drum will pull off.

You will now see the rear drum shoes, wheel cylinder etc. Remove all springs that attach to the shoes- especially the springs that hold the shoes to the back plate, loosen the brake adjuster and the shoes should just pull off.

By the way the last sentence was guess work as I simply blew the dust off the drums and shoes, and put it all back together with more grease in the wheel bearings. Remember how it all went together!

Good luck!