Rear brake shoes; how to change?
- Thread starter Adrian888
- Start date
a little complicated but easy job. Where are you stuck?
spartacus 68
Member
Replaced the shoes on my wife's 1.4 TDI last year at around 95k. I used Bosch shoes from memory. Straight-forward, however there are a few springs, clips, so easy to forget how everything goes together, especially if you're used to discs and pads.
My advice is to remove the drums on both sides, one for reference, and the other to work on. If you get stuck - then check out the other side. The tricky bit is removing the drum. Assuming the shoes are original, then the drum may have a lip, which catches, even although the handbrake is released? If there is a significant lip, then I'd consider changing the drum.
Loosen the wheel bolts both sides. Raise the rear of the car, handbrake off, with the front wheels chocked and in gear. Use axle stands for safety. Remove the wheels. On the drum there is a phillips screw. inevitably it's seized. Before even putting a tool on it, check it's the biggest phillips screw-driver you've got and the head fits exactly, otherwise you risk stripping the head and will have to drill it out. Use your body-weight and it will undo. With the screw removed, you can take off the drum. Use a rubber mallet and knock at intervals around the drum while you rotate it. It will lever off, as you rotate it.
With the drum off... it's like a scene from Mission Impossible... with the clock ticking. Part of you will be thinking... WTF! That's why you need the other side off too.
First thing to do is to remove the springs that hold the shoes in place. Press and turn with needle-nose pliers. Don't do this job in the evening as they have a habit of pinging in various directions! With the shoe retaining springs off, remove the other springs. It's straight-forward from here. Clean the drum with methylated spirits, and use copper-ease where the edges of the shoes contact the drum assembly. I greased the springs too with a decent marine grease. Check the piston rubber sleeves aren't torn or leaking. Again, any doubt, then replace.
After the new brake shoes are fitted, then put the drum back on, etc. To adjust the hand-brake cable, apply the handbrake a number of times to let them self-adjust. If it needs further adjustment, then lift the plastic trim pocket behind the handbrake in the car. Pretty sure it's a 10mm nut. With the road-wheels on the car, apply two clicks of the handbrake. The shoes should touch the drum. Not enough to stop it rotating, but friction contact all the same. with the handbrake released - there should be no contact. Job done.
My advice is to remove the drums on both sides, one for reference, and the other to work on. If you get stuck - then check out the other side. The tricky bit is removing the drum. Assuming the shoes are original, then the drum may have a lip, which catches, even although the handbrake is released? If there is a significant lip, then I'd consider changing the drum.
Loosen the wheel bolts both sides. Raise the rear of the car, handbrake off, with the front wheels chocked and in gear. Use axle stands for safety. Remove the wheels. On the drum there is a phillips screw. inevitably it's seized. Before even putting a tool on it, check it's the biggest phillips screw-driver you've got and the head fits exactly, otherwise you risk stripping the head and will have to drill it out. Use your body-weight and it will undo. With the screw removed, you can take off the drum. Use a rubber mallet and knock at intervals around the drum while you rotate it. It will lever off, as you rotate it.
With the drum off... it's like a scene from Mission Impossible... with the clock ticking. Part of you will be thinking... WTF! That's why you need the other side off too.
First thing to do is to remove the springs that hold the shoes in place. Press and turn with needle-nose pliers. Don't do this job in the evening as they have a habit of pinging in various directions! With the shoe retaining springs off, remove the other springs. It's straight-forward from here. Clean the drum with methylated spirits, and use copper-ease where the edges of the shoes contact the drum assembly. I greased the springs too with a decent marine grease. Check the piston rubber sleeves aren't torn or leaking. Again, any doubt, then replace.
After the new brake shoes are fitted, then put the drum back on, etc. To adjust the hand-brake cable, apply the handbrake a number of times to let them self-adjust. If it needs further adjustment, then lift the plastic trim pocket behind the handbrake in the car. Pretty sure it's a 10mm nut. With the road-wheels on the car, apply two clicks of the handbrake. The shoes should touch the drum. Not enough to stop it rotating, but friction contact all the same. with the handbrake released - there should be no contact. Job done.
Turned out not to be brake shoes, only about third worn so a bit puzzled! Front pads only changed last autumn so doesn't appear to be a problem with those either..... can only think with the rear drums being quite badly corroded externally may be something to do with that. Will order some new ones and see what happens unless anyone has any ideas? At least it gave me a chance to adjust the RARB to its firmest setting to give that a try!
What's the problem ? Don't think any of your posts explain what you were trying to fix.
Cheers Spike
ooops! Rubbing/scraping noise when applying brakes, thought it was coming from the rear but now not sure. Noise still there after cleaning all the dust etc out of the drums and around the brakes. Only 'fault' i noticed is a very, very slight weep on one of the brake cylinders. Nothing obvious at the front, brake pad wear is even.
spartacus 68
Member
A rubbing scraping sound could even have been a stone between the front disc and heat shield. Not uncommon at this time of year with road salt and grit being applied.
Thanks, its not understanding how they are assembled (pretty standard stuff) rather it's trying to work out where/how the noise is being generated! Complete mystery at the moment. I will have to go out with a passenger and open the windows to try and narrow it down to a particular wheel location, my hearing is a bit lopsided and so may be have the wrong end of the car!
Hi ,
I've read on the furum about levering off the drum and hammering it etc. My elsawin didn't provide much help on ths but in the Haynes book for the Skoda pointed me towards a spring loaded wedge in front of the wheel cylinder that you can push up with a screw driver through one of the wheel bolt holes and this releases the shoes so the drum comes off easily.
I've read on the furum about levering off the drum and hammering it etc. My elsawin didn't provide much help on ths but in the Haynes book for the Skoda pointed me towards a spring loaded wedge in front of the wheel cylinder that you can push up with a screw driver through one of the wheel bolt holes and this releases the shoes so the drum comes off easily.
I for one would have welcomed this tip (if it is applicable to the A2) before removing the rear brake drums only yesterday, as the first one just didn't want to come off due to the lip having secured itself snugly around the shoes. Both came off in the end after a bit of friendly persuasion and thankfully went back on smoothly after being thoroughly de-rusted and cleaned.
The procedure (with pics) is covered here - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?7755-Brake-Shoe-Replacement&p=60398#post60398
Cheers Spike