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Proj. Cosmo

Nate Bowen

Arturo Chia

Old Updates

• Tools:
• 2 Needle nose pliers or special retaining spring tool.
• 22mm (I think) socket and wrench.
• Lug Wrench or impact wrench.
• Strong flathead screwdriver of any size.
• Hacksaw or bolt cutters is cable is broken or sticking and you are not replacing it.
• Mechanic gloves of some kind (I never leave home without them:)
• Rags or Shop Towels
• Floor jack and 2 jack stands

• Parts Needed:
• Hub/axle grease
• Drum brake parts kit for your car, available at most dealers.
• Brake cleaner
• Brake shoe grease for making things quiet where the metal touches metal.

• Removal of drum:
• NOTE: Procedure is the same for the other side:)
• Make sure e-brake is off.
• Loosen lug nuts.
• Jack up rear of car. I use the suspension beam and jack from the side of the car just in front of the rear tire. It is a little far if you try to jack from the back of the car.
• Place jackstands under the car. I put them under the suspension bushing right by the beam. It is flat and the jack fits nicely on it. I forgot to take pictures last night because it was 15 degrees and dark:)
• Remove lug nuts and wheels.
• Remove grease cap with screwdriver and wrench. Just pop it out and bang on it a little.
• Remove cotter pin. It might be hiding under a ton of grease.
• Remove bolt cover, the little silver thing covering the bolt for the cotter pin to stop on.
• Remove bolt. It shouldn't be on very tight. Just tight enough to get rid of any play the bearing might have.
• Remove washer.
• Bang on the drum a little with the lug wrench. Remove drum. It should come off with some twisting and a screwdriver. If one of your retaining springs were broken the shoes will bind the drum when removing it. You will have to tweak it pretty hard to get it off but just keep working around the drum and it should come off eventually.
• When you get the drum off the outside bearing should fall out. The inside bearing will still be in the drum. Leave it there.

• Fixing of brakes:
• NOTE: This is for repairing a broken spring or a stuck e-brake cable. I did not change the shoes because they were still alright.
• NOTE: My parts kit had 2 different sets of retaining pins in it so make sure you use the correct ones.

• Spray generous amount of brake cleaner on all parts except slave cylinder.
• Remove the retaining springs and pins. You will want to hold the cap securely by the outside with one set of pliers and then push in. While pushing in twist the pin so it can exit the cap. It is pretty easy. Just push in straight and don't let the spring shoot out when you get the pin out:) Do this on all four springs. The shoes will not shoot off so don't worry about that!
• Squeeze some anti-noise brake grease on the screwdriver and put it on the four places where the shoe rubs on metal. The points are close to the tops and bottoms of the shoes.
• Place new pins into the holes from the rear.
• Put on new springs and caps. Do things carefully so you don't shoot someone's eye out with the spring:) If you have a good grip it should be fine. All I did was hold the pin by hand from the rear and pushed the spring down with the pliers. You can twist the cap while pushing down to get it to lock. Make sure they are flat and secure.
• Test parking brake. Make sure it moves and returns.
• If one side is sticking and you don't want to fix the cable then you can cut it. OF COURSE YOU SHOULD REPLACE THE CABLE FOR SAFETY REASONS. I just cut it close to the suspension and then secured the loose cables with wire. Leave the cable in the brake assembly to keep junk out of the brakes.
• Clean out drums with brake cleaner. Try not to get cleaner in the bearing area!
• Wipe off the grease from the hub on the car, not the drum. Put a liberal amount of grease on the hub. Not a ton because if you do that it will not go on very well.
• Now clean off the bearing you took out and the washer. Just wipe them off a little. Now re-grease the bearing.
• Put in a little extra grease into the drum hub just to be safe.
• Put drum back on car.
• Stick in the bearing.
• Put on washer.
• Put on bolt. I tightened it to the tightness of the old setting. You just want to make sure there is no slop in the wheel when it is on. I basically hand tightened it and then put a smidge more tightness in it with the wrench. You will have to make sure the cotter pin hole is in the place when you fit on the cap.
• Place on cotter pic cap thing.
• Place in cotter pin and bend the tabs.
• Put a little grease in the cap, if there isn't already.
• Put cap back on.
• Put wheels back on the car. With them tightened just enough so there is no play in the wheel gently push and pull the top of the tire. You should not feel any movement. If there is than the bearing is not tight enough.
• Lower car.
• Torque lug nuts.
• Test drive vehicle where there is nothing to run into:)