Auto Repairs Brake Drum Removal Guide
One of the most important components in a vehicle is the braking system. If a vehicle does not have brakes that function properly it becomes a hazard for all road users. This is because the driver will not be able to stop the vehicle. So it is vital that brakes are inspected time and again to check whether they are working perfectly or not. One important area that mechanics inspect when checking the braking system, are the brake drums. While one can send the vehicle to the local garage for servicing, the changing of brake drums is something you can do at home.
Abrake drumis defined as being a cast iron cylinder that is attached to the wheel that forms part of the braking mechanism. After some time it becomes necessary to replace the cylinder due to tear which might be caused by driving the vehicle with the handbrake on or some other reason. At this stage once one notices that the drum is worn out, it then becomes paramount to replace the brake drum.
The first thing you need to do is to park your vehicle on a flat surface and then put barriers behind the wheels of the vehicle to prevent it from moving and compromising your safety. The handbrake must be released and adjusted to the minimum. This is done to release the brake shoes. If this is not done it will be difficult to remove the brake drum since the brake shoes will close onto the brake drums.
If your wheels are secured with nuts, you should then slightly loosen each nut on the rear wheel. You should make sure that you are loosening the nuts in a star shaped pattern order. You will then need to place the jack near the rear wheel and jack until the wheel is off the ground. You should then place the safety stand. You do this by slowly removing the jack and seeing that the whole weight of the vehicle is now supported by the stand.
You can either jack the other side of the vehicle or you might only want to work on one side at a time. All the nuts must then be removed completely so that the cylinder can be removed. You should then try to put the brake drum out, if it is not tight. If in the case that the drum is tight you can try to move the drum forward and back. If the brake shoes are tight on the drum this can be due to the tear and wear and also the drum might have been seized onto the axle spindle. The solution would be to hammer on the brake drum. You should however be careful that in hitting the drum you should do the following: Hit the drum using a metal hammer with the flat side. You then hit the diameter surface of the drum applying medium strength. After hitting the drum it loosens up and you should then pull the brake drum.
When this is done you can then replace it with another. With experience you will soon see that it is not necessary to visit your garage when you want to remove the brake drum. In the process you will be saving the money you would have paid the mechanic.
