How to Change Drum Brakes – DEFINITIVE Guide
I’ve just changed the drum brakes on a MK1 Ford Focus. I thought I’d share my experience of how to change drum brakes, as it seems to have gone quite well (touch wood).
DISCLAIMER: Do this work at your own risk, the information in the videos below and in this article may or may not be accurate.
I’m writing this because I was terrified of the thought of changing drum brakes. I mean they look so unbelievably complicated. But push came to shove, brake fluid was leaking out of one cylinder so I had to take it on. Fortunately these videos made the experience if not pleasurable, then manageable. The whole job took me about three hours from touching wheel nut to finishing test drive. I think not bad for the first time.
How to Change Drum Brakes – Videos
These are the two videos which I found the most helpful. From what I see from both videos, the principle might be the same for most drum brakes.
South Main Auto
The daddy. Informative and entertaining. He really goes into detail without labouring the points. Great drum change video.
Joy of Wrenching
This video is specific to the Focus MK1. Another blow by blow account, warts-an-all.
Drum Change – My Experience
The video about the MK1 Focus above is good. But I think there is an easier way to do it and this is what I detail below.
(Watch the videos above first, especially the MK1 Focus one, so what I write below makes sense).
Personally, I found it easier to remove the clips first and take the entire assembly out in one piece.
Pull the bottom of the drums out from behind the bracket and then it’s easy to remove the bottom spring. Which then helps with removing the handbrake cable.
The handbrake cable is the tricky bit but I think every method is going to struggle with this.
The advantage of doing it this way is as follows.
You can disassemble to drum piece by piece on the ground and reassemble the new drums next to the old, at the same time. There is less to remember with regards to spring locations and orientation. You are probably only going to need the top part of the old mechanism which is the handbrake mechanism.
Getting the springs to sit correctly and to sit securely in the new liners might take time, do not rush it. Get them exactly as they were before, it’s super important.
Reassembly is the reverse of removal.
Put the whole assembly back on in one piece but without the bottom spring.
Install the handbrake cable (easier said than done!).
Install a pin and clip. Do one side only.
Before installing the bottom of the drum brakes behind the bracket, install the bottom spring, then pull the bottom of the liners apart and mount behind the bottom bracket. It’s easier the wrestle the liners than the spring with a pliers.
Then reinstall the remaining pin and clip.
You’ll probably have to fanangle the ratchet mechanism for the hand brake (to pull the liners in) so you can put the drum back on.
Final Steps
Pull the handbrake to check it works.
Bleed the brakes.
Reinstall wheel and take a test drive.
Changing Drum Brakes for the First Time – All-in-All
I’d been putting this job off forever. Pictures of the inside workings on a drum brake looks looked like some Antikythera mechanism to me. But after seeing those two videos I thought I’d give it a crack.
Key Points
I think the absolute key thing in changing drum brakes is to take many, many, many photos of the mechanism before you start taking it apart. Take pictures from afar so you see how the whole mechanism should sit in the housing. Take a closer up look of the springs to see where they all go. And then take close up photo of the springs. It is key you note exactly how the springs are orientated. The springs are sided. There will be left side springs and right side springs. Be absolutely 100% sure which springs you are going to put in which side, before you start taking things apart. And group/separate the springs into left and right side before starting work.
Trust me, the photos you take will be like gold dust when you are trying to put drum brakes back together for the first time.
Also. Be especially sure which holes the springs go in. There may be maybe many holes in the liners which will accept a spring. But only one hole is correct.
“My” Method
The gentleman in this video uses the same method as me. Basically keeping pulling on springs with the pliers to a minimum!
