HELP! How do you open your rear brakes?

Post by **Juha** » 02 Aug 2004 04:51 pm

I'm trying to open the drum. It's a bit loose but it won't come out.
Tips are welcome.

I spend a whole day washing and waxing the car and then I noticed that the right rear wheel is jammed...

sm31

Post by **5lab** » 02 Aug 2004 04:53 pm

taken the handbrake off?

Post by **Juha** » 02 Aug 2004 05:44 pm

Yep. I think it was the hand brake jamming the wheel.
I somehow managed to get it spinning again without opening the drum.
But what about the next time the wheel jams or something...?
Do I need a special tool for opening the drum or should I just hammer the hell out of it?

Post by **Volvo 360 GL B200K** » 02 Aug 2004 06:23 pm

Use a crow bar (the angled end) around the edge of the brake drum, and carefully tug it off, moving round the outside of the drum!

Cheers

Post by **KeithB** » 02 Aug 2004 06:50 pm

The brake shoes wear the inside of the drum so produce a recess into which the brake shoes are pushed, there is now a lip around the drum which you are having trouble getting over the brake shoe, brute force needed I'm afraid but once you get the edge of the drum over one of the shoes you should be able to prise it over the other one and then it's simply using the crowbar to edge it off bit by bit. Clear as mud!

Post by **wjp01908** » 05 Aug 2004 09:42 am

Slacken off your handbrake (either on rear of lever or over gearbox depending on model)

If you then lever the handbrake actuating lever away from the backplate of the stuck drum you can pull out a nylon stop from the rubber boot.

This should give you an extra bit of play if the drums are worn.

Will

Post by **Juha** » 06 Aug 2004 07:28 pm

Thanks to everyone for the advices

I think I'm going to check the rear brakes when get home from work...

Damn this is a great forum!