Drum Brakes, When to Discard - EricTheCarGuy

Drum Brakes, When to Discard - EricTheCarGuy
This is a video response to a question posed by Readymade777 who wanted to know when the discard time was for drums. Yet another in the quick tip series. Keep the questions coming and I will do my best to answer them.
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[@ericthecarguy]

@PHILLIE138 My videos are based on the cars that come into my shop so it's hard to fill a request like yours but I've been asked more than once about a wheel cylinder replacement video so I'll try and make one as soon as the opportunity arises. Thanks for your comment.

[@matthewsalmon8194]

One thing to consider is when you fit new shoes - you have to fit the drum back onto the hub.. This can be a tricky with a new drum - tolerances are very low and you dont have much space to do it. If your old drum is looking alright it can be a much cheaper and easier job to re-use it. Don't do this is the surface is uneven or badly scored tho - or if significantly past its minimum diameter / thickness. I reused a drum recently that was 14.5 years old - but it still had 2mm of allowable braking surface - and that surface was smooth. The main function of a rear drum is your handbrake anyway - thts all you really need to worry about

[@ericthecarguy]

@tef997 I'm really glad you decided to leave that comment as it made my day, really. Thanks.

[@ericthecarguy]

@SeanFication Depends how deep they are but for the most part the can be machined which does save quite a bit of money. Thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@warchildferi I'm happy to help, thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@jareds1007 It is and would still give you great results I'm sure. Thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@gjeka02 Depends, are you talking about disc brake pads or rear shoes? If your talking about rear shoes then it's actually normal for them to wear that way, remember the wheel cylinder just pushes out on the top of the shoe. If your talking about disc brakes then your caliper slides may be sticking.

[@ericthecarguy]

@chamblizi Brake shoes come in a couple of different configurations, riveted, and bonded. The bonded brake linings don't use rivets.

[@ericthecarguy]

I did a video on Check engine light basics a while back that you can check out. You don't necessarily need to take your car to a mechanic to get the codes read from your vehicle, most auto part stores do it for free these days. Thing is that they can read the codes but have little to no experience correcting the problems. They will get the process of repair started however.

[@mogbaba]

Thankful for all videos where you share your knowledge and experience but what I love most is your bye-bye message. It gives me confidence and good conscious, my hands are always dirty!

[@ericthecarguy]

@abyrichards You may not have the adjuster backed off all the way, you may also need to push the shoes in against the wheel cylinder as that can sometimes expand during a brake job causing that problem when you go to reassemble.

[@ericthecarguy]

@PHILLIE138 Indeed I will and you do the same, thanks for the comment.

[@dotshirogi]

Still a useful video 10 years later lol. Thanks for the info

[@rawpilot84]

I usually dont like guys named Eric, but you, I like you.

[@worldofkaos8987]

Ericks cool ,, simple dude

[@Derek_Wyld]

@@worldofkaos8987 you misspelled his name and its written everywhere lol

[@JonathanMichaelWendtvlogs]

Hi, i am studying to be an auto tech, and i was wondering if you could make more videos of inspecting the various systems of a typical vehicle. 12 point, 24 point, that kind of thing. thanks for making these videos, i am learning a lot!

[@ericthecarguy]

@chamblizi Hard to say as there are a lot of things that contribute, tires, suspension, the surface your driving on. Normally a good inspection will tell you all you need to know, look for worn linings or leaks.

[@ericthecarguy]

@AstonishingCardMagic In your situation the pads would not be a fault but rather the rotors, it could also be the drums or rear rotors. If you feel the shimmy more in the steering wheel it is probably the rotors, if you feel it in your butt then it's probably the rear brakes. Depending on how much metal is remains and how bad they are out of round you may be able to machine out the problem rather than replacing them. Most auto parts stores machine brakes these days for a nominal fee.

[@ericthecarguy]

@jareds1007 I have actually done a couple of pad replacement videos if you'd like to check them out. Most calipers are set up the same so even if the video is not for your specific video you can still take many of those principals and apply them to your application. Good luck.

[@ericthecarguy]

@chamblizi Especially with rear drum brakes they should last a great deal longer than that, I've seen rear shoes that lasted 10 years before. Rear brakes only do about 30% of the work so they tend to last much longer than front brakes.

[@ericthecarguy]

@gjeka02 DO NOT USE ANTI SIEZE TO LUBRICATE THE CALIPER SLIDES, use silicone paste there is a link on my website if you have a hard time finding it.

[@jared_s2]

@EricTheCarGuy i'm finding sets of two pads....per tire....getting confused....you're still very helpful...will continue to watch. thanks eric.

[@ericthecarguy]

@mrjost55 Well thank YOU for the comments past, present, and future.

[@ericthecarguy]

I couldn't agree with you more Les, I just wanted folks to know the reasoning behind the process and the facts that determine the outcome.

[@ericthecarguy]

Weight is the first reason, the lighter the car, the more power for well, power and the more efficient it can be. It also has something to do with what is called unsprung weight, I'll get into that in a later video.

[@ericthecarguy]

@13FravelJ You CAN just do one but it's recommended that you do both.

[@bigblockmustang]

Wow Eric.. Not living in the midwest anymore I forgot what rusty drums look like. I thru out that idea on heat & speed and figured maybe ya can use it in the future? Les

[@warchildferi]

just thinking about checking the brakes on my ford fiesta mk4, this video was really helpful! thanks!

[@bowlingballout]

There is a finite number of times a drum can be turned... right? Same for rotors?

[@ericthecarguy]

I think it's a coolant reservoir or expansion tank. You can have more than one. The symbol you describe is for coolant.

[@ericthecarguy]

Thats a great point, I think I'll throw it in with the disc brake video when I make it.

[@jasonperez6388]

Watching this in 2021 helped a alot 😎

[@ShaneH-zl3ct]

Awesome. Exactly what I needed to know in 2 minutes.

[@bigblockmustang]

Awesom Job Eric, Hope it's ok to add.. Perfect vid by the way.. I've found it cheaper just to replace the drums. Viewers keep in mind that even if you do machine the drum to the max your giving less materal to heat loss or brake fade. The brakes are a conversion of sorts. Changing rotational speed to heat energy. When it comes to brakes.. "Spend the Money" Buy good parts. Les

[@ericthecarguy]

@jareds1007 Sorry your getting confused but take it one step at a time and you should do fine.

[@davidplatenkamp]

Brake shoe wear surfaces can harden to a point where they no longer brake and the glazing is so deep that sanding the surface won't do any good. This can happen if the shoes touch the drum all the time or if the brakes aren't used hard from time to time.

[@javamochafrap]

Do you need to change the brake shoes at the same time as the drums? Just curious

[@ericthecarguy]

They designed it that way, I'm not sure why but they had some reason I'm sure. To replace rotors on that car bills 1.5 hours a side I believe.

[@ericthecarguy]

Yes, that's right and when you reach the minimum spec that's it, it's junk.

[@ericthecarguy]

@smark32 Thanks

[@ericthecarguy]

@13FravelJ I can't see how.

[@gjeka02]

It's the pads that are worn uneven, not the shoes. I noticed the slides were not greased with antiseize or anything else. I will do it right myself next time instead of taking it in. Will the uneven pads result in knocking while braking? Thanks for your help.

[@crx1stgen25]

I know I am like 9 years late to the party, but I did have a question that I'm really hoping someone can answer. I am looking to replace the rear brake shoes on my 1986 Honda CRX DX, and I was wondering if I should buy the whole "Brake Drum Kit/Set" which includes new springs, clamps, ect; or if I should just buy the shoes themselves? Thanks in advance for the info.

[@AlexanderNecheff]

All those springs, clips, etc. are called "brake hardware". In a pinch you can reuse hardware if it is in good condition but replacing the hardware when the shoes or pads are replaced is generally considered a best practice. I would personally rather spend the extra money to have the piece of mind that the hardware in use hasn't been thermally stressed or mechanically strained to just within its acceptable margin for failure so that 20k miles later it is in failure territory.

[@gjeka02]

Eric, What causes pads to wear unevenly from top to bottom of the pad? I have a 1999 Chevy Tahoe and the front outside pad both sides was worn uneven. The top was about 5/16" and the bottom was just under a 1/2".

[@worldofkaos8987]

Damm first video and u sir nailed it

[@workwithnature]

Hi Eric My front right brake is screeching when I am driving. New pads. But the rotor does have some lines in it and there is a mil rim on the edge. It stops when I brake. I got them changed this time in a garage and the guy said to brake hard a few time to ware them in. Was that correct. Will it go away after some miles or do I need to do something. The wheel over heated big time too prob because of me braking all the time to make the noise go away :) Appreciate your help. Best wishes David.

[@ZKHutchins]

I recently lifted my Jeep up and I was trying to wiggle my tires to see if i needed to replace my wheel bearings all the way around and i noticed i'd hear a small "slap" from my brake drums when i wiggled my rear wheels. The wheels are torqued all the way down. But i don't know what's causing the "slap" noise.

[@Cinemagoer_64]

Jiffy lube says they have to brake my drums because they can't get them off because it created a lip. Is this true?

[@chambliziOfficialChannel]

@EricTheCarGuy well i know whats going on i am just not sure if i should replace my brakes i mean i only have to do it once a year

[@sugargraham7920]

Hey I replaced the back brakes on my S10 only the driver side only an it blower out my cylinder on the other side why did this happen?

[@ericthecarguy]

Engineers don't work in "suggestions", if they say discard thickness, they mean it. I'm not an engineer however but having worked on cars the better part of my adult life I can say that it's never a good idea to skimp on brakes or tires, both are probably the most important parts of the car. If the question you pose is "could you?", the answer would be yes, but if the question is "should you?", then the answer is no.

[@hayksamvelyan]

can't thank you enough :) I keep commenting on almost every video, but seriously you're awesome :D

[@jignc1984]

@EricTheCarGuy So I had to measure the inside diameter of my brake drum with a tape measure but I got about 9-15/16" or 252.4 mm. My maximum outside diameter is supposed to be 256.3 mm. So technically I can wear them down another 4 mm. Should I go ahead and replace them? I have 209,000 miles on my 2003 ford ranger and I've never changed the rear brake drums.

[@John-io9gn]

Your videos are very good thanks. Now for my question Just recently I had from rotors and pads and rear drums and pads changed. I now hear a thump thump sound when I apply the brakes (only when I am going forward) Its a TJ 2003 no abs) I raised the vehicle from the ground by the axles and did the same I hear no sound at all. (no load) I feel nothing in the pedal, but the TJ stops very well. I have pulled the wheels/brakes drums and found nothing to be loose. Can you put a light on this problem.

[@chambliziOfficialChannel]

hey Eric are those dots the rivets if so i have no rivets on my break what so ever but the inside of my drum is smooth as a babys bottem

[@EchoHawk1862]

What’s that tool called

[@sadatalipulo979]

Hello sir. What are the signs or symptoms that the brake shoes need to be replaced?

[@lukaszM46]

the better answer would be if you told us how to know if they are worn, without taking them apart. If you take them apart you might as well slap on new parts anyway.

[@27Colie]

I have a question my back tire won't move at all all the rest do but just one in the back doesn't is it the drum brakes ?

[@ericthecarguy]

@rrrunge1 Thank you!

[@smark32]

once again top video!

[@jared_s2]

@EricTheCarGuy have you done a vid for front breaks on a 1/2 ton? they are pads with calipers right? ('01 ram 1500) it should be pretty close to any other type of caliper and pad replacement no?

[@Rumeel12708]

How do I know when to change the drum brake pads?

[@neilwaight7621]

Goat

[@chambliziOfficialChannel]

@EricTheCarGuy so i suppose mines bonded btw my truck is having slower stopping distances is it time to replace?

[@tonyrodriguez5317]

Very helpful..!

[@13FravelJ]

Hey Eric, when you replace brake drums, should you replace only the old/ damaged one or replace both sides?

[@tierrathorp8568]

Hi want to see if you could help me out? So my truck is making a drum like sound every time I make a turn. Would you happen to know what it could be?

[@soldiersvejk2053]

very helpful！

[@13FravelJ]

@EricTheCarGuy Could it damage your brake system?

[@joker199614]

are drum brakes good or bad?

[@ivanstefic805]

Hi!i have a brake Problem on my fiat 126,the rear Brakes block them selfs after i push the brake pedal and afer i drive a bit they release.they do not block 100% so i can still turn the wheels but enough to really heat the hole whells.The strange Thing is that when i loosen the bleeding screw on the rear wheel the Brakes stop blocking.I was told that the Problem could be that the brake pipes where rusted from the inside out so i connected an air compressor on the rear brake pipe to blow air from the rear Brakes to the main cylinder(i did disconnect the pipe from the main cylinder first),but id didint help.I also replaced both rear brake clylinders.Please help me!!!!what could cause the Problem?Thank you and greetings from Croatia

[@jared_s2]

thanks car guy! ...indeed drums are 60 a piece for my truck...so "machining them," would be a little less expensive.

[@jared_s2]

@EricTheCarGuy I mean...just the pads...

[@ericthecarguy]

@hjkgufytfyug Thanks Raymond, good luck with that Bug.

[@danielguzman417]

My car started shaking after replacing brake shoes and drums

[@jeremydontuknowho463]

You had Warped rotors

[@SeanFication]

Probably cheaper just to buy a new drum if its got grooves rather than machining it.

[@Condemn-Focus]

In China it's cheaper to replace the whole thing. I never replace my drum break last for 10 years. Never replace it.

[@rawpilot84]

I usually dont like guys named Eric, but you, I like you.