The ULTIMATE guide to 9.5" Chevy Drum Brakes

Learn every step of how to change drum brakes. This drum brake how-to guide is for standard Chevy drum brakes. It also applies to many other vehicles from trucks to hot rods that use the exact same 9.5 inch drum setup. This video is intended to help save you time and money when you're doing your own DIY brake job. Below is a list of parts and part numbers used in this video. Thanks for watching!
Parking Brake lever- ACDelco 179-2012 *Fits left side only* amzn.to/2KrdLJv
Equalizer Bar- Dorman HELP! 21129 amzn.to/3mKNOSh
Equal Bar Springs- Carlson Quality Brake Parts H1341-2 amzn.to/3aIkPMr
Return Springs-Wagner H323 Drum Brake Return Spring Kit amzn.to/38Cmoc2
Wheel Cylinder Pins- Dorman HW1418 amzn.to/34HfctW
Small Parts Kit- ACDelco 18K740 Brake Shoe Hold Down Kit amzn.to/2WKt56n
Slack Adjuster kit- ACDelco 18K14 *Fits left side only* amzn.to/3rB0krd
Wheel Cylinder- Centric Parts 134.62027 *Fits left side only* amzn.to/3nOwZqV
Brake Shoes- Newtek Automotive NB246 amzn.to/3poX5Rs
Adjuster springs- Duralst H450 Includes 1 left and 1 right spring

[@bbjimmyj69]

At the moment I'm sitting at home with a chevy express van and the rear drum brakes are fully disassembled and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to put it back together until I saw your video. Thanks for putting the pieces together for me....

[@smallrc]

Thanks for the detailed video! I'm restoring my wife's '64 Impala, starting with the rear brakes. It's been many years since I have worked on drum brakes, so this is a nice refresher course.

[@timklein3962]

Lots of these older drum brakes are basically the same; thanks for this detailed video; a few finer points to learn here !! Even for an old school guy like me !!!!!!

[@alexguillet10]

10 years 78 days sober until I saw step 1

[@ThomasPirog-nq3su]

I was lost, now that I watched your step by step Im found. Your tricks work very well. I guess its all a PROCESS. Thank you.

[@macnmason]

Thanks so much I'm 15 and learning how to work on car so this helps a lot

[@danielacostajr9025]

Man, this video helped me out a lot. Someone put the breaks backward on the truck I bought . Right side was a mess

[@stevosteve]

Great video that shows the components well and will help many many people. Just a little point, the PRIMARY shoe is the FRONT shoe (the shoe with the shorter liner on it), and the SECONDARY shoe is the rear shoe (the shoe with the longer liner on it). Everything you said is basically correct however the FRONT PRIMARY shoe is held back by a lighter force spring (the blue spring) therefore when the hydraulic cylinder is activated using the brakes the FRONT PRIMARY shoe moves first, which then contacts the drum, as you did explain that causes friction, so the PRIMARY SHOE is forced (rotated) around onto the lower self-adjuster screw, this self-adjuster screw then forces the lower edge of the REAR SECONDARY shoe to move and open outwards, thereafter when the foot pedal force is greater than the force of the green spring holding the top of the REAR SECONDARY shoe, the hydraulic cylinder continues outwards pushing the REAR SECONDARY shoe even further out. Due to the dynamics of the function it is quite normal that the shoes do NOT wear equally, not a problem. Love the vocal energy in your video 🙂

[@tommarciaschillig3161]

I never click the LIKE button on these videos (my bad!!!), but I was very impressed with the detail of the video and the detail of the explanations. I just had to share this with you. Thank you so much. I think I can do this now. I hope you have the same video somewhere for the front brakes (foregoing the emergency brake part of the job).

[@dennislord7931]

Thanks. Just needed the time lapse reminder for this old school reassembly. Noticed I’m missing the washer and a broken equalizer spring. Cylinders are cheap but I’ll hone mine and kit it. Bad cup was leaking and hole in dust cover spread it everywhere destroying the shoes, Found an “extra” spring inside but can’t figure out where it came from. Ah, yes, it goes on the adjuster tab. You showed it installed at 9:22 but didn’t comment on it. Been a long time for me but figured it out. Thanks again.

[@GSG834129]

Excellent just finished my rear drum brakes on the 69 chevelle great video its been ten years since I did them good refresher!

[@kennethnowack8096]

This is the only video I could find that outlines how to install the Raybestos H7008 Hardware Kit including the side specific springs! Thanks!

[@lilrichie1356]

Your video was perfect for my 93 fleetwood brougham..thanks a million

[@inxtics]

Thanks man you really helped me out with this video, I’m working on a 76 camaro and I was replacing the rear drum brakes keep on wrenching

[@mcss-ll4yg]

I hate drum brakes And always knew there had to be an easier way probably because I was doing it out of order or something like that. This video made me not hate drum brakes anymore thank you so very very very much for the help like I said I knew there had to be an easier way and this is it thanks again Happy New Year!!!!!

[@billhess2598]

GREAT VIDEO! With out it, I would have no rear brakes on my Camaro. Thanks again!

[@conover1978]

Kinda wished you’d slowed down step by step reassembly must have rewound million times. But never the less. That was the first set of drum brakes ever all new. Thx buddy. I’ve subscribed. And yeah the equalizer plate would’ve went on backwards if you’d not said hump out lol. Yeah it took a few try’s but I got it. Thanks agin. Loved the video.

[@indoorexotics]

Great format showing all upfront.

[@maxdebrus]

I found a problem in my brakes beacause of you !!! My (retired) mechanic iverted the shoes :D Thanks !!!!

[@danielalamo2075]

There is a piece missing. It's a flat plate that fits on the top pin to hold the shoes flat. The springs hold it in place. The flat plate insures the shoes move out and back properly.

[@chellobeats2134]

Mines we’re missing it to get in the morning

[@highnoonsmallenginerepair]

Thanks for commenting I would have completely forgotten about it

[@breakroommanager1]

Just noticed mine after installing everything. Bummer on the omission on this video, would have been a great video otherwise.

[@vickikgibson9470]

good to know, as it helps to know when you DON"T know how to do this yet! Thanks Daniel.

[@1967_RS-SS]

@@breakroommanager1 I forget that plate nearly every single time.

[@anomalous9448]

Great video. I always removed the springs first. Now I will try it your way.

[@dickysgarage7120]

Glad it helped

[@MegaBlizzard911]

Excellent quality filming, explanation Premier keep up the awesome work!

[@BobHunt-ll8bg]

looks real easy on the bench, but almost impossible on the car, especially the rear brakes as the big flange limits access. Also, the 'nail' wants to fall back and not let you attach the retainer. So you need to hold the back of the 'nail', then hold the spring and retainer, and counter all the spring forces and then try to attach it. Oh yea, the lower strut arm almost doesn't let you hold the 'nail ' you can barely get one end of a finger on it. Chevrolet engineering at it's best!

[@johnkull7903]

thanks this is what I needed for my 67 corvair!

[@asiasmaster]

Awesome very much helpful, R&R rear drum brakes on my 1967 firebird thanks

[@ArrowheadGarage]

Great video on the GM drum brakes, rebuilding a 1967 Firebird and this is what I needed to know before tearing into the rear brakes, thanks man. Fellow KZbinr tip: add more keywords to your videos. Let me know if you have questions, be happy to help. Great video!

[@asiasmaster]

Dude what's happening

[@nojobs4me]

Working on an 84 caprice box chevy and bro this came in clutch. Little late in the day to knock out both sides but hopefully tomorrow I shall have it done. Just need to pick up that tool for the spring and pin cus these pliers ain’t it. Spent most of the day and week looking for a diagram or how tos on how to do them and found nothing. Funny thing is I watched this video last week lmao thanks man definitely helped out.

[@Julianconanhernandez]

Just did mine, thanks a lot man. Tons of help

[@jreeder6168]

it was helpful and good system worked out for assembly. I wish the assembly had been in real time. Still a good job. Thanks

[@williamoverton7265]

Excellent instruction

[@bernardthefourth]

Thanks building a set of K5 Blazer drums tonight.

[@marchallaert7372]

Nice tutorial, thank you!

[@kiteslights7189]

Hey thank you this helps so much

[@jbluesb3southside]

Appreciate the spring setup now I gotta get the brake line off the cylinder probably run new rear line to the T can’t get the line loose from cylinder on my 91 suburban

[@rogerrose8220]

HUGE help! Thank you sir!

[@dickysgarage7120]

You're welcome!

[@abdiaspablo7130]

Deep detail, very honest

[@marthagomez7335]

Thank you very much for your helpful video. It was difficult until I saw your video, your video made it easy. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@dickysgarage7120]

Glad it helped!

[@tableta6305]

Awesome video, very usfull to me, thanks!!!!

[@Weezulguy]

Very helpful. I'd suggest some grease on the inside of the self adjuster threads.

[@donaldridge4119]

Well done very helpful

[@Mud-N-Ice]

Thanks guy ima do this

[@slewfoot6608]

Thank you!

[@jameslaiola4976]

Thank you Sir. Its very much appreciated and Yes i did learn a little bit. i like your way of doing it.

[@Joe-fy7un]

Well done! Thank you! Happiness!

[@romangranite74]

Excellent!

[@billymeares8164]

Great job man, best and most informative video i've seen. I'm working on a 68 camaro. Do you have a list of all the episodes related to my car?

[@uniquehorn1480]

Well done, thank you

[@crawford323]

Excellent

[@southerner66]

Minor point, but my GMC shop manual calls the larger rear shoe the secondary shoe and the smaller front shoe the primary shoe.

[@dickysgarage7120]

You're right. There was a lot of beer involved :)

[@edgararguello6249]

Thank you

[@Hayman_racing]

Life saver!

[@jorgenavarro2782]

nice and easy thank you

[@dickysgarage7120]

Welcome 😊

[@kennethvantassel7379]

Thanks

[@bt70495]

Wish he showed how he assembled the spring onto that arm haha

[@onearizona1]

What about the e-brake attachment????

[@jeffrobinson2358]

God bless you!

[@gafrers]

Tutorial FTW

[@TomJones0065]

Damn Thats Pretty! LOL!! Nice Job, the part of this kinda of work I really never liked. The E brake cable replacement! PITA to get em out!!NICE JOB!!

[@TheHomePros6221]

Dude u should be on a tv show like trucks or power nation

[@DavidFuentesFWTX]

At the very last step when I put the adjust in place it’s wheel is locking with the spring like the one you put in with your finger. Now my adjuster won’t turn to hear the clicking sound

[@Slushers1]

Question on my 88 GMC c2500 my drivers side equalizer bar does not have a wide slot on the right side to hook to the EBrake arm and the brake shoe. So does it connect to the EBrake arm only? Thanks

[@johnmilner7603]

Where’s the wierd washer that goes on the top anchor pin before the springs?

[@ggarrickk4455]

for the passanger side, does the self adjuster lever go on the secondary side

[@chucktesta410]

Guys i Need a Tutorial for an 11 Inch Chevrolet Drum Brake. Is the adjuster always on the side with the longer Blade?

[@fredrezfield1629]

i am working on a CAT forklift and i can't get the wheel cylinder out i thought it would be only the bolts holding it from back but N!! it's welded too any idea how to get it out? or it's not supposed to come out ? the pins were repugnantly rusted and worn out

[@acharyajamesoermannspeaker6563]

Does anyone know where to find the spring retaining stud for the front drum brakes, I'm having a very difficult time finding one.

[@ihatesjws669]

The retaining spring is yellow and green. How do you know which one goes left or right. Or does it matter?

[@tableta6305]

hi Dick, this example is right or left??, I'm outside of US and replace parts not common find, ahve trouble with star and lever for auto regulation, any tip??

[@sillygily4435]

Hoping maybe someone can help me out before I go to working on it next weekend. I’ve bled my brakes and adjusted the adjuster but my drum will not fit back on. I spent all day trying to figure it out and can’t

[@ouchymytoe]

Okay, when you speed it up like you have done, it makes it a lot more difficult to actually see what you're doing.

[@joenicolaci6237]

No I don't see anything he FF past that is important. Great video but I'm not sure the front shoe can be put on with an axle installed.the equalizer won't clear the cylinder and the axle. You have to put the equalizer in place then swing the shoe spring down.

[@dboatright2497]

You can go to settings at the bottom right hand of the video and reduce the playback speed if you need to

[@jayt8027]

Great video. Do you or anyone know where to buy those pins that go between the brake cylinder and the shoes?

[@jayt8027]

* Push rod

[@domib3873]

is this also the same for the chevy 7.5 rear end??

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

2:22, you are missing the butterfly washer that separates the shoes from the springs. Btw, backing plates wear out because you fail to apply anti seize to the contact points. You really should apply anti seize to the adjuster and pivot points too. This prevent seizing up, and brake noise. Nice video, but I believe you are missing a self adjuster cable, and a butterfly washer.

[@gomez210lolife3]

It's a light coat of grease not antiseaze.

[@ripper5785]

Why is there oil in the refrigerator? That is the beer shelf there. More beer if you take the oil out. Thanks

[@JN-mk2fh]

Now do it with an axle flange in the way 😂

[@racer67]

My 67 impala has 11" rear drums!

[@rapalafishing7827]

So it’s easier to take the whole drunk assembly off and use a vise?

[@dickysgarage7120]

No I just did that to give you a better view.

[@louienanez9289]

How can I find part number to the pieces I need

[@dickysgarage7120]

The part numbers are in the description.

[@rodneywilhelm2421]

No info on the emergency brake cable attachment otherwise it was great info

[@mikejoyce3782]

3:26 I've read that some people will buy two sets of shoes and put the long/primary shoe in both the back and front position for better braking. The cost of an additional shoe set is not that much. 4:41 I make sure those rub points are smooth and a small dab of grease. But, it depends on how loud your exhaust is if you hear the squeak of the shoe and rub the spot.

[@dickysgarage7120]

I would think if I used two long shoes it would only result in one wearing out before the other. By design the system puts more force on one vs the other. Just my .02

[@Slushers1]

I wish he had shown how the EBrake cable is attached after the shoes are assembled✌️😎

[@matti7771]

@@Slushers1 I don't think it is possible to attach the parking brake cable once the brake is assembled. It was the first thing I did before assembly.

[@acharyajamesoermannspeaker6563]

A little bit dangerious, but I'm sure Bubba has done it plenty of times. 9:40.

[@kCI251]

That parking brake cable not shown.

[@marceloponce7315]

Gratis video

[@13names32]

This is a great video. Also, I'm pretty sure you have the wrong spring on here. That green spring is the spring that goes on the bottom of the other side, just above the self adjusting screw..

[@brandonpierce8101]

this video is huge for me. I just tore apart a drum break on a 74 el camino and thought i put it back together right. ill be tearing it apart again and starting over later going step by step with this video lol. Thank you so much for posting this

[@alanplambeck6608]

Why didn’t you show no about your emergency brake cable

[@grahamcorey4900]

Short front light duty shoe is PRIMARY, long heavier material rear shoe is SECONDARY

[@paulmarkert4206]

Forgot the butterfly plate on the top but otherwise nice step by step how to

[@dickysgarage7120]

Thanks! I not sure what part you're talking about. Did I really forget something lol?

[@viocars8912]

@@dickysgarage7120 there's supposed to be an anchor pin plate (butterfly plate) on top, but there's nothing at the start of this video anyway. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

[@dickysgarage7120]

Happy New Year! I actually found this application does not use that part. IDK what cars did and didn't but I confirmed a 66 Corvair with 9.5" drums did not use it.

[@svtkevin7533]

You drink Royal Purple?

[@classiccars1152]

hello People ....the front shoe the shoe in direction to the front off the car is the Primary.... the Back one is the secondary ....He does everything right he just give the shoe the wrong name.

[@dickysgarage7120]

You make a really interesting point. I just assumed the primary was the shoe that did most of the work. I Googled drum brake diagrams for a few minutes and found them labeled both ways but the majority agreed with you. I just learned something! Thanks Roger.

[@liljohnthakidd3]

So where's the like for the backing plate 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@kennywilkerson8297]

A lot easier when it’s off the vehicle lol

[@PBS-nm1uu]

video not bad but check out chrisfix he has great videos.

[@aflaahmed3568]

Han brak

[@HarpreetSingh-gl6tw]

Don’t spread wrong information 😂😂

[@charlieprice3505]

Alex Jones sounding ass.

[@walterbrob]

Brake tools are cheap.

[@ccov89]

Why do you talk like those cheesy Sunday morning car and truck show guys on TV? So corny

[@TripleWhopperWithCheese]

6 minutes in a 2 ads later and still nothing explaining how to rebuilt it. Just fluff. Im out......

[@jamesdaugherty7138]

Two things: That tendency for the shoes to rotate with the pedal depress is called "self-actuating" and is a design feature that actually improves breaking. You need to invest 20 bucks in some proper brake tools. (When I saw you using the screwdriver, I quit watching. Got no interest in amateur shade tree mechanics.)

[@mrpainter-xi9vr]

Thank you