how do i know when its time to replace the rear drum brakes? they are making a LOT of noise...everyone tells me i sound like a school bus with air brakes coming to a stop...and it is LOUD!!! so it is time to replace them or is there something i need to do to "tune" them?

if it is time to change them...can it be done in a driveway or should i take it somewhere to do it? if i can do it, how do you do it? i havent even seen these things taken apart before so i have not the slightest clue as to how to do them. i have done disk brakes many times before. thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

Well, first off you need to inspect them. Could be a dust build up and with high humidity it causes the squealing noise. If they are low, replace them.

 

how do i inspect them? do i have to take it apart or something? sorry i have never even seen them taken apart before so i have no idea what to look for.

 

Just pull your drum off. You may need to give it a "tap" with a hammer, but be careful not to damage the dust cover.

Take a look at the shoes and determine if they are worn past their serviceable life. Replace if necessary. There are a number of tutorials on the Interwebz, but a Haynes manual is a good investment.

 

ok thanks!! i will go get me one of those manuals...i had one for my last car and i need to get one for this truck.

 

In the case of my 98 drum brakes, TAP is an UNDERSTATEMENT! LOL

I finally found the key to getting them off and it looked exactly like this BFH

With the age of your truck, I personally would just go buy new drums and new shoes, and, wheel cylinders and replace it all. JMO

Good Luck!