Can Drum Brakes Be Serviced Off The Car?

[Bruzilla]

I'm rebuilding an 8.75 rear, and I wanted to get the brakes redone as part of the process. Right now they are off the rear as I'm sanding it down to get ready to repaint it, and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't just send the backing plate assemblies and drums off to a brake guy to get the pads replaced and adjusted now so they'll be ready to install when I get done with the carrier, or do they need to be on the car?

 

[khryslerkid]

You could have the backing plates assembled, wheel cylinders, springs, shoes. Only problem is hooking up you emergency brake cables. You would have to have them attached too or partially remove some parts to attach them after your backing plates are installed. Also your backing plate bolts are harder to get to with the brake parts there.
Shoes can not be adjusted totally without drums installed. You can measure inside drums, transfer that measurement to shoe diameter. But a final adjustment needs to be made after drums are installed.

Bruz, breaks aren't that hard to do yourself. You'll have to find an illustration, now that you have already disassembled them, to see how they go back. Buy new or remanufactured wheel cylinders. You can buy new hardware, springs ext. If your old hardware looks good, you can repaint. I'd rather install everything when the rear is back in the car. Jmho

You can do it!

 

[idrivemopar]

They guy that did my diff and housing wanted to do my brakes, but they are so easy I declined. One thing to make it easier is a brake spring tool, makes it a snap when putting on the brake springs, the red ones in the picture below. You can use a screw driver, but it will slip off, and you don't want a stinger from one of these springs! So much easier to spend the 10 bucks for a tool if you don't have one.

Here is what mine look like if you need a reference.

 

[GearAddict]

I would just have the backing plates cleaned up and and rebuild/replace the wheel cylinders... after that it's 30 mins of assembly each side and you can buy all new springs/shoes for cheap.. basically a full rebuild. probably one of the easiest and most rewarding things you can do.

Once installed, adjustment is easy and forgiving (although it's a pain that the shock mounting plates make access to the star adjuster a little akward).

 

[67GTX440]

I'm rebuilding an 8.75 rear, and I wanted to get the brakes redone as part of the process. Right now they are off the rear as I'm sanding it down to get ready to repaint it, and I was wondering if there is any reason I couldn't just send the backing plate assemblies and drums off to a brake guy to get the pads replaced and adjusted now so they'll be ready to install when I get done with the carrier, or do they need to be on the car?

Send the backing plates, drums and maybe even the rear end to be blasted and powder coated. Rebuilding something with all new shiney looking parts is the fun part. You may want to have the drums turned first to make sure they are in good shape.

 

[toolmanmike]

And remember, the primary shoe (the one with the short lining) always goes towards the front of the car and the self adjusters are always to the rear. tmm

 

[PST]

And remember, the primary shoe (the one with the short lining) always goes towards the front of the car and the self adjusters are always to the rear. tmm

Its like a mullet business in the Front(short) and a party in the back (long). That's how I remember it.

 

[nm9stheham]

It takes maybe 10 minutes each to install the wheel cylinders; they practically fall into place. Just 2 small bolts each. The rest is mostly a matter of keeping the parts in the right locations.