Have you ever experienced a delay in deceleration when you apply your brakes? This is a clear sign that your drum brakes are affected and need adjustment or replacement. In this article, we will explain how to adjust drum brakes.
Though drum brakes are durable, they can start dragging over time and produce a grinding noise. The noise indicates that the brake shoes have worn out. If left unattended, the bad brake shoes can cause severe damage to the wheel drum, which will cost more bucks to fix.
However, regular adjustment of these brakes ensures that they respond quickly whenever you engage them. You need to always ensure your brakes are working properly before hitting the road because your life depends on it. The paragraphs below provide a practical explanation of drum brake adjustment.
How To Adjust Drum Brakes
Is it normal for the ABS light and the brake light to pop up on your dashboard when something goes wrong? Could the cause be a bad ABS module, drum brakes, etc.? To check if the drum brake needs adjustment, drag the parking brake lever; if it’s light and goes up freely, you should proceed to adjust your brake shoes.
Step 1: Jack and suspend your back wheels
Park your vehicle properly and engage the parking brakes. Locate the jacking spot near the rear wheels and place a jack to lift one side of the vehicle off the ground. Use a jack stand to keep the car in place. Repeat the same process for the other rear side of the wheel.
Step 2: Remove the tires
After lighting your vehicle, remove the tires. Unbolt the lug nuts from the wheels gently. Make sure you keep the nuts in a safe place, so you can easily get them back.
Step 3: Adjust the drum brakes.
First and foremost, locate the drum brake adjuster. You can easily access the brake adjuster at the rear base of the brake drum. Remove the dust cover with a flat screwdriver.
Turn the brake adjuster clockwise or anticlockwise to feel where you need to turn it. It is important to note that most drum brake adjustment directions are clockwise. As you apply your screwdriver downwards, the brake adjuster moves upward to bring the brake shoes closer to the drum.
Ensure there is minimal drag to allow for an easy stop. If the drag is too much, the brake won’t work properly. Once the tire can spin with a little drag (not freely or forcefully), do the same on the other wheel. Drag the hand brake lever to see how it is. If it’s too free, add more adjustments.
Step 4: Check your work
Once you have adjusted the brake to your satisfaction, reinstall the dust cover. Confirm everything is well-positioned and intact.
Step 5: Install your tires.
Reinstall the car tires you removed previously. Afterward, ensure you tighten the lug nuts with a ratchet and socket or wheel spanners until they are snug.
Step 6: Lower the car
Place your jack on the jacking spot and raise the car so you can safely remove the jack stand. Lower the vehicle and do the same on the other side of the wheel.
Step 7: Test drive the vehicle
Pump the brake pedal a couple of times before driving. Then, drive the car to a safe location and confirm whether the brakes are properly functioning. If the brakes are functional, then you are good to go!
If you are driving a trailer and experience brake failure, you might want to check out your brake system components to see whether they need adjustment. The above step-by-step guides are similar to those for adjusting drum brakes on a trailer.
FAQs:
Which way do you adjust drum brakes?
It is pretty easy to adjust your drum brakes. However, you must understand the right direction to push the adjuster. In most vehicles, the right place to turn the adjuster is clockwise, while a few others are designed to work anti-clockwise. As you push the adjuster downwards with your screwdriver, the adjustment wheel moves upwards or clockwise.
Will drum brakes self-adjust?
When there is a lot of space between the brake and the drum, most modern cars have an automatic adjuster that senses the anomaly and resets itself when you apply the emergency brakes.
However, if you don’t apply the emergency brake for a long time, the automatic adjuster will not adjust.
Do drum brakes self-adjust in reverse?
Yes, whenever you apply your brakes while reversing, the automatic adjuster adjusts itself.
A lever inside the brake system adjusts the wheel a little bit whenever you back off. However, this does not apply to all cars and is not a total remedy for adjusting your brakes when it is in a critical state.
How often do you need to adjust the drum brakes?
On average, a drum brake needs adjustment every 10,000 miles, or sooner if it shows signs of wear. However, there are a few signs that show your brake shoes require adjustment. So, if you’re asking how to tell if drum brakes need adjusting, watch out for these;
- Strange or grinding noise from the back wheels
- Lose the parking brake lever
- The car moves smoothly while on the hand brakes
- The ABS light indicates a problem with your brakes. When you see the light on, drive carefully to a safe place and check your brake system components.
Final words
At this juncture, you’ve seen that brake drums last long. However, with time, they can start malfunctioning. So, if you want a safe drive, you need to ensure your brakes and other car systems are working properly. And that’s why we’ve provided a step-by-step guide on how to adjust drum brakes.
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