The drum brake is still with us in this modern age of disc brakes and regenerative braking. Why? It is cheap and light weight. Also, it is less prone to noise if engineered right. Here are four tips that can make the job painless and error free…

1. After the shoes are removed, clean up the lands the shoes ride on. If the lands are grooved from the shoes, replace the backing plate. Place a small amount of moly-lube on the lands. Do not use too much. Excess lubricant attracts dust and debris that can cause the shoes to stick. Cleaning up too much of the rear plate can cause corrosion issues.

2. Inspect the teeth on the self-adjusters. Rounded, broken or worn teeth can cause the adjuster to malfunction. Clean and lubricate the adjusters. A little bit of lubricant can go a long way.

3. When a drum is off the vehicle, assemble the shoes and hardware in the drum. The adjuster can be set so only a small adjustment has to be made on the vehicle. You can place sockets that match the size wheel cylinder or posts.

4. Be aware, most rear brake hardware kits might have two different length shoe anchors. If the shoe seems too loose or too tight, check the parts bag for an alternative part. Parts manufacturers do this to eliminate inventory, but it can drive you crazy.