All,
Please excuse my ingornace but I guess I grew up just after disk brake became pretty much the standard and had never repalced drum brakes before.
Last nigth I replaced the drum brakes on my 2008 GEM, all went pretty well as far as I can tell. I have not bleed them for for that matter tested them yet.
But I have a stupid question. What makes the bottom half of the pads expand to engage the drum?
I get it that the actuator pushes on the top of the pad assembly and springs bring the pads back when you release the brake pedal. But the bottom half of the pad in my mind would pull away from the drum. Because of the pivot points and attachment clips, it seems that when force is applied to the top of the half circle by the actuator, the bottom half would move in (away from the drum).
I am sure the process works, but how?
Sorry for the stupid question, it is just not computing with me.
The bottom of the shores pivot against a fixed stop on the bottom… When the cylinder pushes the shoes apart they expand outward against the brake drum.
The retainer pins and springs only retain the shoes against the backing plate they are not the pivot point. The objects that look like a pivot point are the self adjuster mechanisms. They maintain the proper shoe to drum clearance.
@Old_Houseboater -
Thanks for the clarification, one more question. There is spacer and a retainer at the bottom of the drum. How are those installed?
Does the spacer go between the ends of the two pads? or some other way. On both sides, I tried to look and they fell out before I could see how they were installed.
spacer goes between the brake shoe ends and then the retainer?
backplate - retainer - brakeshoes - spacer?
backplate -brakeshoe - retainer - spacer?
I have searched and search and cannot figure it out.
MikeKC
November 3 @Old_Houseboater -
Thanks for the clarification, one more question. There is spacer and a retainer at the bottom of the drum. How are those installed?
Does the spacer go between the ends of the two pads? or some other way. On both sides, I tried to look and they fell out before I could see how they were installed.
spacer goes between the brake shoe ends and then the retainer?
backplate - retainer - brakeshoes - spacer?
backplate -brakeshoe - retainer - spacer?
I have searched and search and cannot figure it out.
Bake plate - shoe pivot - retainer Bottom of shoes fit in the slot created.
Note the shoes are move able in the adjusters. tap them back and forth as needed to get the brake drum to go on. You also have to tap them open to remove from backing plate.
MikeKC
November 3 @Old_Houseboater -
Thanks for the clarification, one more question. There is spacer and a retainer at the bottom of the drum. How are those installed?
Does the spacer go between the ends of the two pads? or some other way. On both sides, I tried to look and they fell out before I could see how they were installed.
spacer goes between the brake shoe ends and then the retainer?
backplate - retainer - brakeshoes - spacer?
backplate -brakeshoe - retainer - spacer?
I have searched and search and cannot figure it out.
