rear drum brakes
 

My DD has rear drum brakes in the back. I have changed the fronts twice already, but havent done the drums. I know that on the front discs you can hear a squealing noise or whatever to let you know its about time, that or it will start grinding. Are there any tell-tale signs that the drums need to be replaced? If i remove the back wheels, what exactly should i be looking at for wear, and how do i know if its ready for replacing or not. My car feels like the front is doing more of the braking than the back. I was wondering if the drums were shot then the front discs are having to pull more than thier usual weight to stop the car, which would explain why the fronts had to be replaced a second time in a year> IDK:confused: any tips???

a mustang with drums??? damn...... your drums may be warped a little, maybe not even noticable causing uneven wear on the backs and in turn burning up your fronts a lot quicker...i'd replace the drums or throw discs on :)

somewhere on the drum you should see "Max diameter(insert number here)" stamped on it and if you pull the drum off and measure the inside diameter with a vernier caliper and you find the diameter is bigger than the number stamped on the drum your overdue for new drums.

while you got the drums off, check the braking surface on the drum for cracks or chips. look at the brake shoes check for any cracks, chips, or flat spots, those are never good.

if you got a tire tread depth gauge, measure from the top of the brake shoe to the metal that its glued or riveted to. In Pennsylvania, when you take your car in for an inspection, if that distance is less then 2/32 those shoes need to be replaced to pass inspection, for a baseline

if your gonna pull your drums off, make sure to leave the e-brake off and if you decide to replace the brake shoes dont do it by you self if you have never done it before, have someone else who has experience with drum brakes help. theres alot of springs and parts in a drum brake system, and its easier if you,ve got the tools to remove and replace the springs