How to Replace Rear Drum Brakes 1991-99 Buick LeSabre
Created on: 2013-07-01
Follow along to see how you can replace the rear drum brakes on your 91-99 Buick LeSabre.
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Loosen the 19mm lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Brake Drum
- Spray rust penetrant on the lug studs
- Pry off the drum with flat blade screwdrivers
- Pull off the drum
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step 3 :Removing the Brake Shoes
- Remove the brake shoe springs with the vise grip pliers
- Hold the front retaining pin in place by hand
- Pry out the front retaining spring with a flat blade screwdriver
- Remove the brake shoe
- Remove the brake adjuster
- Pry the emergency brake cable out of the front brake shoe
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step 4 :Installing the New Brake Shoes
- Pry the emergency brake cable into the front brake shoe slot with vise grip pliers
- Lift the front brake shoe into place
- Thread the retaining pin into the brake shoe
- Put the adjuster into place
- Remove the adjuster clip
- Put the rear brake shoe into place
- Thread the retaining pin into the brake shoe
- Put white grease on both ends of the adjuster clip
- Insert the adjuster end into place
- Twist on the retaining spring
- Clean the brake shoes with mineral spirits
- Hook the springs on with the vise grip pliers
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step 5 :Installing the New Brake Drum
- Try to slide the brake drum on
- If necessary turn the adjuster wheel with a flat blade screwdriver
- The brake rotor should slide on with some resistance
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step 6 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the 19mm lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the center cap
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step 7 :Testing the Brakes
- Pump your brakes repeatedly until they feel firm
- Test your brakes at 5 miles per hour and then 10 miles per hour
- Road test the vehicle
Tools needed
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Flat Blade Screwdriver
Rust Penetrant
Pry Bar
Jack Stands
19mm Socket
White Grease
Mineral Spirits
Ratchet
Floor Jack
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Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and the next time you need a part for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we show you how to remove and reinstall the rear brake shoes and drums on this '97 Buick LeSabre. This vehicle ends up having a pretty good rare brake, so we just take them off and put them back on to show you. This procedure is the same for many GM vehicles that have the rear drum brakes from Chevys to Pontiacs to Olds to Cadillacs. You'll need new shoes and drums from 1AAuto.com, jack and jack stands, 19 millimeter socket and ratchet or your lug wrench, some penetrating oil, two large screwdrivers or small pry bars, pliers, some white grease or brake grease and some solvent, and some brake cleaner or mineral spirits. You can even use gasoline, it just needs to dissolve grease and then evaporate quickly.
Remove the wheel. Pry the center cap off with a large screwdriver or small pry bar. If you don't have the benefit of air tools, start with your vehicle on the ground, loosen the lug nuts, then raise and secure the vehicle. Remove the lug nuts the rest of the way or remove the wheel and tire.
Spray the hub that are on the lug studs with some penetrating oil. I'm using two large screwdrivers to pry off the drum. Then just wiggle your drum off. I'm using a small vice grip, and I'm going to connect it right here in the end of the spring and pry that spring off. Remove the spring, and I'm using a large screwdriver again with the flat tip. I'm going to pry out the big spring that goes around. Once that's out, you could pull out your shoes. The parts that fell off here, this one goes here and this is the end of your adjuster and that can come out now too. This, if you pull it out and then remove the emergency brake.
Okay, check your drum for any significant wear on the inside, any lips or any scoring that might occur. This right here is just from where it was sitting with the brake shoe. This drum is in good shape, and it comes with the shoes. These still have a lot of life left on them, and you could measure that by how much of the lining is still here. Both of these shoes are in really good shape.
If you need to replace your drums and your shoes, get them from 1A Auto. You'll see that they're virtually identical, the same thing with the drum.
Connect the bar to your E-brake first. Use a screwdriver to pull the spring out. We're going to install the adjuster and leave off this end. Again, I'm using the screwdriver to pry up at the clip and get your shoe in underneath it. Take your clip and put it in. Before putting your adjuster in, with the end of it, just put a little grease on both ends and pry it out a little bit. Put the end in around your clip. We'll get this end of the tensioner or the adjuster here below the hole and it's in, the same with this side here, and you can go back in with the spring. I'm using mineral spirits to clean off the brake shoes. You can use brake cleaner or any kind of solvent. You could use the same thing for the inside of the drum.
I'll speed it up here as we put the wheel back on, put the lug nuts on preliminary then let it down the ground to tighten the lug nuts. Always pump your brakes before you do a road test. Make sure you got a nice, firm pedal, and, obviously, we showed you the passenger's side. The driver's side's rear is the same and we always recommend that you service your brakes in pairs.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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