BRAKE: Rear brake drum shoes replacement for most Civic and Accord.

[Bad_dude]

I saw lots of videos and most are good, especially the one from Eric The Car Guy, but his was on the Odyssey so the design is similar to our CBs but not the same. So I found the video below to me exact as our CBs which make it more practical for us. I did a few Corollas and they are not the same. So when I took my CB drums off and Uh! Not the same.
The Video.
I hope it helps. To be honest it's the best video I have found for our CB drums.

Remember some important tips guys. Stay away from the brake pedal and hand brake if the drums are off.
Adjust the drums with the slight drag, I mean slight. If the drums are still smooth without the raised outer ridge, then they do not need to be grind down.
Watch when taking the upper springs off that you don't let the shoe push the cylinders too far toward the other side or the fluid will come out and you need to bleed the system.
Always make sure the drums are on, once again, before pushing the pedal or pulling the hand brake.
For God sake, take you time.

[Bad_dude]

OK. Did the rear shoes today. Took me 3 hours. The little horse shoe clips were a PITA. So were the upper springs. The adjusters keep falling off. With new shoes I adjusted it to 6 clicks on the hand brake. Not as tight as I want it to, but I'll let the shoes break in with the heat and then going readjust them to 3-4 clicks.
BTW, with our CBs guys, the brake pedal tend to be low when the front brakes aren't new. Also adjusting the adjusters might not make both sides even. I back the car up fast and brake fast to make sure the star wheels on both side are balance. I did the back up and brake fast 3X and that should do it. I don't need to tell you that do it in an empty parking lot or when no one is around.

[Timothy Watson]

You have no idea how many thanks I owe you. I didn't know that the pedal would be low when front brakes weren't new, and I was about to replace the Booster (mostly paranoia). Thank you so much. $164 saved just by your one sentence.

[Bad_dude]

You have no idea how many thanks I owe you. I didn't know that the pedal would be low when front brakes weren't new, and I was about to replace the Booster (mostly paranoia). Thank you so much. $164 saved just by your one sentence.

I am glad that sentence saves you money but you should not base your brake booster replacement on it. Brake booster failure tends to :
1) Hard pedal and when press very little to no braking power. That means the pedal is hard to press down and your car won't stop as well.
2) Losing brake fluid without leaks at the cylinders, calipers, or lines. That would mean the fluid is backup into the booster. The booster is certainly bad once the fluid gets in there. With that your MC is also bad.

With adjusting the star wheels in the rear, you want to do it with a slight drag and hand brake at about 3-5 clicks. This will give a firmer pedal. Once you replace the shoes, you want to use metal sand paper (same as emery cloth) and gently scuff up the drum internal to remove the shiny part and let the new shoes make new bites into the drums.
To make the pedal a little firmer, you could pull the hand brake up, then release. Do this fast for about 10X to evenly adjust the 2 star wheels in the rear. Or you can do a fast reverse and brake 3X to firm the pedal. This is all you could do for this car. I don't have much experience with the rear discs as I only replaced the pads on a friend's car once and the pedal was ok so no adjustment was necessary, if there was any.

[9tAkord]

Im always having hard time installing the sprin on the adjuster will try his technique nex time

[illinois_erik]

Good info man, thanks for the tips (albeit I have discs,but still there might be that one time..) =D

[Bad_dude]

Im always having hard time installing the sprin on the adjuster will try his technique nex time

OMG. Dude, my arm was shaking after putting the 2 freaking springs in, particularly the upper return springs. I hate those. I turned the star wheels all the way in and still have a problem. I have the special tools for the Corolla and I just have to twist the springs in. But this one, I could only use the side cutter. It's easier to get the springs on then the adjuster clip and spring on last. Other wise when you slip the adjuster clip would fly out.

[Stoner51]

You must be like one week ahead of me in your maintenance. I have had rear shoes for at least 2 years. I took the drums off and decided the hell with it.
Thanks for posting the video. This will be my project for next weekend.
His weekend I finally installed my neuspeed springs and new pads on the front and wet sanded my wheels. What a bitch.

I have had my car for a while. Everytime I do the front brakes, about every three years or so I think I need to do the rotors too. But after replacing the pads I find the "shimmy" goes away.

Thanks

Steve