WOT Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I went to rotate my tires today and noticed my rear drums were quite rusty looking so I started hitting them with the wire brush. I noticed that when I went to spin the drum that the passenger side rear would not spin AT ALL, grabbing the drum as hard as I could with gloves and I couldnt budge it an inch. While the drivers side can be spun with one finger .... Something fail?? Stuck?? I think Ive heard that once you take the drum off you cant simply just stick it back on so I didnt try to remove it yet. And Ive yet to have to touch drum brakes in my life so Im not to excited to jump on it lol What do you guys think it could be, I mean it drives down the road fine no noises. Maybe that rotor is constantly holding the pads on me?? I dont want to overheat anything, appreciate any help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I think Ive heard that once you take the drum off you cant simply just stick it back on so I didnt try to remove it yet. And Ive yet to have to touch drum brakes in my life so Im not to excited to jump on it lol Not at all. You can pull them right off and put them back on. Rotate your adjuster inward so the shoes don't grab the drum too hard. Sometimes the drum will warp which causes the shoes to partially grab and knock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 could be anything from simple adjustment issue to a frozen e-brake cable, to failing hardware/ shoe lining broken away from the shoe itself wedged, etc. Rear brakes ain't as scary as they are for some reason made out to be. There should be a small oval cutout in the backing plate you can stick a flat blade screwdriver (or get the correct brake adjustment tool, many cases a screwdriver will get you by though) and adjust the star wheel down. Might have to give the drum a love tap or 2 as well if it's gaulded onto the hub at all too. If your gonna do new shoes while you have it apart, I WOULD suggest at least a resurface of the drums to give them a true fresh surface to mate with and only pull the shoes one corner at a time so you can use the other side as a 'mirror' of what you want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Well once I put my tires back on, I could spin the wheel with my hands but it was difficult. What adjuster is there to rotate inward?? I dont think it would be so easy to just pull the drum off and be able to slip it back on since there quite old and sticking like this. Im a n :poke:OO b to drum brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 nothign wrong with beign the first time messing with them, gotta start somewhere... right? if you peek behind the wheel on the brake backing plate, between the axle tube and the backside of the wheel cylinder where you see the brake line and brake bleeder you should see an oval shaped cutout (sometimes theres a rubber 'plug' in it or the metal 'cover' had not been knocked out). You can generally poke in there with a smaller flat head or the correct brake adjustment tool and feel a star wheel, that is the adjuster. Turning that wheel is what adjusts/loosens/tightens the static setting of your brake shoes (make sure to do this with the e-brake off) left side is left hand thread/right side standard thread. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/pathfinder/2001/br.pdf that is the link to a standard brake job from the FSM for a 2001, scan down to BR26 to start the rear brake section, might help you familiarize a little more before getting to involved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 I'll have to poke around and find that brake adjuster and see if I can loosen it enough so there isnt THAT much drag on the drum, would be great. Wish I could convert to a nice disk brake setup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Wish I could convert to a nice disk brake setup We all wish for that! I too have never messed with drum brakes. I'm going to follow this thread closely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I know the rear axle is the same as WD21s rear axle was. I'm pretty sure that all you need are calipers, some brackets, some rotors, and pads. Don't take my word for it and check with some diagrams because I never researched this one before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Ive had a few wet dreams of rear disks lol. For now Im going to settle on overhauling these rear brakes and installing some stainless braided lines to help me get the truck to a stop with the new summer 20" tires I just put on I hope winters overs haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 What winter it's been lame this year! Take some pics as you go, learning experience for you could be a write up/how to for many who DO fear drum brake work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfftourRoadie96 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I know there are some high quality brake parts for the front disc stuff i.e. Baer, EBC, Brembo, etc. BUT, are there any higher quality brake SHOES / DRUMS for the rear? Also, when doing the rear brakes, how often do you replace the hardware back there? Only when it fails or replace all, along with the shoes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 What's wrong with the OEM stuff? I have 131k miles on my drums and the dealer said there's 55-60% life left in them. They last practically forever, why not just go for OEM parts again? I'd also be interested in a write up for servicing the drum brakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 As far as I know, drum brakes, especially on the rear, will last a really long time unless something goes wrong. Not sure on which brand of drum or shoe is best but I think that all those companies that make great disk brake hardware will probably make great drum brake hardware as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfftourRoadie96 Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 What's wrong with the OEM stuff? I have 131k miles on my drums and the dealer said there's 55-60% life left in them. They last practically forever, why not just go for OEM parts again? So you're suggesting going to the dealer or a Nissan on line shop ( like courtesy parts) and get rotors, shoes, hardware, etc.? Sounds more expensive than the high end stuff? Could be wrong thou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towncivilian Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 (edited) Not necessarily, unless the price for the parts is about the same as a known and trusted aftermarket brand like Tungsten said. The OEM stuff seems to last forever, if I were to replace it I'd probably just use OEM stuff again to get another 250k miles (probably) out of them, but I don't have any plans to replace anything of the drums yet. I'll service them yearly (adjust and clean) though. I had the dealer service it sometime last year for $40, but I'd like to learn to DIY them. EDIT: Did a quick comparison: Raybestos @ RockAuto Drum - $37.79 ea Drum Brake Hardware Kit - $8.50 Shoes - $29.79 $113.87 - 5% discount = $108.18 OEM @ Courtesy Parts Drum - $139.46 + $91.90 (right/left?) Shoes - $49.35 No hardware kit package available. $280.71 Given the price disparity, I'd be inclined to go aftermarket if I ever needed to replace any of the drum hardware. I guess I wasn't aware how much more expensive the OEM parts are in this case. Edited February 19, 2012 by Towncivilian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Unless it's some really bottom of the barrel stuff, drum anything will last a really long time. You can go aftermarket, it's not a big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 im hoping my one rear wheel just needs adjusting. i will climb under the truck tomorrow and try and find the star wheel Are the 2 M8 threaded holes in the front of the drum the access holes to remove the drum?? Just push 2 long m8 bolts in there?? I wanna see what kinda life ive got left Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 They are the 'correct' alternative to smacking the drum with a hammer to free it from being gaulded to the hub. Either way you have to factor in a possible rust lip on the drum as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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