On 1/8/2018 2:02 AM, Mad Roger wrote:
I haven't done drum brakes ever but I'm faced with these drum brakes where
I'd just like to ask a couple of questions from those of you who have done
drum brakes before.

1. I released the parking brake from the cabin and screwed these 2-inch
long metric 8mm x 1.25mm threads bolts to pull the drum off the shoes.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=5687240drum_brakes_0.jpg

2. After blowing the dust out (and not breathing it in), I could see that
the front shoe was worn down to about a millimeter or less (after 175K
miles), so I'm going to have to buy new shoes and replace them.
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=3478506drum_brakes_1.jpg

It appears the one shoe is unevenly worn. Could be a bad cylinder or
another stuck part such as the adjuster. Check them and replace/repair
if needed.

3. I measured the drum to be 2mm smaller than the maximum diameter:
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=9335528drum_brakes_2.jpg

Maximum diameter of what? Are you aware of the adjusters? Each side has
one and it sits under the cylinder behind the hub. You can see it in
this diagram
http://repairguide.autozone.com/znet...5280089c12.gif

It's job is to keep the shoes against the drum and is automatically
adjusted when the parking brake is used. Often, this is the reason why
drums are difficult to remove. They are adjusted from the other side
through an opening using an adjustment tool and often need to be
loosened in order to remove the drum. They also need to be tightened
after you replaced the shoes and re-install the drum. Retract them and
your diameter will be less than the drum.

4. Where the maximum diameter of 297mm was stamped on the drum itself:
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=9428041drum_brakes_3.jpg

5. It was hard to get the drum back on even with the parking brake released
from the cabin, so I had to use a mallet to bang it back on:
http://www.bild.me/bild.php?file=2434045drum_brakes_4.jpg

Back to the adjuster.

The main question is whether I'm supposed to *disconnect* the cable for the
parking brake when working on the drums, and particularly when I put the
new shoes on after I buy them.

The parking brake cable doesn't need to be removed, assuming it's
functioning properly. Just ensure the parking brake is not engage when
replacing shoes. The parking brake assembly will be removed when the
shoes are replaced.

Also, only one shoe is worn, and it's the front shoe, and it's been on
there for 175K miles, but I wonder if the shoes can be switched, so that
the front shoe is in the rear and the rear shoe is in the front, since they
wore so unevenly (sort of like rotating tires).

Much depends on the vehicle. Many shoes are identical and it doesn't
matter if they are placed in front or rear. Others are specific and
require proper position and seating. In your case, the shoes appear to
be the same but that wear is something I wouldn't simply "rotate" with
the other side. One side wearing more than the other is not normal and
should be checked, repaired/replaced then install new shoes with the
proper even thickness.

But mainly I'm not sure what the procedure is for the parking brake cable.
Can you advise?