lunghd

Time for rear brake shoes, AutismZone lists 2 sizes for 13" drums. Question is how to determine which width of shoe to get before pulling drums.
Drums wouldnt come off at inspection so likely both will get airchiseled and destroyed leaving van undrivable to pick up parts.

Any peculiar tricks to removing rear drums on these? Another thread made reference to the axles being full floaters... what difference does that make for drum and brake removal?

Thanks!

MDTAHOE

Buy both, return the ones you don"t use

canucklehead

If you have the semi floating axle then the drums will slide off but you may have to de adjust the brakes to get them off. don't forget to let off the parking brake.
If you have the big full floating axle drum setup, then you may need special tools and the pulling of the axleshafts.....

My 2002 heavy 3/4 ton has the 11 inch 8 lug ones that slide off. if yours are 13 inch...then they could be the other ones....

lunghd

Both sizes of 13" drums and shoes have to be ordered, not a stock item. That's about $400 so I'm not ordering two sets of drums and two sets of brake pads even if they do let me return them later.

Yep, know how to pull drum brakes (re: adjuster backed off & parking brake off). I personally haven't fooled with these on this van... When it was inspected, the garage could not pull the drums off due to shoes wearing into the drum but was able to pull them back far enough to check shoe thickness. I could be wrong but don't think they used any special tools to get that far.
I am guessing from their experience that the drums are not 'full floating axles' as they could pull the drums as far as wear/rust ridge on drums would allow.

Floating axles - what kind of special tools? Beginning to sound like this job will get farmed out & I leave my shorts on the dealership floor when it's done.

Thanks, guys!

canucklehead

Your post about the shop not getting drums all the way off makes me think that they did not deadjust the brakes enough to get them off...they gave up after seeing the linings....your drums sound like mine.....worn in and have a lip that the linings have to clear to remove the drums....takes a lot of deadjusting to do it...but they will come. you might want to have them turned to lose the ridge. If they drums are still stuck..its just rusted to the end of the axleshaft....heat and hammer....
My bet is you only need linings....shop around...i got prices from 47 bucks to 120...
Be prepared to do the wheel cylinders since they may be leaking and get a hardware kit..( all springs and clips) since its old....only 8 bucks more...

As for full floating special tool...i think there is a special hub socket....

lunghd

Yep, idea is to replace everything on back & if the wheel cylinders are leaking those get replaced too.

I'm not doing the work myself. A friend has a garage but I can't have van down for several days while parts are on order. Trying to find the correct parts ahead of time was just to get me back on the road quicker. (No van = no paycheck.)

Appreciate the feedback.

lunghd

For others in same boat, if you have a 3500 express with single wheels it takes 3.5" brakes... and if you have dually wheels (box van) it takes 2.5" shoes.

Ryanthefirst

Thanks. 11 years later and AutoZone still can't put a note that says "single rear wheel" or "double rear wheel" on the page for each set. No, they'd prefer to list a measurement that the whole assembly needs to be disassembled to take. Do they somehow make money off people buying and returning the wrong parts? God I hate taking something apart then having to put it back together still broken to go to the parts store. So I appreciate the help.