Rear Brake Overhaul

[Z26Beretta315]

So the rear brakes in my '95 Z26 are shot, not to the point of horrid grinding noise when stopping, but I did notice one day that the brake pedal felt different, had to travel more, so I know their gone (that and pulling the parking brake does nothing).

I work long and strange hours, and unfortunatly financially can't seem to collect enough money for parts and labor.  I can afford the parts, just not the labor.  So i've been pondering of replacing the brakes myself, and wanted to ask the forum members here of how they would rate such a job, like I should leave this up to a professional, or its something any backyard mechanic can do.  I've never screwed with brakes, but I have general mechanical skills, mainly screwing with engines and exhaust.

So how would you guys rate the job, easy, medium or hard?  I know its kind of hard answering, not knowing the person asking.

My second question is, does anyone know where on the internet I can locate a hardware list for 95 Beretta Rear Drum Brakes, if I'm going to replace the shoes and knowing that the hardware has probably never been replaced, might as well replace all the parts that I can.  Either a website, a picture of an exploded view of the brakes, or someone who just knows, or better yet, someone with a scanner and a shop manual for the car.  If not I'll just go pick one up tommorrow.

If I do attempt this job, I'll post my progress here on the forums and turn it into a tutorial, so others can save themselves some hard earned cash.

[HateMyAuto]

I actually just got the parts for overhauling my rears. I got two wheel cylinders, brake shoes, and an "all in one" kit that came with all the springs and stuff for the drums from Autozone for about $55. I haven't found the time to throw them on, but it's not rocket science. It helps if you can take a picture of the brakes before you take everything off so you can put it back together.

[wicked-irocz]

if the wheel cylinders are not leaking fluid out or air in its best to not replace them and it keeps you from having to blead the brakes.

[Z26Beretta315]

@HateMyAuto:  Yeah, figured it wouldn't be rocket science, drum brake technology hasn't advanced too much in the past century.  Just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything strange to replacing the parts, never worked on such a modern car (worked on a '65 Pontiac and '49 Dodge).

@wicked-irocz:  Very true on replacing the wheel cylinders, but I get the feeling I need to bleed the brake system anyways, so might as well.  I plan on waiting till I actually see their condition, before choosing to replace them or not.  I live in Northern NY State and during the winters they dump tons (literally) of sand-salt mix, which tends to eat things like your car.

Anyways, time to do my weekly budget and see if I can actually afford the parts this week.  Working for an ice company kind of sucks when mother nature wants it to rain, everyday.

[Z26Beretta315]

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E[ 1995 Beretta Z26 Brake Overhaul Hardware List]

- Brake Shoes, Rear........................$ 39.99
- Brake Shoe Hardware Kit (springs, etc)...$  5.69
- Wheel Cylinders (2)......................$ 22.98
- Brake Shoe Backing Plate.................$ 32.99
- Brake Shoe Adjuster Repair Kit...........$ 35.98
- Brake Bar................................$  8.69
- Brake Drum (2)...........................$ 99.98
- Wheel Bolt (10)..........................$ 14.90
- Brake Bleeder Screw (2)..................$  2.98
====================================TOTAL=>$264.18

Ok, well this would be "going nuts" in a brake overhaul, basically replaces everything, then if you were doing this, might as well replace the wheel bearings and so forth.  I'm not going this deep into the repair job, I figure on doing the shoes, hardware kit, adjuster repair kit, brake bar, and possibly the backing plate and cylinders.

[RebelGT]

I'd rate this job more as "annoying" then hard.

[cahilj]

[ 1995 Beretta Z26 Brake Overhaul Hardware List]

- Brake Shoes, Rear........................$ 39.99
- Brake Shoe Hardware Kit (springs, etc)...$  5.69
- Wheel Cylinders (2)......................$ 22.98
- Brake Shoe Backing Plate.................$ XXXXX
- Brake Shoe Adjuster Repair Kit...........$ XXXXX
- Brake Bar................................$  XXXXX
- Brake Drum (2)...........................$ 99.98
- Wheel Bolt (10)..........................$ XXXXX
- Brake Bleeder Screw (2)..................$ XXXXX
====================================TOTAL=>$135.60

I just got rid of everything you won't need to replace, and left everything you do need to replace. I saved you $130. I've lived in the northeast all my life, and I've never seen a rotted through backing plate on a street driven car (meaning-unless its been sitting around in the woods for 10+ years, its fine). The new wheel cylinders come with bleeders, and why you would need to repair a star wheel adjuster is beyond me. You should replace the drums, simply because its easier (and probably cheaper) than having them turned. From the way you describe it, they're beyond maximum diameter anyways. You may or may not need the hardware kit. If you break a hold down clip or a spring you need it for sure. I would buy it and then return it if you don't need it. Replace the wheel cylinders if they've never been done before. The seals are probably shot anyways.

EDIT- the How-To is like 5 posts down from this. "88-91 overhaul" or something. Same exact thing, just a different size drum.

[Z26Beretta315]

Yeah, well as said that was the "going nuts" hardware list, and I'm not going nuts on this.  Your list, minus the drums which I'll do later, the exhaust needs work (muffler is shot, probably could use a new pipe too).

I've never seen a rusted out backing plate either but the idea behind that list was replace all that is possible to replace, so its all new.  Same goes with the wheel bolts, brake bar and adjuster repair kit.  If it can be replaced, replace it, money isn't too much of a question when it comes to repairing this car, of course its a different question when it comes to my wallet.


It'll use a new hardware kit no matter what, just cause its 5 bucks, I spend that on breakfast and soda at work, and I have a good private mechanic so he won't screw me like Monroe Muffler would.

[wicked-irocz]

anyone wanting that kind of a price for a pair of drums is ripping you off.  Get the hardware kit, it makes the job a lot nicer.

[Z26Beretta315]

@wicked-irocz:  Yeah, NapaOnline who I will never ever ever ever ever ever ever buy from again.  Oddly enough though the place I do business with is associated with Napa, but isn't one of their actual stores.  Had to do my radiator, 200 plus shipping on NapaOnline, 150 flat at Massena/Napa Auto Parts.  And yeah, actually they did screw me with those drums, besides the price they're TOO F-ING BIG.  Not like I could return them now, almost a year later.

So yeah, took me 8 months to get to this project, but I had the car checked out back in July and it turned out the decrease in brake pressure was a faulty wheel cylinder.  Wasn't blown, leaking enough to be seen on the tire but not enough to drain the tank, took at least 3 months for the rez to get low enough to trigger the warning light.  Going to work last Saturday Night, got called in.  Brakes had been acting funny, grinding noise with it pulling to one side, but only when I first got going.  Heading to work, the noise was there and staying heard, so I decided to test my brakes.

BRAKE TEST!

Turn the corner at a light, no one behind me so I give the pedal a moderate push, didn't stomp on it but harder than I usually push it.  Probably about the same pressure a normal driver would use, I drive trucks and unfortunatly I brake my car like a truck, light braking from a half mile before the stop.  So I push the pedal, moment of pressure and then ye old travel to the floor.  My heart jumps, did I just lose all my brakes or can I stop.  Luckly it still had enough in her to stop, then again I was doing 20, I could just open the door and drag my feet.  Lights came on just as I pulled into work.

So...

Waited a week for the weather to warm, I have no indoor facility to use when doing this stuff, true backyard mechanic (or the parking lot at work).  Plus where I live winter can be brutal, on Wednesday this week it was a low of -10'F and high of +10'F.  It was 60'F yesterday and high 40'Fs today.  So I spent the last two days doing the job, took me two days just cause it was crappy weather yesterday, had to stop and restart so many times, and of course the fun things like...

HAYNES MANUAL:  Well you take these two screwdrivers and you use them to pry up the wheel cylinder retaining ring on the rear of the brake plate.

Ok *sticks head around the plate and is greeted by two torque screws*.

HAYNES MANUAL:  Well your car has two types of rear brakes, depending on year.  1993 and previous years use Lead/Trail Brakes, while everything else has the Anchor Plate setup.

Ok *looks at his 95 Z26 that has lead/trail brakes*

God if I didn't have mechical skills I'd be so enraged at Haynes.  Anyways though...


Job done, still got problems though.  Brake pedal still had alot of travel on it and isn't anywhere near as tight as it should be, but there's probably still air in the system so I'll bleed it again, probably bleed the entire system even though I didn't run out of brake fluid completely.  But here is the problem I'm looking to solve, might be related to it still needing to be bleed more.

My [BRAKE] and [ABS] lights are still on, which I'm assuming means there's still a problem, or there's a reset.  Wanted to make sure that wasn't the case, otherwise we'll see if they shut off after I redo the system bleed.  Or like my Low Coolant light, they'll commit suicide and stop working.
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UPDATE:  99% sure now that the lights are on due to air in the brake lines, if I start the car and hold the brake pedal, the lights go off.  Of course the second I let go and touch it again they come back on.

And oddly enough since I mentioned my low coolant light, the bloody thing came on tonight.