I need to repair the drum brakes on a 2003 Ford Taurus...?

The parts at Autozone are $34.99 for the drum, $16.99 for the shoes and $7.99 for the repair kit which contains all the springs and what not.



Besides the know-how of actually doing the work, is anything else needed? I think the are really bad so just changing the shoes won't cut it.I need to repair the drum brakes on a 2003 Ford Taurus...?Changing brake drum shoes is a little more involved than changing disk brake pads. The biggest problem is stretching the springs back in place. They make special pliers for this, but it can be done with a couple of phillips screwdrivers. I would advise wearing goggles, also a dust mask as there will be a lot of asbestos brake dust in the drum.

Don't forget to screw back the auto adjuster bolt, or the drums won't go over the new shoes.



Be careful not to pump the brakes with the drums off, or the cups will pop out of the cylinders and make a big mess. if there is brake fluid leaking around the cylinders, it would be a good idea to change them out, however, opening the brake lines means they will have to be bled of air later.



The old drums can be %26quot;turned%26quot; on a brake lathe, if they're not too bad, costs about 7-10 each, saving 45-50 bucks. Your local auto parts store should be able to look at them and tell you if they can be turned. I recommend O'Reilly Auto, if they are in your part of the country.
I need to repair the drum brakes on a 2003 Ford Taurus...?
do both sides for best results
I need to repair the drum brakes on a 2003 Ford Taurus...?
Just take apart one side at a time so you can reference the other side to see how to put it back together. lots of parts.