Amazing video! I’ve been watching all the rear brake videos to do my cobalt. This one is by far the best out of all of them. So detailed and not skipping anything. Plus you look like you know what you’re doing and make it look easy too 😉 I just subscribed. Cheers!
I greatly appreciate your video. Out of all the videos on here, yours was the best one. I just finished a rear brake job on my 06 HHR and it was a horrible experience. I don't ever want to go through that ever again. The worst part were the main springs. Took two days to finish. Thank you for all your help!
Glad this video helped you out. Steve and I try not to gloss over problematic issues that we run into while creating auto repair videos. That spring can be a pain in the butt.
@@HomeownerRepair it really did I finished it and got paid 😎 the e brake spring was a bitch to do with regular pliers but I got the lisle tool 44210 e brake spring pliers and it worked like a dream. I recommend that tool you can find it on amazon or oreillys
Thanks very much for the video, perfectly done! I appreciate the detailed steps, even including adjusting the brakes at the end of the job. Now I'm off to do my 2008 Cobalt. The passenger side is grinding - looks like I'll need at least one new brake drum.
Thanks for the videos camera guy the best thanks for y'all video because my boyfriend would had to come out of pocket with 300 dollars The only video that shows you step by step 5 star God bless
Great job. I'll be doing this on my dad's 06 cobalt. Set up is the same. Seized on drums 😭 least I'll get my good swear game on lol. This drum assembly is a little different from the older styles with that big w-clip. The other video I saw was of people leaving that flat spot clip on the back of the adjuster. I think it's just because they just kept taking on and off the drum till they got where they liked. But I'm going to do it your way as my parents are older and drive it till it breaks ya know. So if things get seized I'll be able to release brake shoe tension. I love the BFH method. This is such a good stress reliever 😂
If you have a smart phone which I do not and have no desire to. Lay your new shoes down as the would sit while on the car. Then as you remove a part place where it belongs on the new shoes. After all parts are removed, transfer the parts to the old shoes so they look as they did while on the car. Now you can start the installation of the new shoes onto your car. I know but it works for me.
This is a great tip! Also, Brake pads and shoes should be replaced in pairs. You can also leave one side together as a reference point so if you forget how something went together you can walk over the the other side of the car to see where the brake part went. Hope this helps someone out. Have a great day!
@@HomeownerRepair Did that years ago on a car I had with four wheel drum brakes. Only problem was they are reversed side to side. believe it or not. 1965 Mercury Comet.
That washer flat spot is a lock washer that comes in contact with the backing plate to keep adjusting wheel from going back and forth which the adjustment wheel just stays in the same position.
Great video! I just replaced my rear pads and drums and everything was great for a couple days then I started hearing this repeating knocking noise when I'm going down a hill and have the pedal pressed a little harder. It doesn't do it when the pedal is pressed lighter. I took the wheels back off and everything still looks good with the pads and drums. I don't know if it's from the brake job or something else. Has anyone heard of something like this happening before?
Sometimes we have to double check the brake shoes to make sure that they are seated on the backing brake properly. Are you sure you are going the right way on the brake adjuster to suck the brake shoes in a little more so you have the clearance to slip the brake drum back on?
So the final step of the self adjuster with the new shoes....you just have to keep expanding it until the shoes are dragging a bit when spinning the new drum and that's when you know you're good? Having the shoes touch before applying the brake is ok?
May I ask you how do you determine how much to do the adjustment on the drum? Probably this can be determined just on experience. No other exact ways to know how hard that drum should rotate. I did one set of rear brakes on Saturn, and tried to adjust my best, but still when they checked at dealer (I asked them to do so, since was not 100% sure if they are adjusted correctly) the mechanic there said they were a bit loose. I tried to determine by rotating the wheel w/tire, like some advise, if it does 1/2 turn when you push it with a middle force, but everyone agree that it is very vague definition, bcs what is a "middle" force? I also want to remind everyone who plans to do that project not to forget to release the e-brake, bcs I did on that first car and was fighting w/drum for a while, then watched one film, and realized that it was the e-brake which I didn't release. I also put some cooper Anti-Seize on the face of the hub, it is good for anti-squeaking. Thank you, very good and detailed film.
You want to put the drum on and adjust the brake so that there is some drag but not so much that it is hard to spin the drum by hand. Hope this helps you out.
@@HomeownerRepair Thank you, this is way more clear approach to determine, than that with a tire on. I'll try this method on the next project for 2003 Chevy Cavalier and see if the mechanic still would need to adjust it. I'm curious, how they determine that adjustment on very expensive cars, it should be some more precise method, than just the fill of a mechanic even very experienced. Maybe they have some special tools or devices. Thank you again.
@@olenaerhardt7725 more expensive cars likely wont have drum brake other then for parking brake. Youre even starting to see those disappear. By nature, if they are adjusted a tad too tight, it wont be long before theyve “self adjusted” the above mentioned adjustment is really all thats needed
Put the vehicle in reverse, drive backwards, and stop abruptly several times. Set and release the parking brake several times. If the brakes feel more even and responsive when you press down on the pedal, the self adjuster is working and you don't need to manually adjust the brakes.
The spring that you took off with the cutters and vice grip, the one that you have to move back in order to get one of the shoes to hold in place. Is it essential? Because when i took of my shoe it was broken off
My horseshoe spring seems to have broken in half sometime during my driving but it didn't impede on my driving. Can i replace the brakes without having to replace that horseshoe spring or should i just go buy a new one?
Lmfao @ 10:08.... I really hate how easy you make that look. For an hour now, I've been struggling with it. Brakes shoes completely fall out of the lip when I put that W bracket in.
@@omarmorales996 , Yes, that means the PARKING BRAKE is working. When you set the parking brake the tires will lock in place to hold the car from rolling away on a slanted road.
Can anyone just give me a link on what to buy for the rear? My 2007 G5 has 5 lugs in the rear. Every website when I go to pick the 5 lug rear drum disc replacement, it says "won't fit". Wtf am I missing?
Thank you for watching our video on how-to replace the rear brakes on a Chevy Cobalt. Yes, you are correct you should always wear eye protection when working on your car.
Amazing video! I’ve been watching all the rear brake videos to do my cobalt. This one is by far the best out of all of them. So detailed and not skipping anything. Plus you look like you know what you’re doing and make it look easy too 😉
I just subscribed. Cheers!
Glad it helped!
I greatly appreciate your video. Out of all the videos on here, yours was the best one. I just finished a rear brake job on my 06 HHR and it was a horrible experience. I don't ever want to go through that ever again. The worst part were the main springs. Took two days to finish. Thank you for all your help!
Glad this video helped you out. Steve and I try not to gloss over problematic issues that we run into while creating auto repair videos. That spring can be a pain in the butt.
Great video boss 👍 currently working on a 4 lug cobalt 2008 and this is the most detailed video. You even showed how you took off the drum
Glad this helped you out!
@@HomeownerRepair it really did I finished it and got paid 😎 the e brake spring was a bitch to do with regular pliers but I got the lisle tool 44210 e brake spring pliers and it worked like a dream. I recommend that tool you can find it on amazon or oreillys
Thanks very much for the video, perfectly done! I appreciate the detailed steps, even including adjusting the brakes at the end of the job. Now I'm off to do my 2008 Cobalt. The passenger side is grinding - looks like I'll need at least one new brake drum.
Good luck! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the videos camera guy the best thanks for y'all video because my boyfriend would had to come out of pocket with 300 dollars
The only video that shows you step by step 5 star God bless
Glad to help!!!
Very detailed video.. I like the way he work.. (salute)
Glad you liked it
Awesome video,man. Great cameraman too. He did close-ups every time you said things like "this thing right here".
Thanks for checking us out.
Great job. I'll be doing this on my dad's 06 cobalt. Set up is the same. Seized on drums 😭 least I'll get my good swear game on lol. This drum assembly is a little different from the older styles with that big w-clip. The other video I saw was of people leaving that flat spot clip on the back of the adjuster. I think it's just because they just kept taking on and off the drum till they got where they liked. But I'm going to do it your way as my parents are older and drive it till it breaks ya know. So if things get seized I'll be able to release brake shoe tension. I love the BFH method. This is such a good stress reliever 😂
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to subscribe! ruclips.net/user/homeownerrepair
thsnkyou very good video step by step
Thanks for watching. Don't forget to sub the channel to for more videos like this!
Thank you Sir for a great video
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to subscribe!
Where can I find that bronze looking stuff you were wiping on the back of the drums
Here is a link to it on Amazon: amzn.to/3YA5p5t
#ad
Thanks dude, u's da man!
Thanks for watching! Don't forget to subscribe!
yea this is my 3rd time here and i got it right TY
Hope the video helped you out
If you have a smart phone which I do not and have no desire to. Lay your new shoes down as the would sit while on the car. Then as you remove a part place where it belongs on the new shoes. After all parts are removed, transfer the parts to the old shoes so they look as they did while on the car. Now you can start the installation of the new shoes onto your car. I know but it works for me.
This is a great tip! Also, Brake pads and shoes should be replaced in pairs. You can also leave one side together as a reference point so if you forget how something went together you can walk over the the other side of the car to see where the brake part went. Hope this helps someone out. Have a great day!
@@HomeownerRepair Did that years ago on a car I had with four wheel drum brakes. Only problem was they are reversed side to side. believe it or not. 1965 Mercury Comet.
Phew I almost bought a new car my guy. Thanks. 😆
Thanks for watching.
Love your hameren bud its itsquisite
Thanks for watching
That washer flat spot is a lock washer that comes in contact with the backing plate to keep adjusting wheel from going back and forth which the adjustment wheel just stays in the same position.
Thanks for watching.
Great video! I just replaced my rear pads and drums and everything was great for a couple days then I started hearing this repeating knocking noise when I'm going down a hill and have the pedal pressed a little harder. It doesn't do it when the pedal is pressed lighter. I took the wheels back off and everything still looks good with the pads and drums. I don't know if it's from the brake job or something else. Has anyone heard of something like this happening before?
Just noticed this comment. Did you figure out what was causing the noise?
@@HomeownerRepairI think it was the parts in the kit. I kept the drums, shoes and that w spring and swapped back everything else and it stopped.
Any tips or tricks how i can get the new drums on. Everything is adjusted and compressed to the max position. Cant get it to slide over shoes
Sometimes we have to double check the brake shoes to make sure that they are seated on the backing brake properly. Are you sure you are going the right way on the brake adjuster to suck the brake shoes in a little more so you have the clearance to slip the brake drum back on?
@@HomeownerRepair everything seems normal and in place, i have the adjuster spun right down to showing no threads
Do you have a video of you doing the rear wheel studs?
Not at the current time. We will keep this request in mind if we need to perform this repair.
I couldn’t get the spring back enough to hook the new pads on. Was trying for like 4 hours
Did you try to back the brake shoe adjuster all the way off? This will allow you to get the brake shoes closer together. Hope this helps you out.
@@HomeownerRepair yeah I tried and it was hell the spring wouldn’t even go back far enough
So the final step of the self adjuster with the new shoes....you just have to keep expanding it until the shoes are dragging a bit when spinning the new drum and that's when you know you're good? Having the shoes touch before applying the brake is ok?
Yes, This is correct
May I ask you how do you determine how much to do the adjustment on the drum? Probably this can be
determined just on experience. No other exact ways to know how hard that drum should rotate. I did
one set of rear brakes on Saturn, and tried to adjust my best, but still when they checked at dealer (I
asked them to do so, since was not 100% sure if they are adjusted correctly) the mechanic there said
they were a bit loose. I tried to determine by rotating the wheel w/tire, like some advise, if it does 1/2
turn when you push it with a middle force, but everyone agree that it is very vague definition, bcs what
is a "middle" force? I also want to remind everyone who plans to do that project not to forget to release
the e-brake, bcs I did on that first car and was fighting w/drum for a while, then watched one film, and
realized that it was the e-brake which I didn't release. I also put some cooper Anti-Seize on the face of
the hub, it is good for anti-squeaking. Thank you, very good and detailed film.
You want to put the drum on and adjust the brake so that there is some drag but not so much that it is hard to spin the drum by hand. Hope this helps you out.
@@HomeownerRepair Thank you, this is way more clear approach to determine, than that with a tire on. I'll try this method on the next project for 2003 Chevy Cavalier and see if the mechanic still would need to adjust it. I'm curious, how they determine that adjustment on very expensive cars, it should be some more precise method, than just the fill of a mechanic even very experienced. Maybe they have some special tools or devices. Thank you again.
@@olenaerhardt7725 more expensive cars likely wont have drum brake other then for parking brake. Youre even starting to see those disappear. By nature, if they are adjusted a tad too tight, it wont be long before theyve “self adjusted” the above mentioned adjustment is really all thats needed
Put the vehicle in reverse, drive backwards, and stop abruptly several times. Set and release the parking brake several times. If the brakes feel more even and responsive when you press down on the pedal, the self adjuster is working and you don't need to manually adjust the brakes.
The spring that you took off with the cutters and vice grip, the one that you have to move back in order to get one of the shoes to hold in place. Is it essential? Because when i took of my shoe it was broken off
It should be replaced. If you order a brake hardware kit a new one should be in there.
@@HomeownerRepair That cable is the parking brake correct?
@@user-tu5kk8uv7s , Yes, the cable connects to the bottom right side brake shoes is for the parking brake handle.
I cannot get the spring to compress and I have both sets of pliers that you are using and it won’t even budge. It won’t compress one bit
It's not easy. They are a pain in the ass on this car.
I have the same issue on my 05
Lisle make this handy tool that's perfect for e brake springs the part number is 44210
I used pliers and a flat head, it was still a pain tho
@@markradcliffe9611 Is it ok to drive without that spring? I was replacing my brake shoes and that spring end is broke off
Good time to do wheel bearings too.
It sure is.
My horseshoe spring seems to have broken in half sometime during my driving but it didn't impede on my driving. Can i replace the brakes without having to replace that horseshoe spring or should i just go buy a new one?
You should buy a new one. That spring is there to hold needed tension on the brakes. Hop this video helps you out.
@@HomeownerRepair definitely did you do great work! Subscription added! Look forward to your other vids!
Lmfao @ 10:08....
I really hate how easy you make that look. For an hour now, I've been struggling with it. Brakes shoes completely fall out of the lip when I put that W bracket in.
Thanks for watching
Hello my friend I change the same brake for 05 chevy malibu but when I put the hand brake the tires locked do you know what is the problem
It sounds like you are applying the brake
Not the noise.. just locked the tires
@@omarmorales996 , Yes, that means the PARKING BRAKE is working. When you set the parking brake the tires will lock in place to hold the car from rolling away on a slanted road.
Can anyone just give me a link on what to buy for the rear? My 2007 G5 has 5 lugs in the rear. Every website when I go to pick the 5 lug rear drum disc replacement, it says "won't fit". Wtf am I missing?
Did you try Rock Auto?
I just got an ac delco hardware kit. Same thing happened. 2 right side adjuster brackets. WTH?
It's frustrating.
Im watched another video and he said not to move that flat spot to the front because it is in the way of the spring that stretches in front of it.
The method that we used in this video has been fine.
Good video, but put those safety glasses on!
Thank you for watching our video on how-to replace the rear brakes on a Chevy Cobalt. Yes, you are correct you should always wear eye protection when working on your car.
Do I detect a Maine accent?
New England..lol
Couldn’t ya just turn the self adjuster in a bit while it’s out?? Save some adjustments
You can you just have to make sure you can easily slip the brake drum back on
Horse she spring is not being nice.
This setup is a pain!
2008 has rear disc brakes. You should change the title to reflect that.
Thanks for watching.