Drum Adjusting
 

I know there is MUCH discussion about brakes here... It's like Oil changes.. everyone seems to do them, themselves....
I just did the front brakes... New rotors, new ceramic pads.. from Autozone.. Work Great....
Now I MUST MUST MUST ADJUST THOSE REAR DRUMS.... I know you have to do it the old fashion way with the tool thru the hole...
BUT... Which way do I make the little star/adjuster wheel move to TIGHTEN?

I know if I dont get to it soon I will just be throwing my new front brake job away..... HELP!!!!

Ever do something so many times that when you're asked how to do it your brain shuts off?

Well this is one of those times, spent ten minutes thinking about this and you use your screwdriver or "brake spoon" to turn the star wheel on the adjuster "down" to tighten up the brakes. Use the top of the adjustment hole as your fulcrum then push the star wheel down one click at a time.

Hope this helps, sorry it took my brain so long to translate what's become an "automatic" function into words.

I would have had to go under the car to figure it out.... Up, down.... crap... I still would need to get under the HHR to remember though. Instead of a screwdriver though, I used a "spoon" specifically made for the Ford Focus & works great.

Same thing, different perspective. With an "L" shaped spoon and sitting outside of the wheel and using the "top" of the hole as a fulcrum... pull the top leg towards your face.

In more words: if you are standing behind the car the star "tightens the brakes" on the passenger side counter-clockwise, on the driver side clockwise. Assuming you were born when "clockwise" meant something.

Precisely Donbrew-

"if you are standing behind the car the star "tightens the brakes" on the passenger side counter-clockwise,

on the driver side clockwise".

But if you've never had the drums off, now would be a great time for a visual inspection, & to clean out the excess brake dust & spray off the brake shoes & etc..

Don't use air to blow the dust off..(protect yer lungs)..

You could even use a spray water bottle, if you don't have any Brake-Kleen spray on hand..

quick and dirty..find a level and straight place....back the car at a not so agressive speed and firmly apply brakes..pull fwd and try them..or gage it with the parking brake lever ( the tighter they adjust the less the handle moves)..repeat as necessary untill yor happy, they wont over adjust...only bad thing is you do not perform a visual on brake condition..I do this with other vehicles too..especially my truck before I get to pulling the camper around....works well if the brakes are in decent shape....actually this is how they normally adjust anyways,unless you rarely back up, in which case they see little adjustment.

That is how it's supposed to work.. But certainly not always on an hhr.

X 2 Emphatically! Nobody told our beloved HHR's how its supposed to work.

I guess they (the HHRs') didn't get the memo..

I think its because they can't read, all three of mine don't seem to be able to figure out what speed limit signs say. :wink: