It's tempting to buy new parts...
It's tempting to buy new parts to repair your Mopar, but these days it makes sense to rebuild rather than replace. This month we'll show you how to rebuild your drum brake wheel cylinders yourself for less than a third of the part's store price for rebuilt units.
These days we're all looking for ways to save money, and when it comes to our cars we can usually accomplish this goal by performing routine maintenance. And while the mechanical jobs you're comfortable performing can depend on your individual experience, mechanical skills, and tools, most of us generally consider tasks like oil changes, lubricating the suspension, and replacing brake pads and shoes within our realm of mechanical ability.
Nearly all Mopar muscle cars were equipped with drum brakes, at least on the rear, and since brakes by their function are designed to wear, drum brakes will need routine service to function properly. This service generally means replacing the brake shoes and perhaps having the drums turned on a brake lathe, but can also include replacing or rebuilding the individual wheel cylinders. If you're like us you have more time than money, and that's why you're performing the brake job on your Mopar yourself.
This may seem like a lot of work when rebuilt wheel cylinders only cost about 20 or 30 bucks for most Mopars, but as Ben Franklin said, "Watch the pennies. Dollars will take care of themselves." Wheel cylinder rebuild kits cost less than $10 per cylinder, saving a total of some 50 bucks over the cost of rebuilt units. This month we'll show you how easy wheel cylinders are to rebuild, and you can take your family to a nice dinner with the money you save.
The rebuild kit includes a...
The rebuild kit includes a new spring, hydraulic seals, and dust seals for the wheel cylinder. These are simple pieces that are easy to replace for the average mechanic.
A parts washer is nice, but...
A parts washer is nice, but brake cleaner works just as good to clean up the wheel cylinder and pistons.
As an alternative to a brake...
As an alternative to a brake hone, you can fabricate a tool yourself by cutting a notch in the end of a piece of quarter-inch rod. A piece of sandpaper (600 grit works well) can be doubled over and inserted into the rod, then used in a die-grinder to hone the inside of the wheel cylinder. We've found this method to work as well as a brake hone, and the tool costs very little to fabricate.
Compressed air can be used...
Compressed air can be used to force the pistons and seals out of the cylinder. Be sure to remove the dust caps first and cover the ends of the cylinder to prevent the pistons from flying across the shop.
If the inside of the cylinder...
If the inside of the cylinder is corroded, it can be honed with a wheel cylinder hone to remove the damage. Severely corroded cylinders should be replaced, but most can be cleaned up with a hone and will reseal just fine.
Reassembled with new parts,...
Reassembled with new parts, our wheel cylinder took about 20 minutes to rebuild, at a cost of less than 10 bucks. Compared with the $20 or $30 it would cost to buy the rebuilt cylinder, we'd consider this time well spent, giving us more gas money to enjoy our Mopar.