From what it looks like AutoZone has put pieces of the Chilton Repair Manuals – Chilton Jeep Wrangler/YJ Repair Manual on their site. The down side is that you have to register with their site to get access to it. At least its out there.

Clean the backing plate with a brush or cloth.

Rear Brake Rebuild Kit

The kit I bought required me to press in the pin on the replacement shoe. Just look at the recently removed shoe to figure out which hole in the new shoe to press it in. Luckily I had a large vice to do this. Using a socket and the vice I put the pin in. I tried using a hammer but it didn’t work.

Aligning The Socket

Pressing In The Pin

I put the adjuster screw assembly and shoe spring to the new shoe.

Adjuster Screw Assembly and Shoe Spring

Install the parking brake strut and spring as your putting the the brake shoes on.

Parking Brake Strut and Spring

Put the brake shoes on the backing plate, and install in place using the hold down springs and pins.

Installing Hold Down Springs and Pins

Reinstall the parking brake actuating bar and the spring between the parking brake lever and primary shoe.

Parking Brake Actuating Bar

Install the self adjusting cable, cable guide and upper return springs.

Self Adjusting Cable Guide Bottom View

Installing Self Adjusting Cable With Pliers

Installing Upper Return Springs

I know there isn’t a self adjusting cable in the picture above. I messed up the first time around

Install the self adjusting cam and lowering spring with a pair of pliers.

Check the surface of the new shoes for any grease.

Install the drums.

Adjust the brakes by turning the star wheel outward till the brakes lock the drums. Back off the brakes until the drum spins free by holding the adjustment cam with a small screwdriver and turn the star wheel back.

Once the wheels are back on and both brakes are done, back the vehicle up several times to actuate the self adjusters.

Jack up the vehicle and remove the tire being worked on.

Original Drum Brake

Remove the rear adjuster access plug on the rear drum backing plate and back off the star wheel. This allows the brakes to retract.

Rear Adjuster Plug

Accessing Rear Adjuster Plug

Turning Star Wheel

Remove the drum. There might be retaining spring nuts that have to come off, but mine didn’t have any.

Drum Removed

Old Drum Interior

Unhook and remove the return springs from the anchor pin.

Unhooking Return Springs

Removing Return Spring

Remove the adjuster cable from the anchor pin.

Removing Adjuster Cable

Remove the shoe plate guide.

Remove Shoe Plate Guide

Disconnect the adjuster tension spring from the adjuster lever.

Disconnecting The Adjuster Tension Spring

Remove the adjuster tension spring from the adjuster lever, and remove both from the brake shoe.

Removing Adjuster Tension Lever

Removing Spring From Shoe

Using a pair of needle nose pliers push in, turn and release the brake shoe hold down springs.

Positioning Pliers For Spring Removal

Push In And Turn To Release

Removing the hold down springs and pins allows for the removal of the shoes and adjuster screw assembly. The shoes and screw assembly will come off as one piece.

Hold Down Spring Pin Removed

Old Brake Shoes Removed

The seats, particularly the driver’s seat, were ripped. The driver’s seat was also missing a lot of foam. Unfortunately there isn’t enough money in the $880 project budget to purchase new seats. The idea was to patch up the seats and cover them with an inexpensive seat cover. Here’s the cost breakdown:

First thing to do was clean the seats with some water to make sure the duct tape had a good surface to adhere to.

Cleaning Jeep Seats With Water

The first layer of tape was used to reinforce the area of the seat that got the most wear.

Layer Used To Reinforce The Seat




Finished First Layer

The second layer on the seat was applied 90 degrees to the first making sure to overlap on to the sides of the seat.

Second Layer Of Duct Tape

The real redneckidness comes when I had to fill in the missing foam from the driver’s seat. Only thing handy, and free, was an old towel. This was cut into varying sized strips and inserted where foam used to be. The duct tape was enough to hold it in place.

Redneck Foam Replacement Material

Lastly, a new set of cheap seat covers were installed. I can’t have my pants potentially sticking to the duct tape.

New Seat Covers




Installed Seat Covers

Hope everyone else had a good laugh ; )

New Muffler and Tailpipe

I wanted a little more room so I jacked up the side of the vehicle the tailpipe and muffler were on.

The nuts on the muffler and tailpipe clamp bolts were a little rusted on. A shot of WD40 and waiting for 5 minutes helped unlock the nuts a little.

WD40 Rusted Bolts and Nuts

Removing the tailpipe clamp near the tip of the tailpipe was pretty easy.

Removing Rear Tailpipe Bracket

Remove the clamp on the catalytic converter side of the muffler.

Removing Old Front Clamps

The other end of the tailpipe and muffler were welded together so there were no clamps to remove from there.

The tailpipe support near the muffler took a little more effort. A pair of channel locks allowed me to pinch the support in the middle to maneuver it out of the rubber holding pieces.

After disconnecting the hangers and clamps, I used a 4″ angle grinder to cut the old tailpipe from the muffler. Sorry no picture. There were too many sparks flying.

In order to more easily get the new tailpipe in place the passenger’s side of the vehicle was lowered and the driver’s side was raised.

Raising Driver’s Side Of Jeep

The expanded opening allows for plenty of room to maneuver the new tailpipe in place.

Expanded Opening For New Tailpipe

The new was put in place and attached to the hanging supports.

New Tailpipe In Place

Once the muffler and tailpipe were put in place and positioned the 2 1/4″ clamps were applied.

Clamped New Muffler

Clamped New Tailpipe

Lastly the tailpipe was attached to the rear hanging bracket.

Attached New Tailpipe To Rear Support

I purchased rear-view mirror adhesive from Ace Hardware when I was there last time. It is a two part adhesive with glue and hardener separate.

Rear-view Mirror Adhesive

It was easy to figure out where the mounting plate for the mirror was because of where the tint was cut out. Otherwise it would be necessary to outline where to attach the plate when gluing.

Original Mounting Plate Area

The old adhesive was scraped off with a razor, and the surface was cleaned with soapy water.

Scraping Old Adhesive

Once the area was dry, the hardener vial is snapped and applied with the felt portion.

Snapping Hardener Vial

Applying Hardener

Allow the hardener to dry for about 5 minutes. A drop of the adhesive is applied to the back of the mounting plate, and held against the glass for another 5 minutes.

Holding Mounting Plate

After waiting 15 minutes for the adhesive to dry, the rear view mirror is put on the mounting plate and tightened down.

Screwing Mirror On Mounting Plate

Complexity: 1

Estimated Time: 10 – 15 minutes

Tools Needed:

• T-30 Torx
• Flat Head Screwdriver

Installation:

• When the locking mechanism is unpacked everything needed for the installation is assembled in one piece.

  
  Unpacked Lock Mechanism and Instructions

• First thing to do is remove the bolts and washers from the unpacked lock assembly using a flat head screwdriver.

  
  Lock Assembly Preparation

• Unscrew the latch bolts using the T-30 torx screwdriver or bit.

  
  Latch Bolts

  
  Latch Bolts Removed

• Position the lock mechanism in place.

  
  Lock Placement Area In Front of the Radiator

  
  Placing the Hood Lock

  
  Holding Hood Lock In Place For Next Step

• Using the bolts and washers supplied with the kit, place the bolts with washers through the latch bolt holes and lightly tighten into the lock mechanism body. Note: The supplied bolts are slightly smaller than the latch bolt holes.

  
  Hood Lock Screw In The Latch Bolt Hole

• Adjust the locking mechanism by pushing it back and forth. The key is to not have the lock arm rub the latch, so it doesn’t wear off the rubber, but is firmly in place not allow movement in the latch.

  
  Adjusting The Hood Lock

• Once the adjustment if finished tighten the bolts down, and the job is finished.

  
  Installation Finished