By Maryl Joop


Taking care of your own car can be a great way to save time and money throughout the year. Some jobs are difficult and require the help of a skilled mechanic but other parts of car maintenance can be taken care of with only the help of the right tools and a good set of instructions. One great way that you can save yourself a trip to the mechanic is to replace your own drum brakes. Now, this may seem like a daunting task, but if you follow these instructions and have the right equipment, you will be able to get it done without too much trouble, and make a great impression on anyone you tell!

Air Filter Your air filter needs to be changed at least once a year or around 12,000 miles. Paying a mechanic for something this simple should never be done. If you pop the hood of your car and notice that black rectangular box with clips, then you are on the right track to finding out how to change your filter. First take out the old one and remember how the old one sat. Then get a new one and insert it the same way...pretty simple right? Well the filter only costs about $10 and it takes less than 15 minutes.

The next thing you need to do is remover your hubcaps and loosen the nuts on your tires. You also need to support your car with a jack. Remember that it is absolutely imperative that you never work on a car with a jack without another person around.

Next you should spray your wheel with penetrating oil, and grab the brake drum by the edges and wiggle it out. This should get the drum brake off, and you will be ready for the next step. If your drum brake is held in by screws, you will need to remove them first. Now you can inspect your drum brake to see if it needs to be replaced. Remember to take a picture of the drum brake before taking it apart so you can make sure to put everything back exactly where it belongs.

Tailgating is another obnoxious and dangerous driving habit. When tailgating, if the car in front of you suddenly slams on the breaks, you're in trouble. There is simply no good reason to tailgate. Tailgating does not encourage people to drive faster. In fact, most people being tailgated get angry and retaliate by slowing down even more. If you tailgate, you are a bad driver.

If your engine is not starting, you may find that your spark plugs need to be replaced. This should happen every 30,000 miles. It may seem like a big job since it isn't just one of those things that is outside of the engine... we are actually talking about getting in there! Don't be intimidated though cuze all it takes is a 12" socket extension and you should be good. First you need to remove the wire above the first spark plug. Use your socket to remove the old spark plug and then put in the new one. It is just like a game you played when you were a toddler. Now make sure you don't overtighten things. Now you can go on to the next spark plug you need to replace. Make sure you do not mix up the order of the wires there is a certain order they need to be in. That is why it is best to only take on one at a time.

You now need to build the new brake using your pictures as reference, and when you finish it should look exactly as it did in your initial photograph. You can now reinstall your tire and remove the jack. When you have completed this process, you are finished with the production of your drum brake. Remember to keep your car in great repair and find excellent car insurance in Long Beach. If you do this, you will be able to keep your car for a long time, and be certain that you are covered in all situations.




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