Awesome, thanks for the info and the link Darth As far as the P/S - I just replaced the pump and reservoir - they were one of the only engine compartment items that were damaged after the collision. Mainly now I just need to finish the rear drums/shoes (pass side is done, driver side is torn apart just need to reassemble shoes and put on the drum. Scrubbed the wheels while they were off so they are shiny new Also painted the drums silver w/ caliper paint to match and prevent further rusting. I really like how they turned out. I'll be posting a DIY later on for those who were in my situation and never dealt with drums/shoes before. I'm all about tech/DIY articles on these forums and on this one I have really had a hard time finding any! Rather disappointing...but then there are guys like you who will stop and take a second to explain/help those of us in need who are new to the Dodge world. I highly appreciate that. Thank you. I'll keep you updated on her progress!

 

You are welcome! I believe Summit Racing is the place that carries that thermostat I mentioned as well. Same brand too IIRC. Drum brakes are always a PITA one way or another. I hate doing them period, lol. I agree though, this forum doesn't seem to be set up too well for any sort of tech/DIY articles. They just sort of disappear with time.

 

That's a shame about the tech articles - the main reason for an auto forum is for help/instructions and also to make friends with those who share the same love of cars as yourself IMHO lol What good is it if you can only come on here to ask someone in 40 states away what they ate for dinner? ROTFL Just got the cross drilled rotors and new ceramic pads from UPS today - Haynes manual (2000-2005 neon) is in the mail as we speak (all of the local parts stores either didn't have one for the 2000+ neon or only had the old 00-03 version - the 00-05 was published in '07 so I wanted the newest one As far as the drums/shoes, I read on neons.org that you AREN'T supposed to apply the E-brake while changing them!? OOPS - my bad haha No wonder why I'm having a bitch of a time fitting the drum over the driver side shoes...the pass. side slide right on though! Sunday when I'm off from work I'm going to tear down both sides and start all over - this time w/ the e-brake not applied. Coming from always rotors/pads - which are compressed from the caliper & piston, the e-brake is a safety habit of mine - and never dealing w/ a drum/shoe setup, I had no idea. Makes sense now though haha

- Ben -

 

Yeah, no e-brake always helps whether it's disc or drum.

 

Ok so I am absolutely frustrated with the Neon! I, for some reason, can not get the driver rear shoes to fit inside the drum no matter what I try!! and the e-brake IS off this time! lol The pass. side I had work the first time, then took it all back apart to compare the driver with the pass. I set up the driver side shoes correctly! For some reason, they won't compress far enough in - it is as though the self adjuster is keeping them too far apart - not allowing the drum to fit and the self adjuster won't go in any further. I just got my Hayne's 2000-2005 Neon repair manual the other day and reviewed their brake section. I put the shoes back together exactly how they suggest and still - no luck! I'm getting very frustrated

Does anyone have any advice? Have you had this problem before and figured out the solution? As far as I know, the pass side shoes are the exact same as the driver side - they came in the same box. As far as I can tell, the new hardware is the exact same size as the old hardware and appear to be the correct hardware/self-adjusting kits. Please help!

 

Is the star adjuster turned all the way in? If it is still unscrewed out, it'll cause new shoes not to fit since it unscrews (expands) as the shoes wear. This is usually one thing I always forget to check on drum brakes and always do a Homer Simpson "d'oh" when I look down at it.

 

Yea Darth - the self adjuster is already in as far as it will go - the star screw can screw further down then the actual piece that attaches to the back shoe can go (because it is only so long and hollow for the bolt to fit into it) - do you know what I mean by that? yet there is still something I'm missing...I just know it.

I can compress the wheel cylinder in even more - having one side completely compressed in - while the other shoe won't completely compress the other side of the cylinder because the self adjuster prevents it from being able to come in anymore. Without that damn self adjuster it would fit fine!! lol

 

The self-adjuster shouldn't really prevent the shoe from moving since it just sits there when it's screwed all the way in. I'm not following close enough to where I can...help with it. I have an idea of the pieces you are talking about though. I just can't really follow why it can't be screwed in all of the way?

If that really is fine, is the parking brake link seated in the slots? It can pop out without you knowing and it'll keep them from seating in properly. It is that bar underneath the wheel cylinder than simply sits in a slot on each shoe to "connect" them. You also have the longer shoe (material) on the back too, yes? That wouldn't keep them from not fitting, but just double checking as sometimes when you don't pay close enough attention, you can get the smaller shoe on the back, or even two long or short shoes on one side.



Can you take a well-lit picture maybe? Anything like this...a picture is worth 1,000 words.

 

Success! It turned out I had the damn driver side self adjuster the same as the passenger side - aka "backwards" - thus preventing the shoes to sit in their proper alignment. It wasn't until starring at that horrible black & white Hayne's photos that I realized the "gold" piece of the adjuster kit was on the opposite side - the side of the adjuster lever! So no wonder why my passenger side was no problem lol I feel like smacking myself haha

So I present you - the finished product! (The drums were painted with silver caliper paint that you can find at your normal auto parts store (Advance Auto, Pepboys, etc.) I really like how they turned out - especially being the Neon is silver, along with the alloy wheels that I scrubbed up real good. I honestly do not believe she had washed this car once in it's life! Well, maybe through a car wash once a year - but never a hand wash. Well, minus the tiny bit of curb rash - they cleaned up very nice. A little touch of my expensive wheel cleaner and a wire brush and the baked on brake dust problem - no more!


P.S. I will be writing a detailed How-To with photos very soon! To help all of you out that are in the position I was in - being a virgin to the drums/shoes set-up. Thanks everyone, esp. darthroush, for all of your kind help!