Drum brakes are mostly found on older vehicles or sometimes on the rear of certain newer vehicles. Anti-lock and caliper brakes have taken the place of most drum brakes. Still, if your vehicle is equipped with drum brakes, the brakes are probably brown and rusted looking. Painting drum brakes makes them look much better and protects them from rusting further. Learn how to paint drum brakes and make your brakes look like new.
Park your vehicle on a flat surface, preferably on concrete, and engage the parking brake. Use the tire iron to slightly loosen each lug nut. Place the jack under the frame of the vehicle, near the wheel that you are painting first. Jack the vehicle up high enough so that the tire is at least an inch off of the ground. Put a jack stand under the frame, near the jack, to safely hold the vehicle up.
Loosen and remove all of the lug nuts. Take the tire and wheel off of the vehicle and place them out of the way.
Spray the entire drum brake with brake parts cleaner. This removes dirt, grease, rust and other contaminants that may be on your brakes. Spray the cleaner until the dirt runs off. There is no need for wiping since brake parts cleaner is very strong and knocks the contaminants off very quickly. The cleaner will evaporate within minutes.
Place masking paper on the surrounding surface of the car so overspray is avoided. Place masking tape over the bolts that hold the wheels in place. These bolts are coming straight off of the drum brakes and the lugs won't fit back on them if they're coated with paint.
Spray a total of three or four coats of caliper or high heat paint on the drum brakes. Caliper paint is best because it resistant to brake dust and automotive chemicals. If caliper paint isn't available, high heat paint can work as well.
Remove the masking tape and paper after the last coat of paint is sprayed. Allow one hour for the last coat of paint to dry before replacing the tire and wheel and lowering the car back to the ground.
