My "Brake Bar" came off my drum, can I replace just that?

You will probably have to remove the top springs. Drum brakes are simple as long as you leave one side together. Just jack up the car and pull both wheels. Leave one side assembled and you can do it no problem. I would also get a spring kit too. If that thing fell out you probably need more then just that. A spring kit should be less then $10 and it does both sides. Also there is a spring that goes on the end of the bar that most parts guys won't be able to find, that doesn't come in any of the kits. The Wagner part # is F71846 or F71846S.

If the bulb is clear it's an 1156 if it's amber it's an 1156NA.

You're welcome from your friendly parts guy with 27 years experience.

What brand does you local parts store sell? I can get you a part #. If they can't help you I can ship it to you.

Have you tried Advanced Auto or Pep Boys? That dumb spring should be available. It stretches out just like the rest of them. They have a complete overhaul kit available. It comes with all the springs, that fork piece, adjust ass'y, spring loaded retaining pins (holds shoe), the piece of cable with hooks on the ends, cable guide.

That fork piece goes in the upper middle portion, just below the wheel cylinder. It wedges between the shoes. How bent up is it? If its pretty mangled, chances are the wheel cylinder AND springs are also bad. Especially the lower spring that is supposedly hard to find. The lower spring is what keeps the lower portion of the shoes pressed against the fork piece. Might wanna check your shoes while your at it. Overhauling rear brakes isn't hard. It just LOOKS complicated. Once you know where everything goes, and you have the right tools, it's cake. Get a Haynes/Chiltons manual. They have step by step procedures with pics. Still need help? Post away... I know every bit of how those things go together. I can have it together in less than 10 minutes.

Note - You will need to get a brake spring tool (It's like a pair of tongs that have curved hooks on the ends instead). Use those to re-attach the new springs to the upper center pin. You will also need a brake shoe pin tool. You use it to insert/remove the 2 pins that hold the shoes in place. Both tools are cheap and can be bought at Advance Auto Parts.

As for the bulb, I thought it was 1157?? It's only NA if you have amber colored lenses. If its all red, then its NOT an NA bulb. Those bulb listing books are wrong a quarter of the time. It still shows the improper bulb for the chrome neck map light after 15 years . You'd think they would have revised that. (To date, I still dont know what bulb that light takes. And its NOT a 105!) 3157 I think is for the back-up lamp.

The spring he is looking for DOES NOT come in any of the kits. The hold down/ return spring kit does both side and comes with this.

The self adjuster kits are one per side and come with this

The spring that goes on the brake bar is only available separately. It looks like this.

The job can be done without any special tools. I do drum brakes all the time with a screwdriver and a pair of dykes to grab the springs. You can get the cup off with a regular pair of pliers, but the right tools do make it easier.

Ohhhhhh.. THOSE springs... ah damn I'm sorry I, thought you meant the lower spring that holds the brake shoes together. My bad.

Toronto, you should really think about doing it yourself. Yes, you can get the parts and watch someone else do it, but it's not the same as doing it yourself. If you do it yourself, you'll have confidence that you will be able to do it again. There is nothing like pulling a job off on your own successfully. You gotta get experience man. And you have to start somewhere. Trust me, it's not hard. You CAN do it. Don't waste $$$ by letting a shop do it.

Like MustangLX-5.0 said it's very easy. It can be done with the tools you have. All you have to do is pull both rear wheels and drums and do 1 side at a time, using the other side as a guide.

I knew you could do it.