Can you change the rear brakes on your car without the taking it to a mechanic?

Yes... if you're a little mechanically inclined, and have a few tools and a jack and jack stands. There are basically 2 types of rear brakes on a car -- drum and disc. Most cars now-a-days have disc brakes.

I would suggest you get a haynes or chiltons repair manual but you can jack the car and remove the rear wheels and have a look or go at it. Inspect the friction surfaces. If it's a disc brake system you can see the disc the brake callliper rides on.It should be clean and not scored.

If it's a drum system you may have difficulty removing the drum to inspect the friction surfaces. There will be a method to release the brake shoes, then you will need to slide off the brake drum. Brake drums are usually more difficult to work on -- they are difficult to remove and have more fiddly parts like springs and retainers.

No matter what you do. It is important to work on only one side at a time! Use the other side if you need a reference as to where the parts go.

The idea is that you want to replace the brake shoes or pads which are the parts of the brake which are designed to wear. If you come across any leaking brake oil either from the callliper or wheel cyllinder or if you discover that the friction material is really worn and has scored the drum or brake disc rotor, you will probably have to replace them. Either way, you can at least start by removing the rear wheels and inspecting the system.

I think the hardest part is really jacking up the car and supporting the vehicle with jack stands for safety. Drums may give you a problem removing, too. But usually it's an easy job.

Get a repair manual for reference and get dirty. I usually wear rubber gloves. If you find you like working on cars, get yourself a box.

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