I've done my front brake disc's, and pads bought some new drums for the rear of the vehicle, I have found this personally really funny to watch, You have done really well on not repeating yourself. even if this servs as reassurance that you can save yourself some money doing this, com on girls and boyz you can do it?!
you know what? that has made me REALLY happy... it was a real pain in the but... and there wasn't much with detail out there.. Really glad it helped.. please subscribe and like my videos ... that will make them easier for others to find in future.
Make your life easier by getting a brake shoe pliers tool. You can improvise a shoe hold down spring tool using a socket with some masking tape on the face of it and a socket extension to push down and twist. These kind of breakes typically need a initial set up using the access hole on the back plate to spread the shoes out until they grip the drum and then back in the wheel the required teeth as stated in the service manual. New brake shoes need bedding as well which means going 30mph down to 5 mph several times with moderate braking. Rechecking the brake shoe clearance after bedding is advisable. Cheers!
As always great video and clear voice to give anyone with a bit of know how to follow your guide. One of the best video tutorials on smart fortwo owners.
Thank you for the kind words. 😁. The main thing is remain calm. Give yourself time and space. Take photos as you go so you have a reference point of how it looked. Good luck 🤞
Locator plate was installed backwards. It goes towards the back of the car, not the front. I installed it backwards myself but didn't check to see if it works. I took it back apart and installed it like it came out. Thank you for the info. I need a lot bigger pair of needle nose pliers.
@@zenlam5523 well spotted. This was picked up by other I think from memory. Have you seen those pliers with a spur like contraption made just for locating these springs? Not sure I can justify that for something I’d do every 6 or so years lol
Good job...*! Min 25. Is it better too preassembly the complete shoes and springs and bring the complete unit over or to make it part and spring per part?
Hi! Thanks for the comment. To answer your question… possibly but, for me if the tension as you offer it to the hub isn’t always tight then it collapses … you still have to stretch the shoes to make them fit and over the years, this way has always been the best for me. Have a great weekend
I had issues with the complete assembly because somehow the left side was so low tilt towards me too much. Finally the step by step was ok BUT the long spring on top was a disaster. :) But now it's fine. Thanks
The phone is an Awesome tool for working on cars. I changed my spark plugs the other day and noticed the rubber grommet inside of my 5/8 spark plug socket tool was suddenly missing. I used to phone camera to look down in the holes to find it. Sure enough, it was still stuck to a spark plug. Better than a mirror because I could use the zoom of the camera to help me see it.
It’s called the EE Action Camera. It came with a watch that has a screen in it so you can use it as a view finder. Remote start and stop. Way ahead of it’s time. No longer available new
Hi! How could you take off so easy that drum brake? I've been almost 1 hour around it and it didn't even move a millimeter out. The drums of my car must be so spent that shoes should be fitted inside the drums. How can I handle this situation? Thanks for any advice. (2008 Smart fortwo 451 CDI ~ 250.000 Km)
Silly question… is the handbrake released in the cabin? Also tap the outside of the drum hosing. Otherwise. If both are good then you’ll need to try and pry it off by working around the edges a bit at a time
@@smarte.r.1450 Yes, the hand brake is down. I've tried everything. At this moment i'm working around it (so, I've watching you video and others, to see if I can find any solution). I know that in certain situations this is not an easy job, specially when cars are old and the rear drums had never been removed (I think that's my case). Thanks a lot for your help. Bye.
Brakes on my Smart car are binding, car cannot be pushed even when in neutral, handbrake down, so no information on how to screw back the bolt on automatic adjuster.
You will need to prize the hun assemble apart with a slim Jim (small crow bar) sounds like it’s been left standing a long time with the hand brake on. Try giving the outer sides of the drum. A good knock with a hammer all around the outer casing to free it up somewhat. Then pry it off. Good luck
What do you think about doing a engine flush on a smart car I have a 2008 that's bought from a one owner the Mercedes dealer did pretty much everything regular now it has 71000 miles I was just wondering should I or should I not do a liquid moly engine flush treatment on it please let me know thanks
Gary Smith am of the opinion of it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If the oils been changed regularly and it’s decent oil. Leave it alone. I know of owners in Smart car clubs in the UK and USA with engines on 150k+ miles and never done this. Just my opinion. 🤓
Hey hey I appreciate the video I am but that little silver tab I think you called the the locating device as I was changing my brakes yesterday on my smart car I have a 2009 that little piece it fell off so I panicked and I managed to get it back on but as I was trying to get the brake pads back into the drum it flung off and just flew in a direction that I have no idea where it fell do you have any recommendations as to if the car can run without that little piece or if they cannot where I could buy it
Hi. Sorry that’s a real bummer. I don’t know which country you are in but, here in the uk I would pop along to a vehicle dismantler or scrappy as we call them. Take a screen shot of the part in the video. Won’t cost you much. For the correct part name try “evilution” he has a huge amount of resources including part diagrams. Best of luck
When he says it's the master cylinder it is not the master cylinder the master cylinder is located where you put in your fluid usually in front of the car underneath the hood that is a slave cylinder that he's pointing at in between each shoe
Brilliant spot. Thanks for the correction. These are a mind mender to edit and I was CLEARLY not on top of my game. Apologies for the incorrect information and I appreciate the feedback
Thanks for video. I have a Smart fortwo 450 and there I need to grease with copper grease all points where brake shoe have a contact with metal to avoid squeaking noises in brake drum which appeared soon after replacement.
Iztok Šušteršič do not put grease inside the brake shoe housing. If you’ve just replaced the shoes themselves they will “BED IN” and stop soon enough. Putting grease in the shoe housing will not work just be very dangerous.
The auto adjuster small spring on the right shoe should be behind the shoe not in front. It was behind the shoe when you dismantled it at 5:15. You refitted it in front which affects the efficiency of the adjuster.
Ali Grant thanks for the note. Maybe my old brain got confused or I put it right after all as the adjuster seemed to work as it should for a good few months. Thanks for spotting and commenting though
Great video, thanks. Do yourself a favour and get a brake shoe retaining spring tool. I did the needle nose pliers way for decades. With the brake shoe retaining spring tool it is so easy now that it's almost fun to use.
When I made this video I didn’t even know that existed but since then…. I he one. Thanks for taking the time the time to comment. Just it a new ForTwo 453 more videos coming soon.
You are WELCOME! That’s the feeling I’ve been trying to counteract doing these. Btw I come to your amazing country minimum once a year visiting NC SC GA ❤️ bless ya
Great video with the exception that the needed Torx bit to remove the drum is T30 - not T27 as was stated and restated. The result for me was that I stripped the head of the machine screw and it caused a lot of extra work to remove it.
I remember having issues and at the time it was my only vehicle and had work the next day. So I know the anxiety well. I’m glad it helped. Thanks for commenting and have a great week
What does "going agricultural" mean in this context? This is well done overall and full of great hints. One thing I take exception to is using the wire brush around the rubber seals of the wheel cylinder. I was taught to clean brake dust off with a pan of hot soapy water and a decent parts cleaning brush. The brake components, even the friction material, are fine with water and the hot water will evaporate quickly. This method also arrests the brake dust and it won't be such a respiratory hazard, but an N95 dusk mask is still a good idea. Again, great job and thanks very much for your efforts.
Hi, and thanks for the positive and constructive feedback.. 1- "agricultural" is meant as in.. not a great deal of finesse or pondering about being meticulous.... no great focus on detail and precision. 2- I have been doing this, albeit as an amateur for over 30 years, never once have i been recommended to use soapy water... "Brake Disc Cleaner"?? yes, but adding soapy water into an enclosed area with the potential to a) aid corrosion in a steel clad environment & b) and captured moisture will be released under heat from the brakes friction and potentially reducing braking efficiency. Also, soapy water.... modern soaps and detergents have acids (albeit minute amounts) and having that type of element within an area that holds CRITICAL rubber seals to be seems potentially hazardous to the integrity of that material. 3- finally, I am TOTALLY glad you pointed out the man... I 100% agree with you wholeheartedly and it was remiss of me to have forgotten to remind viewers.. BRAKE dust is VERY harmful and I genuinely thank you for that comment.. I wish you well and really do appreciate the comments and time taken to view this material and comment.. your feedback will go into my next upload.. thats going to be when the weather here in the UK stops being so awful... Regards Gareth
@@smarte.r.1450 Thanks for the quick reply! I don't think the term "going agricultural" works too well here in the U.S. though. In certain parts, it may be taken as an offense but mostly it would be met with bafflement. We do have "going postal" - used to describe someone exhibiting extreme sudden anger bordering on physical violence - but the term also seems to be on the wane as times change. 20 years ago it was quite apropos as there were several workplace shootings at U.S. Postal Service facilities. Anyway, I'm glad to have found your content and your feedback. I have one 2008 smart car that I'm trying to keep going a few more years. Right now, I'm trying to chase down why the left-hand (driver's side) side marker light won't illuminate. The rest of the circuit works fine; it includes the turn indicator function. I also found a nearly severed wire to the right-hand front marker light (amber). That's not so critical and definitely fixable but I'd like to solder it for the fix and getting a soldering iron inside the front cavity is a challenge. Anyway, thank you again for putting all this together and offering up your hints and experiences. It is definitely helping out many folks around the world - including me.
You sir are welcome. If you would like one more bit of advice. Please search out Evilution (this is the correct spelling) he has a plethora of detailed solutions and diagrams. Appreciate the kind words. My son is now a US citizen I’ll ask him how he translates “ agricultural” as a term. Regards Gareth
@@smarte.r.1450 Thank you for pointing out another resource. I have been to the Evilution website but found a lot of the information is for the older smart 450 and diesel versions - neither of which were exported to the U.S. I'll check it out again though, based on your recommendation. One suggestion I have for a future video of yours, and it's purely for selfish reasons, is: drive belt replacement. I am still running with the original from when the car was new, and have attempted to change it last summer but releasing the tensioner is the major issue. I also have the separate A/C system with its own belt. Please give this some thought, and let me know what my be possible at your convenience. Thanks again.
Oooh that is a real pain in the ass. I’d need a lift or need to hire a lift or pit .... will contemplate it. It was raining today so no front end removal 😞 keep well and safe in this mad world right now. Happy to have met and spoken to you sir
Perfect ...... I've only done the front pads. ..... Excellent step-by-step over view of rear drum brakes ..... I just need conjure up enough confidence now to give it a go....!!!
Thanks Paul. You are right to be weary…. Only because anxiety levels increase the moment that spring pops off and the shoes collapse and you think where the hell did that go. But the top tip is… take photos as you go and do only one wheel at a stone so you have a reference point. Choose a good day weather wise if outside. Start in the morning and all these little things take away a build up of pressure on yourself.
@@smarte.r.1450 thanks ....... A mechanic told me only do one wheel at a time ... .. worse case, you'll have the other side to reference and see how it's suppose to look completed.
Just did mine. Was a pain since i didnt have proper needle nose pliers. I attached the e brake first then fed the adjustor through to clear the piston then stretched the top spring. The rest i did like the video. Never did like drum brakes but no leaks. Suspension kit goes on tomorrow.
@@smarte.r.1450 well got the alignment and all but the rear brakes have been making a thump noise when braking. Mechanic says warped drums again. So im about to get the THIRD set of drums for this!! When I reassembled i put the adjuster spring on the back of the shoe not the front. Has anything like this happened to you?? I have never had this many issues over a simple thing!!
I have never EVER heard of warped drums on ANY car failing so often. Is there an issue with the brake shoes locking on and creating heat thus warping consistently? Are the drums from the same supplier? If so try a different supplier or a an official USED part from a scrappy or dismantler
Thanks a lot. I did it today, because mechanic was busy until next month. 😊 P.S.: Maybe you know how to adjust handbrake, because mine is almost non-functional now maybe I should adjust the cable.
@@smarte.r.1450 Thank you very very much!!! Also I need to change transmission fluid and fuel filter (I have CDI/diesel version). I found very nice self-service workshop in my city and they also have lift for cars so I can easily get under my car. So I'll be looking for tutorial how to change fuel filter and transmission fluid by myself as well.
hello anyone knows where i should put the snow chain in the whell in smart 450..front or back??thanks..it's my first time driving smart in winter...thanks again...
Thank you for this vid. Adjuster is a bit more intricate than American models so that's to be mindful of. Not sure about removing the hub but I believe I will try this simply to clean and repack those bearings. One particular piece that I don't know exists is that if there is a adjustor port covered with a grommet plug to adjust the clicks. I do know they self adjust so maybe this is a foregone conclusion. Do love your in depth photography. 2014 smart fortwo here. First brake job front and back at aprox. 50k miles. Cheers.
Hi Michael.. Thanks for the positive vibes... It does mean a lot.. There is no inspection port I've seen... I have a look many videos to do but no time.. Really need to get the front bodywork off Stay well sir
@@smarte.r.1450 Good eye on that port then, thank you. I've had the front panels off a couple times to replace a headlight assembly and to replace the coolant fan. However I had the dealer take care of the fan because it required draining and recharging the AC coolant radiator which I didn't have the supplies, tools, or knowledge on that, plus I had a warranty cover that end so thank God lol. Thank you so much for getting back fast. I'll make an effort to make a video of the front and back brake replacements. The front's are easier obviously lol. It's just the same set screw and with a rap of the hammer the rotor falls straight off after removing the caliper. No tricks really. Just slick up the new parts and good to go.
There should be a front brake video. I’ve taken t front off a couple of times but didn’t have the time to do it in detail. Thanks for the kind words keep safe buddy. Nice to hear from a fellow tinkerer lol
@@smarte.r.1450 Ill certainly search your videos on that. I am also planning on upgrading the suspension but that's a whole other project that I plan for the summer hopefully.
Set off this morning with my wheelbarrow full of tools, as the car is parked 200m from my house, on rather infirm ground, with the handbrake seized on. I have all the parts I thought I'd need, but found that the drum is positively stuck on. Four hours hammering, twisting swearing prizing, and it refuses to part from whatever is jamming it. I live near Resolven, but can't find a mechanic locally. Other than setting fire to the car, I don't have a Plan B???
@@brianfreeman8290 I don’t recall a way no. Lookup Evilution. He has a wealth of schematics and drawings and overall advice. VERY specialist is his knowledge. Sorry can’t help further.
@@paulclarke267 very welcome.. possibly the best around infornative person is a content provider called EVILUTION.. he has a website that is massive in detail and knowledge
@@smarte.r.1450 The mechanic wants 500 Euros because "the handbrake is laying on, right side" and wants to replace everything on both sides. With your guide I feel confident opening it up and check what's wrong and if something is broken, then I just replace that part for a tiny fraction of what the mechanic wants :D
