Brakes squeal loudly when wet

[rrules]

My brakes on my 1999 LX make a loud squealling noise when it is wet outside. NAy ideas?

[mischiefmaster]

I had this problem on my 96, and found the brake shoes were glazed.
You can check your shoes/pads and see if they are glazed or worn. If worn, get the best soft shoes/pads you can buy ($14.00 at Auto Zone) to replace them. If the shoes/pads still have some life to them, you can take some sandpaper, and sand of the 'glaze'. Vua-la

[fcrew]

If your de-glazing the shoes or replacing them don't forget to give the drums a sanding to clean them.

[ricstone]

how do you get the drums off??

[12Ounce]

The drums can be a real "pain" to get off the first time. The problem is that the drum and the hub "rust together" very soundly.

First remove the wheel. Place something hard, such as a brick or concrete block, beneath the bottom of the drum. Bring the van body down so the spring compresses sllightly ... putting some weight on the drum.

Spray the drum where it joins the hub with "Rust Buster" or some similar penetrating spray. WD40 will work, but not quite as well. Also spray around the wheel studs. Several applications may be needed. The longer you let it soak ... the better. Overnight is very good.

Finally, while the drum still rests upon the brick or whatever, give it a good whack ... on the upper edge ... with a hammer sticking downward.

You may also have to back off on the adjusting screws ... but this is usually not required.

... when you reassemble everything, be sure to apply a good hi-temp grease to all the drum-hub mating surfaces. Makes it a snap for later work.