2002 Saturn Vue: Replacing rear brake shoes

make sure the star wheel brake adjuster at the bottom of the drum is turned all the way in, and make sure the slave cylinder at the top is about centered and the shoes are not above it.

need more info---did you have brakes worked on, did it happen all of a sudden???

Adjustment

1. Place parking brake lever in -full released- position.
2. Raise and support vehicle.
3. Remove plug in parking brake shoe support to access adjuster star-wheel.
4. Through the access hole, rotate the adjuster star wheel in the following direction to expand the shoes outward against the drum:
   1. Left brake - Rotate star-wheel toward rear of vehicle.
   2. Right brake - Rotate star-wheel toward front of vehicle.
5. Using an appropriate tool, turn adjuster star wheel until wheel will not rotate (dead lock).
6. Back off adjuster six detents (teeth).
7. Rotate wheel, checking for light drag. If drag is too heavy, continue to back off adjuster one detent at a time until light drag is present. Do not back off star-wheel more than 17 detents from wheel lock.
8. Install access plug.
9. Adjust opposite wheel parking brake shoes using same method.
10. Lower vehicle.
11. Apply and release parking brake lever once to ensure proper operation of parking brakes.

Removal & Installation NOTE The following procedure may be used to remove shoes on either side of the vehicle.

1. Lock out automatic adjuster in parking brake lever.
2. Raise and support vehicle.
3. Access and remove rear hub and bearing.
4. Remove parking brake cable bolt at knuckle.
5. Completely back off parking brake shoe adjustment.
6. Remove parking brake shoe adjuster spring.
7. Remove shoe adjuster.
8. Remove upper brake shoe hold-down clip and pin.
9. Remove lower brake shoe hold-down clip and pin.
10. Remove upper and lower shoes with return spring from shoe actuator.
11. Remove return spring from shoes.
    
    

    Fig. View of the actuator (1), support (2), adjuster spring (3), return spring (4), caliper adapter (5), shoes (6), hold-down clips and pins (7) and adjuster (8)
    

To install:

1. Install return spring between upper and lower shoes.
   NOTE Before installing shoes on actuator, make sure actuator hooked to rear cable is positioned with word -UP- facing outward.
2. Install upper and lower shoes with return spring on shoe actuator located on parking brake cable.
3. Install lower brake shoe hold-down pin through rear of support and lower shoe, then install hold-down clip.
4. Install upper brake shoe hold-down pin through rear of support and upper shoe, then install hold-down clip.
5. Install shoe adjuster. Place end of adjuster with star wheel upward.
6. Install parking brake shoe adjuster spring.
7. Install bolt securing parking brake cable to knuckle and tighten bolt to 21 ft. lbs. (28 Nm).
8. Using Brake Shoe Gauge, Special Tool C-3919, or equivalent, measure inside diameter of parking brake drum portion of rotor.
9. Place Gauge over parking brake shoes at widest point.
10. Using adjuster star wheel, adjust parking brake shoes until linings on both park brake shoes just touch jaws on gauge. This will give a good preliminary adjustment of parking brake shoes, before a final adjustment is made at end of this procedure.
11. Install hub and bearing with wheel speed sensor as well as all components necessary to access it.
12. Lower vehicle.
13. Unlock automatic adjuster in parking brake lever.
14. Perform final adjustment of parking brake shoes

15. 
    Adjustment This vehicle is equipped with permanently sealed rear wheel bearings. There is no periodic lubrication or maintenance recommended for these units.
    

    
    Removal & Installation

    1. Raise and support vehicle.
    2. Remove wheel mounting nuts, then tire and wheel assembly.
    3. If equipped with AWD:
       1. Remove cotter pin, nut lock and spring washer from half shaft.
       2. While a helper applies brakes to keep hub from turning, remove hub nut and washer.
    4. Remove brake caliper and rotor from hub and bearing assembly.
       
       

       Fig. Hub assembly
       

    5. Disconnect vehicle wiring harness connector at wheel speed sensor connector.
    6. Unclip wheel speed sensor connector from spare tire mounting support.
    7. Disconnect two sensor cable routing clips on rear suspension crossmember.
    8. Disconnect two sensor cable routing clips along toe link.
    9. Disconnect sensor cable from bracket on brake support.
       
       
    10. Completely loosen, but do not remove four bolts fastening hub and bearing in place. Once loosened from threads in hub and bearing, push bolts up against rear of hub and bearing to keep brake support plate in place when hub and bearing is removed.
        
        

        Fig. Rear hub and bearing mounting bolts
        

    11. Pull hub and bearing off knuckle and half shaft (if equipped with AWD), then thread wheel speed sensor cable through hole in brake support plate as it is removed with hub and bearing.
        
        
    To install:
    
    1. Position hub and bearing bolts though rear of knuckle and parking brake support just enough to hold support in place as hub and bearing is installed.
    2. Install hub and bearing by first feeding end of wheel speed sensor cable through hole in bottom of parking brake support. As this is being done, if equipped with AWD, slide hub and bearing onto half shaft. Place hub and bearing through brake support, onto knuckle, lining up mounting bolt holes with bolts and placing wheel speed sensor head at bottom.
    3. Install four bolts fastening hub and bearing in place. Tighten mounting bolts to 60 ft. lbs. (81 Nm).
    4. Place wheel speed sensor cable routing grommet into bracket on parking brake support.
    5. Route wheel speed sensor cable along toe link and rear suspension crossmember connecting routing clips where shown.
    1. Connect vehicle wiring harness to wheel speed sensor connector.
    2. Install brake rotor and caliper.
    3. If equipped with AWD:
       1. Install washer and hub nut on end of half shaft.
       2. While a helper applies brakes to keep hub from turning, tighten hub nut to 180 ft. lbs. (244 Nm).
       3. Install spring washer, nut lock and cotter pin on end of half shaft.
    4. Install tire and wheel assembly. Install and tighten wheel mounting nuts to 100 ft. lbs. (135 Nm).
    
    
    

    
    
    

Take a look here:




Many times it is necessary to retract the shoes slightly by turning the adjuster
star (inside the brake drum) to remove the drum.

If the drum is difficult to remove, remove the plug from the rear brake support plate. Push the self adjuster lever away from the star wheel using a thin screwdriver. The lever and star wheel are accessed through the hole on the rear brake support plate. Rotate the star wheel using a brake adjusting tool to retract the shoes.

the shoes may be misadjusted, try jacking it up, and with emergency brake off turn the wheels to see if they freewheel or if they drag-pull the dums off and make sure the shoes are centered on the backing plate, then install the drums again. if they drag, use a screwdriver or star wheel adjusting tool to back the shoes off a little bit.

Behind the backing plate of the wheel look for the adjusting hole . It is at the bottom end and has a rubber plug in it. Remove plug and use a brake spoon of screw driver and turn little gear looking thing inside hole. This will pull brake shoe away from drum. It will turn for what seems a long time but just keep going until it stops. Then try to remove drum may have to use hammer. If not turn in other direction until it stops and try again to remove drum, with a hammer until it comes off

if the orginal drums there might be a lip of rust and metal buildup that needs to be cleaned off. try also backing the adjuster off to allow the drum to go over the shoes, do the shoes look the same as the old ones, just more materal? Don't forget to adjust the shoes back to the drum so you gte a good pedal feel, and the rear brakes will work properly

if you are adjusting for wear you need to expand the adjuster to the point that you can't turn the drum by hand.this is the laymans way of doing it rite.hope this helps

There a rubber seal on back side of brake drum pull it out insert screwdriver there is a thing called star adjuster go from bottom and turn star adjuster up take about 20 turns your brakes have dug in linings and catching on rim but adjusting star adjuster will free them back towards center of wheel takes about 10 minutes good luck

Yes i fixed the problem i had to remove my backing plate and grind them smoth where the brake shoes rub on them then. I put some high temp brake grease between the shoes and the backing plate works great now!!! seems like the backing plate gets grided down by the metal from the brake shoes throug the years.. You will see the metal on the backing plate will have some ridges on them so make sure you grind them smoth