Soft or Weak Brakes: If your car doesn’t feel like it is stopping quickly or responding correctly whenever you press down on the brake pedal, you may need to replace the brake shoes and drums.

Squeaking, Rubbing, or Grinding Noises: As your brake shoes wear down, they’ll start to grind against your brake drums. The grinding will create an audible noise that you’ll definitely be able to hear. If you begin to experience any noises when you brake, we recommend getting your brakes replaced as quickly as possible to hopefully avoid further damage to your drums or brakes disc rotors.

Brake Pedal Vibrations: Just like rotors, your brake drums will naturally wear down over time. Whenever they wear out, you’ll begin to feel a vibrating or fluttering feeling in your brake pedal. People will often not think much of the vibrating pedal if they don’t hear other noises, however, we highly recommend getting your brakes inspected if you’re experiencing this for safety and repair cost minimization.

Weak or Loose Parking Brake: The parking brake on your vehicle is often dependent on a firm squeeze between the brake shoes and drums to ensure the car is parked securely, especially when parked on a hill. Whenever there is an issue with your drums and/or brake shoes, the parking brake will feel loose whenever you try to engage it. You might also find that the vehicle feels like it is slipping whenever you engage the parking brake.