Subaru Legacy Brake Drum Replacement Costs

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

See availability

Customer Ratings

Brake Drum Replacement Service

How much does a Brake Drum Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Subaru Legacy Brake Drum Replacement is $258 with $163 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
1998 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$562.23	Shop/Dealer Price$680.29 - $1007.47
2015 Subaru LegacyH6-3.6L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$567.25	Shop/Dealer Price$689.84 - $1026.05
2012 Subaru LegacyH6-3.6L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$557.23	Shop/Dealer Price$677.31 - $1006.01
2011 Subaru LegacyH6-3.6L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$557.23	Shop/Dealer Price$677.28 - $1005.95
2019 Subaru LegacyH6-3.6L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$577.64	Shop/Dealer Price$698.74 - $1023.65
2010 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L Turbo	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$557.23	Shop/Dealer Price$677.31 - $1006.01
2011 Subaru LegacyH4-2.5L Turbo	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$564.23	Shop/Dealer Price$684.12 - $1012.68
1990 Subaru LegacyH4-2.2L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$527.65	Shop/Dealer Price$644.82 - $973.26

Show example Subaru Legacy Brake Drum Replacement prices

What are brake drums and how do they work?

A brake drum is a heavy, cast iron brake system part that looks like a shallow, several inches-high cylinder about 9 to 12 inches in diameter. The brake drum has a precisely machined surface all around the interior circumference, that the brake shoes make contact with when you apply the brakes, transmitting hydraulic pressure through the wheel cylinder. This forces the brake shoes outward against the interior of the brake drum, resulting in the friction that causes the car to slow. The brake drum is mounted over, and fully encloses, all of the rear brake components such as the wheel cylinder, springs and clips, brake shoes, and parking brake mechanism. The drum is commonly held to the wheel hub by the wheel and the lug nuts, but some configurations combine the drum with the wheel hub as one unit. Nowadays, a drum brake type system is only installed on the rear axle, if used at all, as 4 wheel disc type systems have become more common.

When to consider replacing brake drums:

Reduced braking effectiveness. If the brake drum is unevenly worn, scored or cracked, it will increase stopping distances. A cracked drum must be replaced outright but a worn drum can be restored on a brake lathe so long as enough metal material remains.
Pulsating brakes, pulling to one side, vibration or noise. If a brake drum is warped, is unevenly worn, or perhaps the brake shoes have worn down completely — creating metal-to-metal contact — you might detect pedal pulsation, the vehicle may pull to one side, or you might feel a vibration or hear a noise when you apply the brakes. The brake system will have to be inspected to pinpoint the exact problem.
Brake shoe replacement. Anytime the brake shoes are replaced, the drum must either be resurfaced or replaced outright. Installing new brake shoes on a used, unresurfaced drum will lead to poor results.
Loss of parking brake function. The parking brake locks the brake shoes against the brake drum. If the brake drum is cracked, the parking brake lever will pull up excessively and the car may still be able to roll. However, a more common circumstance is parking brake maladjustment or seizure of parking brake components. Repair of those problems will often require removal of the brake drum.

How do mechanics replace brake drums?

There are two options when it comes to brake drum service: outright replacement or resurfacing. In some cases, it is cheaper to replace the drum rather than refurbish it. In both cases though, the removal and installation procedure for the drum is the same.

Raise the vehicle and safely support it using steel jack stands.
Remove tire and wheel assembly.
Remove brake drum. Sometimes the brake drum has rusted to the wheel hub and removal of the drum will require a brake drum puller. In some cases, the wheel hub is integral to the brake drum, in which case the hub-bearing retaining bolt and the wheel bearing must be removed to replace the drum.
Measure the interior diameter of the machined surface in the drum with a brake drum micrometer or similar measuring tool. If sufficient metal exists to resurface the drum on a brake lathe, the mechanic will compare the cost of such restoration to the alternative: buying a new drum.
Prior to installing the resurfaced or new drum, the brake shoes, springs, wheel cylinder, parking brake mechanism, and backing plate are all inspected. All worn parts should be replaced. Generally, if drums have been replaced or resurfaced, new brake shoes should be installed. The worn shoes will cause irregular wear in the brake drum and reduce braking effectiveness.
The shoes are adjusted and the drum is installed. The wheel and tire assembly are installed and torqued in the proper sequence and the car is road tested to check the operation of the brakes.

Is it safe to drive with a brake drum problem?

No. Should there be a deficiency with the brake drums, stopping distances will not be as short as possible. In a panic stop, stopping just five or ten feet shorter could be the difference between no collision and a collision. Any deficiency in a vehicle’s braking system is a cause for concern and a potential safety issue. Have the brake drums inspected at your earliest convenience to determine if a problem exists and find out what must be done to fix it.

When replacing brake drums keep in mind:

With few exceptions, brake work on one end of an axle should be performed on both ends of the axle. Should a brake drum on one end of a front or rear axle be serviced, or brake shoes on one end are serviced, both sides of the axle should receive the same service. This helps to avoid problems, such as pulling, vibration, and so forth, once the vehicle is returned for use.
Brake drum systems use very powerful springs to keep the brake shoes in position. These springs are exposed to extreme heat. It is best practice to replace all springs whenever new shoes are installed. Should a spring unexpectedly break in the brake drum assembly, a mispositioned brake shoe could cause the brakes to grab and lock, which would pose a safety issue.
If the wheel hub and bearing are integral to the brake drum on your car, the mechanic may recommend replacement of the grease in the wheel bearings and inspection of the wheel bearings.
Since the arc of the brake shoes will not perfectly match with the arc of the drum when new, expect a bed-in period before maximum braking efficiency is achieved.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee

Meet some of our expert Subaru mechanics

Real customer reviews from Subaru owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(345)

Rating Summary

328

11

1

2

3

328

11

1

2

3

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Trevor

33 years of experience

5 reviews

Trevor

33 years of experience

by Janet

Subaru Legacy H4-2.2L - Ignition Switch - Campbell, California

Ian

15 years of experience

133 reviews

Ian

15 years of experience

by Brian

Subaru Legacy H4-2.5L - Starter - Woodinville, Washington

Ian arrived 10 minutes early, removed the bad starter from my 1998 Subaru and replaced it (in addition to doing the overall inspection of the car), all in less than 45 minutes. The Subaru fired right up. The quoted price was the price I was charged. Next time I need work on one of my cars, I will be calling Your Mechanic.

Luis

13 years of experience

50 reviews

Luis

13 years of experience

by Jasmyn

Subaru Legacy H4-2.5L - Trunk Latch - Miami, Florida

Luis did a wonderfully thorough inspection and job fixing my trunk latch. He also gave me a suggestion for a simple, future service. My trunk hasn’t worked in years and other shops quoted a price well over 1K; it works great now and for such a reasonable price! Such a convenient service too being a grad student and not being able to leave campus. Thanks!

Mathew

6 years of experience

62 reviews

Mathew

6 years of experience

by Marcus

Subaru Legacy H4-2.2L - Spark Plugs - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Arrived on time and knew his job

Excellent Rating

(345)

Rating Summary

328

11

1

2

3

328

11

1

2

3

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

How to Install Tire Chains

Winter Winter weather has a reputation for being dangerous and unpredictable. There are days where you would prefer to sit inside with a mug of cocoa and read a book, but life demands that you venture out onto snowy roads....

How to Renew Your Car Registration in Wyoming

The The state of Wyoming requires that all vehicles be registered once per year. Failure to do so means that your car will not be legal to drive on the roads. Proceeds from the renewal fees go to maintaining the...

The Guide to Right-of-Way Laws in Connecticut

In In any place where vehicles and pedestrians could meet, there have to be rules in place that determine right of way. Everyone is under a legal and moral obligation to avoid accidents that could cause damage to people and...

My car sounds really loud when I crank it every morning

Hi there. Not sure what you mean by "extremely loud"; whether you have an exhaust leak (sounds like there is hole in the muffler), mechanical noises (cam actuators have leaked down, and are noisy until oil pressure comes up), worn...

Is the R18 transmission in the LHD car different from the one in the RHD.

Hi there. If your transmission has a floor mounted shifter then there would be no change at all. If the transmission in your vehicle has a column shifter the the linkage would be different. Otherwise, the transmission are the same...

I have a 2000 mecury mountaineer. When driving spots in gears between 30 an 40. There is no back fire just misses.

The transmission has an accumulator spring that may be broken or the shift valve in the control module may have a broken spring. If an accumulator spring or a shift valve spring breaks in a transmission, the shifting will be...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com