1. Park the vehicle in a safe location and turn off the engine.
2. Engage the parking brake.
3. Loosen the lug nuts on the wheels of the axle you are working on, just enough so you can remove them by hand later.
4. Chock the wheels of the vehicle not being worked on to prevent it from rolling.
5. Raise the vehicle on jack stands or a lift until the wheels are off the ground.
6. Remove the lug nuts and wheels from the axle.
7. Pry off the dust cap on the end of the axle housing.
8. Remove the cotter pin from the castle nut on the end of the axle.
9. Use a deep well socket to loosen and remove the castle nut.
10. Slide the washer and bearing retainer off the axle shaft.
11. Pull the brake drum off the axle hub.
Be careful not to damage the brake shoes or brake lines while removing the brake drum. If the drum is difficult to remove, you can use a puller tool to assist you.
Once the brake drums have been removed, you can inspect the brake shoes, brake drums, and other brake components for wear and damage.
To re-install the brake drums, simply reverse the order of the steps.
