Removing the Rear Parking Brake

• 1). Park your car on a level surface and set your transmission to neutral.
  
  
• 2). Loosen the rear wheel lugs using a lug wrench, but do not remove the tires yet.
  
  
• 3). Lift the rear of your Subaru using a floor jack and support it on two jack stands.
  
  
• 4). Chock the front wheels.
  
  
• 5). Remove both rear wheels.
  
  
• 6). Tap the drum lightly with a rubber mallet, if necessary, and remove the drum by hand. Sometimes as cars age, rust may accumulate and cause the drum to stick to the axle flange. Also, if the brake shoes are pressed against the drum, remove the backing-plate rubber plug and back off the adjuster using a brake-adjusting tool and a screwdriver. Push the lever off the star wheel on the adjuster using the screwdriver and turn the wheel with the adjusting tool.
  
  
• 7). Remove the hold-down spring assemblies using a hold-down spring tool.
  
  
• 8). Disengage the upper and lower shoe return springs using a brake spring tool. Set the springs and other mounting hardware in order on a clean surface for easy reassembly.
  
  
• 9). Lift the brake shoes carefully off the upper wheel cylinder and backing plate.
  
  
• 10
  
  Disconnect the parking brake cable from the lever using a pair of needle-nose pliers, if necessary.
  
  
• 11
  
  Remove the brake shoes.