How to Change Honda 420 Rancher Rear Brake Shoes
Replacing the rear brake shoes on a Rancher 420 Honda ATV requires some disassembly on the rear wheel in order to get to the brakes. Because of the extra work it takes, you might as well replace the O-rings and seals that keep water and dirt out of the housing.
Watch the video above and follow the steps below to learn how to replace the rear brake shoes on a Honda Rancher TRX420 ATV. Use our Honda Rancher 420 rear brake diagram for additional reference.
Tools and Parts - Honda Rancher 420 Rear Brake Shoe Replacement
- 8mm, 12mm, 17mm, 30mm sockets
- Ratchet
- Torque wrench
- Large adjustable wrench
- Flat-blade screwdriver
- Needlenose pliers
- Soft-blow hammer
- Pick tool
- Breaker bar (optional)
- Contact cleaner
- Race grease
Honda Rancher 420 Rear Brake Shoes Replacement
Step 1. Put the ATV on a jack and remove the 17mm lug nuts on the right rear wheel, followed by the wheel itself.
Step 2. Remove the castle nut and cotter pin that hold the hub in place.
Step 3. Remove the 30mm castle nut and the hub.
NOTE: Use something to hold the hub in place. A pry bar can be used, but you’ll need to wrap electrical tape around the studs or replace the lug nuts to protect the threads on the wheel studs.
Step 4. Use a marker to draw a line across the two bolts under the hub. This helps get the bolts back to the same torque when reassembling everything.
Step 5. Remove the pinch bolts. Don’t lose the small washer behind the pinch bolts.
PRO TIP: Have someone apply the rear brake to keep the axle from turning. These bolts can be tough to loosen, as dirt and moisture in the threads can cause them to almost seize up. Use penetrating oil to help break the bolts free.
Step 6. Remove the two 12mm bolts holding the plate that protects the brake assembly, followed by the plate itself. The bolts are underneath the plate, in the front and back.
Step 7. Remove the large washer in the middle.
Step 8. Remove the six 8mm bolts holding the outer housing in place. Use a flat-blade screwdriver to pry the housing off.
Step 9. Back out the brake adjusters by loosening the wingnuts counterclockwise to give yourself more room to work inside the brake drum.
Step 10. Remove the brake drum.
NOTE: You can pry a little bit at the brake drum, but be very careful, as the aluminum bends easily.
Step 11. Clean up the axle and the inside of the brake drum with contact cleaner.
Step 12. The brake shoes are held in place by a plate that rides on top of two studs. Two cotter pins keep the plate secure on the studs. Remove the cotter pins so you can pull the plate away.
Step 13. Walk the two brake pads off of the studs by leveraging a flat-blade screwdriver behind the plates.
Step 14. Use contact cleaner to remove brake residue from the back of the brake drum.
NOTE: Wrap a towel around the axle to avoid getting contact cleaner inside the bearing. The contact cleaner splashes back, so wear safety glasses to protect your eyes.
Step 15. Use a screwdriver to pry loose the dust seal around the axle.
NOTE: If you just want to replace the brake shoes, skip ahead to Step 17.
Step 16. Replace this dust seal with a new one by re-packing the new seal with grease, then positioning it by hand around the axle. Use a soft-blow hammer to drive the seal into place until it’s flush.
Step 17. Add a little grease to the studs that the new brake shoes ride on inside the drum.
NOTE: Don’t overdo it on the grease, as grease in the wrong place in brakes will inhibit their performance.
Step 18. Install the new brake pads by pulling them apart to get the holes in the pads to line up with the studs. The other side of the pads ride on the dark colored tab on the left between the two semi-circular pads.
PRO TIP: A soft-blow hammer might work here to walk the shoes onto the studs.
Step 19. Replace the plate over the two studs, then replace the cotter pins through the studs that hold the plate in place. There is one cotter pin for each stud. Once they’re in place, bend them to secure them.
Step 20. Apply a little grease to the inside opening on the brake drum, where the axle passes through. There are splines in this opening, and greasing them now makes it easier to disassemble later on.
Step 21. Pry out the seal on the outside of the drum in order to replace it.
PRO TIP: This may not be necessary on your unit, but with all the work required to get to it, it’s best to just replace it.
Step 22. Position the drum by sliding it onto the axle, then slide the seal ring into place.
PRO TIP: Use the washer to press the seal into position.
Step 23. Grease the outside of the collar.
Step 24. Remove and replace the O-ring around the outside of the brake drum. Use a pick tool to lift it out of its groove, then replace it and apply a little grease to the O-ring and the surface on either side of it.
Step 25. Replace the seal in the outer cover. Position the cover face down resting on a couple of blocks to create a gap so you can push out the old seal with a punch. Flip the cover over and seat the new dust seal in with a soft-blow hammer.
Step 26. Grease the outer cover to get it ready to install. Pack grease around the opening where the axle passes through, then apply a light coat of grease around the inside rim of the cover.
Step 27. Slide the cover into place, then reinstall the six 8mm bolts that hold it in place.
Step 28. Slide the large metal washer into place, followed by the smaller washer that sits in the middle of the larger plate.
Step 29. Install the pinch bolts. Tighten the inner bolt (the one closest to the cover) to 29 foot-pounds.
PRO TIP: Honda makes an axle nut holder wrench and axle nut torque adapter to help you achieve the correct torque settings. See diagram below.
Step 30. Reinstall the outer pinch bolt and torque it to 94 foot-pounds. You can use the special tool setup above, or reinstall the hub, hand-tighten the castle nut, spin a couple of lugs in place to protect the threads on the studs, and wedge in a prybar to prevent the axle from turning.
Step 31. Tighten the 30mm castle nut to 101 foot-pounds. Leave the prybar wedged in to keep the hub from turning. Next, replace the cotter pin. If the holes don’t line up to insert the cotter pin, give the castle nut a little more torque, then bend the cotter pin to hold it in place.
Step 32. Reinstall the plate underneath the rear brake housing. It’s held in place by two 12mm bolts.
Step 33. Tighten the wingnuts clockwise until you have about a half-inch of play up at the brake lever. Next, adjust the hand brake to match up with that adjustment.
NOTE: It’s important to give yourself some play in the brakes. Otherwise, they could be engaged and heat up, which can prematurely wear or seize them up.
Step 34. Replace the wheel, then tighten the lugs to 47 foot-pounds and you’re done.
