The drum brake hardware kit for Subarus doesn't include the adjusters!

[slacktide_bitog]

Aren't those adjusters usually included in those drum brake hardware kits? And why don't they include them for the Subaru drums? I contacted a few of the companies that sell them, and I never got a response from any of them. They're probably all the same kit made by the same company that everyone reboxes

They look like the adjusters for any other cars' drum brakes, though Subaru used different adjusters for the right and left sides.

Can you reuse the adjusters? Subaru charges $25 each, so $50 for both sides.

It's a first-gen SF Forester in my case.

The adjusters look like this:

 

[dishdude]

I've never seen adjusters includes in a hardware kit, just the springs and hold down pins and clips. Usually just clean and lube the adjusters unless they're in rough shape.

 

[Hirev]

I've also never seen adjusters included in a hardware kit. Just clean them up well. Never had to replace an brake adjuster

 

[bdcardinal]

They should be in a pro-kit. Otherwise you just clean, lube, and re-use the old ones.

 

[Timmastertech]

Adjusters for drum brakes are never included in the stardard hardware kit. Adjusters are in the adjuster kit, different part number for each side. On drum in hat parking brakes the adjusters are generally part of the hardware kit. I generally only replace adjusters if very worn or seized or I need other parts of the adjuster kit.

 

[IndyIan]

The adjusters weren't included with my Focus rear drums either, and I don't think Ford carries anymore? I just cleaned them up with some rust converter, lubed the mechanism and called it good, and it was.

 

[Chris142]

No. Adjusters are always sold separately.

 

[Trav]

As long as the threads are not rotten just take them apart, clean them and use a little never seize on the threads. The only kits that include the adjuster for these cars from what I have seen are the kits for the parking brake shoes.

 

[CleanSump]

Never been in any kit I bought since the 1970s unless it was a more expensive "all-in-one" kit that included shoes, springs, retainers....

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Wow. I never realized Subaru had a drum option on SF Foresters. My L had 4 wheel discs.

Like everybody else said… clean them up, wire brush if needed, lube them up and stick them back in.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I honestly didn't know that adjusters usually aren't included in these kits. I swore basically every hardware kit included the adjusters

Thank you everyone for letting me know that reusing them usually isn't a problem

Wow. I never realized Subaru had a drum option on SF Foresters. My L had 4 wheel discs.

Like everybody else said… clean them up, wire brush if needed, lube them up and stick them back in.

Drums were available on both the SF and SG

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

The adjusters for the ..... parking or emergency brakes are usually not replaced. Those are not traditionally sold in the reline kits.
Most folks never need to replace one unless it has been damaged in some way. I never had to use a new one on any brake job.
Plus have never seen a replacement kit come with a new one ever. One must likely have to order that separately.

 

[D60]

To put it in welding terms, I'd say they're considered more of an expendable than a consumable.

Very rarely are they included, although I was just shopping for an '01 SportTrac and you can get a "super" kit that includes adjusters.

As an aside, I also noticed some hardware kits for discs may include slide pin boots while others do not. IOW, it's all over the map and there are no hard & fast rules, esp in the aftermarket (I'm usually looking at RA and O'Reilly)

Fortunately with the information age pictures are usually accurate so take a second to eyeball the kit image.

 

[paulo57509]

I've never seen adjusters in hardware kits either. The LH and RH adjusters are different because of the way they operate.