I've not done the back brakes before, and have a couple of questions.
The shoes have more than 1/8" of thickness. Is this enough and how many more miles should they last?

The brake housing is caked with brake dust, including on the surface of the shoes.
Can I clean it out with brake cleaner without lubing, or will the cleaner wash away all the lube.
I have CRC brake & caliper grease, and am concerned about getting it on the brakes, or is lubing not a big deal?

Can I clean the housing with water instead, and not have to relube the parts?

 

Use the brake clean.. thats what its for.

Might as well replace the brakes since the hard part is done already.

its not hard to re-lube

 

Okay, thanks very much.

Is it okay to use water on the cylinders (to protect them), and brake cleaner on the rest?

 

Dont use water anywhere. Use brake clean and if you remove any lube, then just re-lube.

Brake clean is just that.. Brake cleaner. So use it.

 

 

Thanks much for the help! I used the cleaner and just avoided the ends of the cylinders. The buildup wasn't as bad as I thought.