Abstract: A drum brake or clutch has a fixing member, a drum adapted to be rotatable relative to the fixing member, a pair of arcuate shoes disposed within the drum such as to come in and out of contact with the drum, an actuating device attached to the fixing member and having an actuator adapted to act on at least one end of each of the shoes, and a return spring acting such as to separate each of the shoes from the drum. The drum brake or clutch further includes a lever member pivotally attached to one end portion of each of the shoes. The lever member has one end thereof engaged with the actuator of the actuating device and the other end thereof engaged with an abutment member provided on the fixing member.