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Just venting...

I do 90% of the work myself, but PARKING brakes on ours are a hassle due to particular setup ...I found a guy who would do complete job for $40 labor so I bought the pads (cheap) and said "go at it !"
 



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I do 90% of the work myself, but PARKING brakes on ours are a hassle due to particular setup ...I found a guy who would do complete job for $40 labor so I bought the pads (cheap) and said "go at it !"
We have a local, non-franchise shop nearby that I have used for years to do the repairs I don't want to do myself and they have no issues with me bringing them the parts. Many shops don't allow this because they jack up the price on parts they use and claim it is to cover their warranty. Last time I looked the parts they buy already come with a warranty so why charge me for it again?
 






I do 90% of the work myself, but PARKING brakes on ours are a hassle due to particular setup ...I found a guy who would do complete job for $40 labor so I bought the pads (cheap) and said "go at it !"
Good deal! I've no idea of the parking brake setup on my 98. Would like to try to see if it works as is, but fear it locking up (don't know if they do it, my experience was with 70s cars.)
 






Good deal! I've no idea of the parking brake setup on my 98. Would like to try to see if it works as is, but fear it locking up (don't know if they do it, my experience was with 70s cars.)
Imagine two tiny brake shoes crammed into a tiny, hard to access space and that is what you've got for parking brakes. I have done this twice and both times I cussed like a drunken sailor that found out his wife has been screwing around on him. I don't know if I'll ever do it again. IMO, there is good reason to pay someone to do it.
 






Imagine two tiny brake shoes crammed into a tiny, hard to access space and that is what you've got for parking brakes. I have done this twice and both times I cussed like a drunken sailor that found out his wife has been screwing around on him. I don't know if I'll ever do it again. IMO, there is good reason to pay someone to do it.
as someone who did it with the power stop springs, not just the factory ford springs, it was hard hard hard 3/10 would not reccomend much. that said, wasnt the hardest thing, but most certainly not easy
 






as someone who did it with the power stop springs, not just the factory ford springs, it was hard hard hard 3/10 would not reccomend much. that said, wasnt the hardest thing, but most certainly not easy
I have replaced a lot of drum brakes over my life. My first car, a 1971 Nova, had drum brakes at all four corners. Then a 1966 GTO had them. My 1989 Mustang has them in the rear. Then the worst PITA of all drum brakes is in the rear of all 2nd, 3rd and 4th gen Explorers/Mountaineers. I just did the ones on the 2010 less than a year ago and maybe I'll die, or not own it, before they have to be done again. :banghead:
 






I do 90% of the work myself, but PARKING brakes on ours are a hassle due to particular setup ...I found a guy who would do complete job for $40 labor so I bought the pads (cheap) and said "go at it !"
$40 for replacing parking brake pads??? Here they charge about as much for repairing a flat in a bicycle tire, and our cost of living is still lower than Orange County, CA.
 






Can someone show an inside picture of the Gen 2 rear rotor area where the little brake shoes are? I've only had the back wheels off of mine long enough to install new pads even though they weren't entirely needed...
 






Can someone show an inside picture of the Gen 2 rear rotor area where the little brake shoes are? I've only had the back wheels off of mine long enough to install new pads even though they weren't entirely needed...

 






Man, y'all are really making me look forward to doing my trucks rear drums eventually lol
Always hear nightmare stories about drums, and it seems to never end, I'll do mine eventually and have a taste of it.
 






Man, y'all are really making me look forward to doing my trucks rear drums eventually lol
Always hear nightmare stories about drums, and it seems to never end, I'll do mine eventually and have a taste of it.
The thing that really irks me about the crappy parking brake design is that Ford used it for THREE GENERATIONS of Explorers and Mountaineers over a fifteen year period. When they redesigned the rear suspension for the 3rd gens why couldn't they spend a tad more effort and design a parking brake that was easier to maintain?
 






Back when I researched it, came across a different YT video, don't know if it's the best one out there but another source of info at least, also shows the new components off the vehicle:

 






Back when I researched it, came across a different YT video, don't know if it's the best one out there but another source of info at least, also shows the new components off the vehicle:


Great vid
 






When I got the Mystery Machine in April 2018 the parking brakes did not work at all. That was a big problem since it's parked at the top of my steep driveway. For the first few weeks I put blocks behind the rear wheels to be safe, then finally took it into a local, supposedly trustworthy shop for diagnosis. They said "oh, you need new brakes all around". Hmm, ok, well I hadn't put any money into it yet so if this is all it needs... of course, that was followed a week later by the starter and a few weeks after that by the fuel pump. Had I known, I would have done the brakes myself since I can do those, but don't want to mess with fuel pump/tank.

Fast forward 4 years and lots of knowledge gained from this forum. I just replaced the upper control arms and all the pads myself (rears getting thin) and checked the parking shoes while I'm in there. No F'ing way those were replaced 4 years ago. They were cracked, rusty as hell, and one of them had a big section of pad completely missing. They look like they are probably the originals. So I paid for "brakes all around" and basically got new pads and a professional to turn the parking brake adjuster?

Anyway, just now replaced the shoes. I won't say the parking brake is working any better or differently than before, but I sure feel better.

View attachment 434656
I dont want to defend any crooks. My wife has done that to me several times by driving off with the parking brake on. Overheating the steel makes it prone to rust fast, cracks the shoes and drasticly shortens their life.
 






I dont want to defend any crooks. My wife has done that to me several times by driving off with the parking brake on. Overheating the steel makes it prone to rust fast, cracks the shoes and drasticly shortens their life.
Then blames you for using the parking brake when you say something about it? You don't have to answer, I'm just venting too...
 






Then blames you for using the parking brake when you say something about it? You don't have to answer, I'm just venting too...
No, its usually her. When I use the parking brake I set it hard enough the car doesn't want to move. We dont blame each other for things like that it happens. Now if I leave an empty milk jug in the refrigerator ....
 












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