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Rear brake job

Thub

Well-Known Member
Joined
August 10, 2011
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City, State
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Year, Model & Trim Level
Late Build 02 V6 4x4 XLT
So i am finally finding time to begin work on my rear brakes and I would like to know how much time I can expect to spend on this job. The rotors look decently rusty and I am going to be replacing the parking brake shoes and hardware due to the constant low speed clicking and poor if any parking brake operation.

This will be the first time I have taken this style of brake apart. I do have a factory service manual for the truck for guidance.

Is there any kind of special tool I should absolutely have on hand for this job, not including standard tools?
 



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This will be the first time I have taken this style of brake apart. I do have a factory service manual for the truck for guidance.

Is there any kind of special tool I should absolutely have on hand for this job, not including standard tools?

They make a "Parking Brake Hardware" removal tool. One end of it helps you remove or install the larger springs (that pull both sides of shoes together) at the top of the parking brakes and the other end has a round like fitting that helps you turn the spring end caps for removal or installation that cover the shorter springs near the center area of the parking brake shoes. You can buy this tool for $5-$8. This tool is not a must-have to do this job, you can still do it using a long screw driver(top springs) and a pair of pliers(spring end caps) and this tool just makes it a little easier to do.
FYI, you may run into a problem sliding the rotors off of the parking brake shoes. On the inner side of the rotor (parking brake area), a ground-in lip forms over time and this can get hung up on the parking brake pad as you go to slide off the rotor. If this happens and from the rust you described on the rear rotors, you will have to forcibly remove the rotors. I'd bet the inner rotor surface and the parking brake hardware are all rusted up. This happened when I took off my old rear rotors and I had to use a pry bar and 3lb hammer to forcibly remove the rotors over the lip I mentioned above had formed. Work the pry bar between the rear of the rotor and backing plate and pry forward moving from side to side. Don't press hard against the backing plate, but find another, harder spot for leverage. You can use the hammer to carefully tap against the front of the rotor surface to loosen up the rust, avoid striking the wheel studs or you can damage the threads. Took me 30 minutes to get the one side off and about 10 minutes for the other. Once you get the rotor to move forward or off a little, you can spray some PB blaster back there to help loosen up the rest of it. May take you some time to get them off but they should come off.
Once you get the old rotors and brake shoes off, you may want to drill out the star wheel adjustment plate on the backing plate, that for some idiotic reason, Ford never tapped out at the factory like on vehicles in the past. Removing this plate will allow you to adjust the star wheel to tighten or loosen the new brake shoes from behind the rear of the backing plate and with the tires on the vehicle. You will have to buy a rubber grommet to plug up the hole when done to keep dirt and moisture from getting into the brake shoe/ inner rotor area. They also sell a "star wheel adjustment tool" as well for a few bucks. Some people use a flat head screwdriver to adjust the star wheel. Also, when you go to install the new star wheel bolt, apply anti-seize compound to the threads of the bolt. This will keep them from rusting up in the future and you will be able to adjust the brake shoes if ever needed. I suggest taking a photo of the exposed, old parking brake shoes still on the vehicle so you can see where the new brake hardware goes even though you have a shop manual handy.
Good luck, the rear parking brake shoes can be a PITA to do.
 






worst part of the job is the rear parking brake shoes can be a PITA.
no special tool needed, I would take pictures or do one side at a time for refference.
 






Set aside a Saturday to do it. I did mine in an evening, but I can see someone getting into it for the first time and really losing a lot of time fighting with it. Honestly, it might be worth it to check and see how much a local shop will charge to do it. I do all of the work on my vehicles, but I really got in a foul mood messing with the parking brakes.

Otherwise, the setup is not as complicated as some drum brakes I have worked on. It is pretty apparent where all of the parts go, so it is hard to get springs mixed up or improperly located. There is a small hole on the parking brake pedal arm. Depress the pedal a little way and you can insert a peg/rod/nail in the hole. This will relieve any tension on the parking brake cable.

With the factory service manual in hand (and a sledge hammer in the other!) you should be in good shape.
 






The parking brakes are a mouse trap. It will take a while to get them back together. Do one side at a time and be prepared for some frustration.
 






I just did my rear parking brakes on a 03 Explorer. Putting the springs back in place was a real project. There is no room to work to manuever the springs around. After 4 hours of fighting these springs without any sucess, I got an extra hand it still tooks us an additional hour to get them back into the hole. I had the correct tools, but it was still a real beach.. I would not recommend a DIY to do this job unless you have some serious patients because it is real frustrating and time consuming,

Good luck
bizzs
 






Sounds like I will be taking a little trip over to a local shop where we usually have our major repairs done, they always do a good job and willing to offer deals
 






I replaced my rear rotors on my '05 2WD back in January.

I had problems getting the rear rotor off, due to not knowing about turning the star thing from behind. Once I did that, it slid off pretty easily. I had a lot of shoe left, so I didn't do anything with it, and just replaced the rotor.

My question is this: Is the parking brake shoe only on one side? I only had one on the Driver side Rear. The passenger side had no assembly or anything like that on it.
 












My question is this: Is the parking brake shoe only on one side? I only had one on the Driver side Rear. The passenger side had no assembly or anything like that on it.

They are on both sides.
 






working on ANY "drum" brake type system is a PITA, LOL... its really no different than any 9" or 10" drum brake, just smaller. I would do a couple reverse hard stops to reset the parking brake mechanism first. If you REALLY use the parking brake that often, than I would bet its an adjustment issue not the shoes that need replacing.

I use my parking brake in my Subaru every day. I have 115,000 on the odo now, my shoes are fine. Its not like the park brake shoes are slowing anything down, they simply clamp to hold. My Harley F150 had 185.000 on it and the original park brake shoes.

If there is an issue with the park brake, its 99% of the time an adjustment issue. Its just not a wear item, realistically.

Rob
 






They are on both sides.

hmm...whoever owned it before me must not have put on on the passenger side then. There was literally nothing there...no springs, no shoes, nothing.
 






ugh.... people who don't understand "axle pairs" on repairs. Just makes my blood boil. Its like buying ONE tire... stupid people...

Rob
 






If there is an issue with the park brake, its 99% of the time an adjustment issue. Its just not a wear item, realistically.
Very true. Unfortunately, the pad material is riveted to the shoe and has a tendency to rust off over time. I had to replace mine when swapping the rotors as they literally fell apart! :mad:

hmm...whoever owned it before me must not have put on on the passenger side then. There was literally nothing there...no springs, no shoes, nothing.

That is not cool. Follow the parking brake cable from under the driver side and make sure that it does indeed split off and terminate at the passenger side caliper in the same manner as the driver side caliper.
 






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