Information on the Rear Brakes
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Contributed by Mike Keller
Keep an eye on them. Check them anytime the rear tires are off and make sure you check both sides. Its not uncommon to get anywhere from 70,000-100,000+ miles out of a set of rear shoes on a highway driven vehicle. City driving and towing will obviously shorten up shoe life.
The key is a regular inspection, cleaning, adjustment and lubing of the adjusters and a cleaning and lube on the 'pads' where the shoes ride on the backing plate. Make sure the adjusters are working correctly and that the E-brake cables are not binding and preventing the shoes from retracting completely from the drum. You should have a very light drag on the wheel. The drag should also be somewhat equal on both sides. For many of us here in the salt belt, once the OEM exhaust and E-brake cables are shot its usually an annual to bi-annual trip to the muffler shop for a new exhaust and an E-brake cable replacement. I try to clean the front caliper slide runs (or pins depending on design) and service the rear brakes annually, usually in the spring after all the salt and slop is off the roads for the year.
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In the ford manual it instruct us to; If the rear disk binds on the rear parking brake shoe and linings, remove the adjustment access plug and contract the parking brake shoe lining.
Remove the rear brake disc.
