Rear brake problem on '04' Explorer Limited

[bocksing]

Hi everyone, I'm new on this web site and I have a problem that I can't seem to find an answer to. I am doing my back brakes on my '04' Explorer Limited. Getting the disc brakes on does not look like it will be a problem but the parking brake looks like another story. I have gotten one clip and one spring on but having trouble with the other clip and spring. Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

bocksing

 

[jrford]

hardest part is getting the poo thing off. So its all striped down and your putting it back together?
Really you need 4 hands to do it . . .lol.

Try putting the spring on first then pry them over the mounts sometimes works for me. Another tip is mount the pads first then using needle noise pliers pull the spring to its mounting hole. They actually had many years ago a special tool to pull the spring, in the days of rear drums.

 

[gnzth01]

Get the clips snapped in before you put the springs on.

I tried getting the pins in for over an hour and a half before I ended up just unbolting the bolt that holds the hub assembly and lower arm together. It's right under the hub. Once I got the assembly seperated, I was able to raise it enough to fit my hands so I could line up and push the pin in. Relatively speaking, it was pretty easy to snap that second clip in.

Make sure you have a spring kit on hand. 1 of my springs broke, and both star wheel adjusters were totaly seized with rust. So I had to special order the kit and take everything apart again.

Wasn't even planning on doing the parking brakes, but all 4 pads delaminated when I took the hub off. Really stupid design if you ask me...

Hope that helps

 

[bocksing]

thanks for the info!!!! After a lot of time I finaly got those darn pins back in without taking off the hub. But I do think it would have been faster if I had taken them off. My brake adjusters were okay fortunately!! By the way, what size is that nut that you have to take off to get the hub off?

I do appreciate you answering my question.

 

[jrford]

This would be the tool i'm talking about, might make it easier . . .imo.
Lisle 11260 Double Ended Brake Spring Pliers

 

[gnzth01]

thanks for the info!!!! After a lot of time I finaly got those darn pins back in without taking off the hub. But I do think it would have been faster if I had taken them off. My brake adjusters were okay fortunately!! By the way, what size is that nut that you have to take off to get the hub off?

I do appreciate you answering my question.

I didn't actually take the hub off. I just seperated it from the lower arm. I THINK the nut was like 20mm and the bolt was 18MM or something like that. I just found a wrench for one end that fit, and a socket that fit the other end, and zipped the nut off with my impact gun. I can go look if you'd like.