Rear Rotor Removal-ebrake stuck? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Rear Rotor Removal-ebrake stuck?

03snake03

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January 18, 2005
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City, State
Cin. OH
Year, Model & Trim Level
05 Explorer limited
Ok, I've got a 2005 explorer and I can't seem to get the rear rotors off. Did a search on this site and others to see if I could find out how to get these things off and I seem to get different ideas on how its done. I have beat the crap out of the rotor with a 3lb hammer (using pine 2x4) and it seems to loosen up a little on one side but the other side is still stuck. It seems like the ebrake is keeping it from coming off, so I was wondering if anyone know for sure on 2005 models if there is an adjustment anywhere on the car for the ebrakes. I read one post that says there is a knock out hole at 6 oclock and someone also said they could not find a knock out for the ebrakes. Any help or tips to help me get these rotors off would be much appreciated.
Thxs

:(
 



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if you think it's the ebrake, get underneath the truck around the driver's side passenger seat, disconnect the ebrake cabling, and then undo the cabling at the knuckle. that should release any tension.
 






I recently changed out my rotors on my 2002 and used a different approach to remove the rear rotors. Using a regular hammer, tap the outside circumference of the rotor. Reference the attached photo. I'm talking about the outside-most circumference beyond the slots and crossed drilled holes in the picture NOT the drum area closest to the bolts. Pick a start point and work your way around, maybe a few inches at a time. When I say "tap" I mean wack it hard enough where you are hitting just BEYOND a good solid vibration but not hard enough to dent the rotor. I did not reused my rotors so I didn't care about the old ones but even with my method I never hit them hard enough to make the smallest dent. The E-brake is a very snug fit within the rotor's drum area. This means that the rotor needs to come off "straight" without angling it. The problem with the sledge hammer approach is that you are wacking the rotor from the side of the differential and it is causing the rotor to move where it is hit. This causes the E-brake to get wedged against the drum. Remember, you probably can't fit a piece of paper between the rotor and the E-brake shoe because it is such a tight fit. Using my approach I did not have problem getting the rear rotors off. It took less than a minute each. Good luck!

http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/3624665.jpg

p.s. I did not loosen the E-brake cable nor mess with any adjustments. Also, to make life as easy as possible when performing this proceedure, make sure the E-brake pedal is in it's most upright position by pulling up on it with your hand. In addition, if you grab the E-brake "mechanism" (previous poster, pb3, calls it the "knuckle") just above/behind the rotor with both hands you can try to relieve any cable tension which normally engages the E-brake. I can't remember if you pull the knuckle apart (I think pull it apart) or push it together. It will be obvious which way relieves tension when you look at it. It doesn't relieve much but it could make the difference.
 






When you disconnect your cable you still have to go to the end of the cable that is just above the drum/disc and disconnect that too. It is springed and is still putting pressure on e-brakes. You might even be able to slide these angled pieces of metal out and it will surely free up the brakes. They are not clip in, just held in place by force. If your whacking your discs your going to damage your retaining clips inside. SO your new parking shoes will not sit flush against the back and rub and wear out. For that just go to Rockauto.com and buy the hardware kit its like $15.


I am sure they are stuck because of the slight lip inside the drum surface that the e-brake is hung up on.

You can try to pry the bottom half of the brake drum outwards and slip in a thin screwdriver and see if you can back off the adjuster. Its on the bottom sitting at 6 oclock.

I replaced my e-brakes and all the hardware inside and now they work better than ever.

Good Luck
 






all you need to relieve tension from your e-brake is a 5/32 inch drill bit.

open the driver's door, with one hand under the car pull the ebrake cable toward you or down, whichever works better for you.

Then, with your other hand, take the drill bit and put in the ebrake tension lockout hole in the ebrake mechanism. there is a small hole in the braket itself, which, when you pull the cable down with your hand, will align with a small hole inside. you put the drill bit in so that the inside piece is pinned to the braket and let go of the cable, and wahla, all of the tension is released from your ebrake cables.

When you are done, pull out the drill bit and all is back to normal.
 






Free the rear cable also. It will help if you have a lip inside that parking drum, to get the pads clear. You can then pull them arms they were attached to out. the pads don't park back fully but sit on these arms that the cable attach to. It might release the pads enough to free the drum.


I followed the manual also with the drill bit, but still had to do the extra bit I mentioned.
 






just keep pounding!

I had what appears to be the exact same problem with my '03 xls. I read a lot of posts and I determined the best way to attack was basically the way you are doing it. A lot of pb blaster and a lot of pounding. I was assured that eventually they would come off and they did!!! Yes, the e brake was not helping, it was caught, but the main problem was that the rotors were just tight. I think Ford adjusts the factory e brakes out too far so they wear out during regular driving. There is a star adjustment for the e brake, but on my '03 it's only accessable from inside. My '96 explorer had a hole in the back with a rubber plug that you could take out and adjust the e brake. Anyway, I just pounded the crap out of the rotors and they came off. I also replaced the e brake, which was a major pain (stretching the spring) and now I have it adjusted a little too loose, but plan to adjust it next time I mess with the rear brakes. I like to call it a parking brake now...I hate to think that those little shoes and skimpy pad material would do a lot in a real emergency. Hope this helps. I'm assuming you have the tension off and disconnected the e brake cable as others and the Haynes repair manual suggests.
 






Basic hints...

I did the entire replacement job this summer. First, definitely follow the Haynes manuals to use the drill bit (3/32"?) in the ebake assy to release parking brake cable tension. I did it by using a crowbar and wedging it to stretch the cable while I then inserted the drill bit. Then I removed the crowbar and had a lot of slack. The rotors then came off pretty easily. Buy the entire replacement hardware kit for the ebrakes. Also, buy new rotors along with new regular pads. I sure do hate drum brake assemblies!!!

Tom
 






i don't get it!

i must be missing something here. i have the entire parking brake cable slacked. so i can't gain any more by inserting this drill bit in the hole because i need tension to position the pedal's assembly spring?

when i insert the drill bit it fits sloppily. i can even work the pedal 10-20 degrees.

can i get a witness? ;)
parker
 






There is a knock out in the rear of the backing plate. It is like an electrical box knock out. Don't beat on sfuff. Just get the plug out and loosen the break adjuster then take the rotor off.. The knock out comes out a little hard ford could have used a little more engineering in that area...Oh! Its round.


Dick
 






hi dick, yes electrical box knock out i can handle. those ford holes aren't even meant. i was afraid that if i con't to hit i would bend the sheild all to hell and kiss goodbye the parking shoe mating surface.

NOW, regarding the I DON'T GET IT i mention a couple posts above, i now get it. there is a spring loaded tensioner in the pedal assembly. you pull on the cable underneath the driver's seat, find the slot for the drill bit to sit in and voila as someone said, you've got miles of slack.

THANK YOU TO ALL for giving me more insight than i had. i'll post pics as soon as i get the truck back on the ground and rolling.

parker
 






You have to hit it at 90 deg from the two connecting metal tabs. When you get it out you can bend the plate back. My cable had nothing to do with it.
I just did my emer brakes on the 05..The plug will come out...


Dick
 






My experience with the issue

Knocking out the metal piece in the backing plate isn't as easy as an electrical box - I found that out today. I ended up putting a 15mm socket on the knockout and used a 5" c-clamp (with the other side on the face of the rotor) and cranked it down. With the amount of force it took the c-clamp to break the knockout free, I can't imagine how long I would've been there pounding it with a punch.

What was Ford thinking with this design? With the knockout removed, there's a hole in the backing plate, so why didn't they just design it with a hole in the backing plate to begin with?
 






Ya pretty bad huh!
 






I hate these things

:mad: I am currently working on my emergency brakes. And what a PITA. The rotors came off fairly easily, since my pads had fallen off the shoes themselves, so I guess that was sort of a blessing. But stretching those springs for the shoes sucks. I don't wish that on anyone. Then I left the adjusting screw set at what it was when I took it off, put the rotor back on with a little pounding, and the wheel wouldn't spin. Couldn't get the rotor back off, of course... found the knock out hole to get to the adjusting screw and after finally using a socket extension at an angle so I could have room for a hammer, I finally got the access hole knocked out. Then getting anything on the adjusting screw was almost impossible, due to the clearance factors. Had to get some bent needle nose. In any event, I'm about to head back out and see if I was spinning the adjustment screw the wrong way or not. I hope when this is done it'll be the last time I ever have to touch those things. My friend that works at the ford dealership warned they were a pain, and actually recommended just taking the old ones off and leaving it at that. But I hate to do things like that, so here I am complaining.
 






The whole reason to get the rotors off is to free up the adjuster and screw it all the way in. I guess you didn't know that. If the adj is froze then yer in the poo. I use a good flat blade screwdriver after I heat cherry red and bend it kinda in an s shape to adj the brake star.....Good luck.


Dick
 






Well for me, the whole reason to get the rotors off was to simply replace the e brake shoes that had pieces of broken pad rattling around. As to the adjustment screw, neither the haynes or chilton mention backing it all the way off. It actually mentions using some tool that tells you the diameter of the shoes, and you compare with the diameter of the rotor. If you don't have the tool, it suggests you put the rotor on, adjust the screw till it rubs, then back it off.
 






I know what you mean. For guy's like me who do brakes all the time the rear drum type the adjuster is almost always froze. Another thing always get rid of the lip before you install the rotors. Or get new one's
 






Yes, my adjuster was frozen as well. Rust. I just sprayed it down with some PB and worked it loose, then cleaned it up a bit. I'm sure it will freeze all over again eventually, especially with the new hole I added in the back of the dust cover by punching out the adjustment cover.
 



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Supposed to use synthetic brake grease on the threads and cap and it won't freeze up...never anti sieze on brake parts it doesn't last..


Dick
 






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