Additonal brake question Jim W!

Hello Jim and anyone else who might have answer.

Fist off, sorry to post this as a new thread, but I wanted to make sure folks saw it.

I went ahead and changed the shoes - so far the left ones (Boy, there's hardly any wear compared to the new shoes I'm putting on - just the slight gap where the one rivet is lose). I could have gone

200,000 on these original brakes.

One possibility dumb question though. When I reinstall the brake retractor springs, the only way I can figure to get them back on is bringing them both around UNDER the pin. The right side has them BOTH hooking over the top of the pin (that way from the factory). Oddly, The Haynes book and Ford shop manual - both of which happen to show the left side - have the rear pin hooking around from the bottom and the front one hooking over the top. There doesn't seem any way to orient that front spring to get it anchored into the hole on one side and hooking it over the top of the pin. I'm using a new hardware kit, but it seems to be the same as what I took off the vehicle. I just don't remember how the springsg were oriented before I took them off.

So is it correct the way I have it? Does it matter? Or am I doing somthing wrong?

Incidentally, the parts store guy said I didn't need the spring removal/replacement tool (the forceps-looking things). Big mistake. Getting the springs off and on is torture using needle-nose Vice Grips.

Also, I just discovered that when the dealer removed the drum to inspect the vehicle last year, the technician (I use the term loosely) left the little screw-on washers off the studs. So now I have three of them on the right and none of the left. I hate when they do sloppy work!!!!

Anyway, bruised knuckles and hands and a slightlys ore back later, it's going pretty well.

Thanks for your help!!!

Regards, Anthony Giorgianni

Reply to
TonyG
Loading thread data ...

I think someone put the springs back on the wrong side at some point or upside down. I sent you an email with some pages from the manual showing the rear brakes. One spring goes over and the other goes under according to the pictures.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

Thanks for the email. That's how the left side looks in my books as well. But there's is no way to position the spring to get it that way. I'll try again. I don't remember how they were on the left side when I took them off, but I know for sure that the right side had them both over the top!!! I bought the truck new and never changed the brakes. I swear O) Mine hads a manual tranny and I plan my stops, so I hardlly ever use the brakes. except for the emergency brake/.

I did make an error on the left side though. I didn't realize the shoes are two different sizes, and I put the large one in the front instead of the rear. I realized it this mornimg when taking apart the right side.So I have to take it apart again. Anyway, I'm becoming an expert at this. The whole thing is a giant fight with springs!!!

The Haynes book has two photos wrong incidentally, including one showing them using the shoe spring hold down tool as the retaining spring remover/replacer. Really! They actually show a photo of them putting the tool on the retaining spring pin, which really confused me.

Thanks again.

Back down to the garage now. Maybe a spring will kill me and put me out of my misery!!!

Regards. Anthony Giorgianni

Reply to
TonyG

I did make an error on the left side though. I didn't realize the shoes are two different sizes, and I put the large one in the front instead of the rear. I realized it this mornimg when taking apart the right side.So I have to take it apart again. Anyway, I'm becoming an expert at this. The whole thing is a giant fight with springs!!!

The Haynes book has two photos wrong incidentally, including one showing them using the shoe spring hold down tool as the retaining spring remover/replacer. Really! They actually show a photo of them putting the tool on the retaining spring pin, which really confused me.

Thanks again.

Back down to the garage now. Maybe a spring will kill me and put me out of my misery!!!

Regards. Anthony Giorgianni

Maybe you got your shoes on upsidedown or something. Like Ashton said one spring goes under and the other goes over. I connect the under spring before assembly (is there another way?). Sometimes it's not possible to get the over spring on there using pliers so I use a small, long blade screwdriver, hook the spring around it, stick it in the hole it's supposed to go in, put a little oil on the screwdriver shaft so it won't get stuck, pry it into position and then use a bigger blade screwdriver to slide it down the other screwdriver into place.

If your brake linings have seperated I'd look into warranty replacement if you know when/where they were purchased. These days you usually don't even need a receipt cause it's all on computers. Also, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem on Explorers but on some Fords you need to put some caliper grease on the spots where the shoes touch the backing or they might stick.

I've never seen a mistake like what you mentioned in a Hayne's manual. Which edition do you have? I'd like to see that. Sometimes they leave stuff out but I've always found their information to be accurate.

Reply to
Ulysses

On Oct 3, 3:01=A0pm, "Ulysses" wrote: Thanks for that.

Forget warranty. Those shoes are 17 years old. The first ones on my

  1. There's actually one error (wrong tool) and one misleading photo in the Haynes book. Unless I really don't udnerstand something. But they show the head of the holddown spring removal tool on top of the pin that the retractor springs attach too. It's almost like someone got the name hold down spring removal tool confused with retractor spring removal tool.

I just can't figure out the over and under thing on the left side. The retracting springs are exactly the same on both sides. A kind of knuckle that sticks out the side to go in the hole and there's a hook to go around the pin. For the right side, if you stick the knuckle in the hole, the hook is oriented to go over the pin. If you turn it around for the left side, so the knuckle goes in the hole, the hook goes the other way and wraps around the bottom. The only way to get the hook to wrap around the top on the left is to aim the knuckle away from the car, and then there's nothing to stick in the hole to hold it.

The right side definity had them going the same way from the factory. I'm thinking maybe some kits have two different srpings, a right and left. But everything seems exactly like what came. So I don't know. I'm about to put the drums back on, and we'll see. I hate to think it's wrong, but everything looks right, except for both going under the bottom of the pin on the left and both going voer on the right.

I'll try to take two photos and put them on my Web site and post back with the address.

Thanks.

Anthony Giorgianni

Reply to
TonyG

Hello All

Here are the photos of my completed brake work on my 92 showing the spring issues. I've also included a photo of the Haynes page that I think shows the wrong tool. I may be wrong.

formatting link
Please scroll down toward the bottom of the page. Sorry, I made some typos in the photos :O)

I haven't put the drums on yet, figuring that you all may spot something. Hopefully, Jim Warman will peak back in too. I'm sure he's done tons of these and can tells us right away.

Thanks!

Regards,, Anthony Giorgianni

Reply to
TonyG

I don't think there's any problem with your springs whether they go over or under. As long as they don't come off!! As to the spring removal tool, I think that's what is pictured, I have a similar one. You are supposed to be able to rotate it so it catches the spring and lifts it up and off. I didn't have much luck with mine and went back to just using visegrips and screwdrivers to get them off and on.

Reply to
Ashton Crusher

Thanks everyone for your help.

The job is done (after five grueling days), and everything seems fine. Thanks Ashton for your response. It made me feel a little more secure. So that really IS a tool, huh. Interesting. I wonder what the whole thing looks like. Yes, ViseGrips did it for me, though I ended up havin to create a lever with the VGs, tire iron and rear axle because I couldn't pull one of those spring far enough with only my wieght.

Anytway, thanks again. I post back if I'm driving along and suddenly hear lots of spring letting loose :O) I can't beleive how they're held in with thos eknucle things in the holes. But anyway, seems to work!!

Regards,, Anthony Giorgianni

For every> On Sat, 3 Oct 2009 17:52:58 -0700 (PDT), TonyG

Reply to
TonyG

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.