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98 Escort Dragging Brake

I am trying to repair a 1998 Escort with a dragging rear drum brake. I pulled the drum off, and it seems the dragging is due to a small seized pivot arm that connects to the handbrake cable. It is seized up tight on the side with the dragging brake but I can move it by hand on the side that is not dragging. Problem is, I can't seem to get this pivot arm to free up. I've tried spraying brake parts cleaner on it, soaking it in gas, liberal penetrating oil, working it back and forth with channel locks, but it is still extremely difficult to move. I can't even move it by hand. Is there some way I can free up this pivot arm?

Rodney

Reply to
Rodney
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Rodney opined in news:Xns959DB9C61909Dcartierlincoln@38.119.100.146:

If it doesnt free after what you have done there, you should scrap that backing plate or get a repair part if available... becuse even if you free it now, it will lock up again in the future.

not too hard to find in a scraapers, I would think

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

I have the exact same problem with my 97 Escort. Parking brake doesn't hold the vehical well. Some time it seizes. Once I let my car sit for only 3 weeks, the rear drum brake locked up. One garage told me that I have to change the parking brake cable. I doubt that this would solve the problem. If I want to repair the part, how much approximately it will cost?

Jesse

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Jesse

Jesse opined in news:cn03ha$k9h$ snipped-for-privacy@rumours.uwaterloo.ca:

What do you mean by that? Do you mean forward holding or backward holding? It's always easier to back up with the PB set than to move forward.

Well THAT's easy enough to check out. If it's like earlier models, back to the beginning of time, the cable will retract with just the spring to pull it.

I dont know... look it up on-line - almost all part stores have on-line buying

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Rodney wrote in news:Xns959DB9C61909Dcartierlincoln@38.119.100.146:

I just wanted to follow-up on the dragging brake problem in case the answer helps someone else.

I replaced the seized pivot arm described above with a new one from Ford. The brake is not dragging now. Ford generically refers to this part as a drum brake "lever." The pivot point on the new part moves very freely.

Thanks to everyone who helped.

Rodney

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Rodney

Replace the parking brake cable? For the price of a can of liquid wrench you can get under that car and soak it down yourself.

Matt

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Matt

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