Well, I figured it was as good a time as any to replace the shoes on the truck, since I've never done them since I've owned the truck... They still had pretty good pad left, but what the heck.... It's got 206,000 miles on it...

I got a set of the "Preimum" semi metalic shoes from the local auto parts store for around $25.... Got some break cleaner, the tool to help with the springs and headed home..

Opened up my Chiltons manual and read thru the process. I've done drums before, but it's been about 10 years!

Backed the truck in the garage, kicked on the propane "Mr Heater", tuned the TV to 'something', grabbed a beer and went to work..

It was pretty straight forward. Took me about 45 minutes on that first wheel (downed a couple of beers too). Took me the longest time to get that damn clip right for the parking brake gizmo and to use the attaching rods and springs to hold it all together! I was physically trying to hold both shoes with one hand and trying to attach the springs with the other.... Not working!! The second wheel only took about 20 minutes!

The drums looked great. So I didn't have them turned. The springs and the cylinders looked fine too, so I just swapped out the shoes.. Set the adjusting bar, and then bleed the entire system.

I picked up this really cool gizmo that uses your shop air attached to what looks like one of those lawn fertilizer things you attach to your hose and spray with... This attached to the bleeder valve with a length of hose. On the master cylinder, you filled up a bottle that sits in the filler hole and keeps the fluid level full and when you press the lever on the air part, it sucks the fluid into the lawn fertilizer thing... I also got a manual brake bleeder thing for the rear brakes, because nothing gets that nice firm pedal like physically pumping the pedal and getting all the air out of the line.. I did it to the fronts as well. The lawn fertilizer thing was just a real quick way to flush out all the old fluid from each corner.

So I go out on my test drive and 'burn' in the new brakes by riding on the E brake for a short bit, drive a bit to cool them down. Apply the brakes, repeat while I go around a 3 mile loop. Get home, and they are hot, but I had been riding them, and that's what you have to do with them to seat them in...

Make a quick trip to the store the next day.. All seems fine. They did run a bit hot and felt like they were a bit 'grabby', but figured they were still seating in...

Go to work the next day and it feels like the E brake is on.. I check and it's not, but there is a definate drag. Get to work and the drums are very, very hot and have that hot brake smell.. So, I figure I got them adjusted too tight. At lunch, I go out and do a quick parking lot crawl and loosen up the adjusters about 1 full turn I estimate. Drive home that evening and all seemed fine.

Go to work the next morning and all seems fine. Go home and it's all tight and grabby again. The brakes are really, really hot again... DAMN, what the heck is gong on? I pull the wheels off and inspect the shoes and the adjusters and all seems fine. I adjust them again, but leave them a lot looser then normal and figure I'll let the auto adjusters work it out...

Same deal as before. The first couple of days, it's fine. Then one day it's all bound up again..

I now figure it's the springs and they must not have enough tension to be releasing the shoes enough between brakings and must just hang on me at random times.... I'm now waiting for the Spring Kit to come in on Monday from the local Ford dealer and I'll replace them and see if it fixes this...

Lesson in this loooong story is to ALWAYS replace your springs!! The damn things only cost $18 from Ford!!

I'll update more and take some pics when I have to do this all again to put the new springs in place!!!

Mitch

 

Well, I replaced the springs tonight and what a difference.

Here is a pic of the new spring kit. This is just for the one side, except for the extra green spring...


Here is what the old springs looked like.


Here is what the new springs look like.


After another brake bleed... Not sure why it needed it, but the pedal was very soft after putting it all back together.. It did very well and no more grabbing or hanging after braking and letting off and going forward again..

Lesson learned for sure! Spend the $16 (that's what it ended up costing for the sping kit) and get new springs when you do the rear drums!

Mitch

 

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