Hi there,

Long time Ford owner first time poster! I recently did my front brakes over. Rotors, pads, and calipers were shot. Now I hear noise coming from the back. Jacked up the truck and pulled the drums. Plenty of meat on the shoes. But I noticed the drums were lose and came right off by hand. Also, I noticed that the lugs were wearing down where the drums touch them. Is that normal? And if there is so much meat left on the shoes why are they making noise when I break. They do have some deep grooves in them as do the drums. I will post some pictures. Never done drums before. Would love some feedback!

Thanks!

Chris

 

Hey welcome to the forum!!!

Your question is a bit vague to be honest. It is common for the drums to be a son of a gun to get off at time, but I don't think that it means they have to be. So them being easy to come off, is not neccesarily indicative of a broblem.

Also...the rear drum don't wear near as fast as the fronts do. So them having lots of pad left is hard to answer without knowing how long it's been since the last change. There is an adjustment screw / and star that is supposed to keep the shoes out toward the drum. If is often to have to back this off to get the drum off over the shoes, so it is possible that this is not functioning properly and keeping the shoes engaged with the drum. This might explain the ease of removal, lack of brake engagment (noise as you say ) and the "Lots of pad left".

As for your question on the Studs....Not sure exaclty what you mean, but no, you should see any wear on the studs themselves...not that I've ever seen anyway. Were they nice and tight when you took them off? Is everything original to factory? It is possible, and often, that aftermarket wheels are put on and the incorrect lug nuts are used. Some have a straight shank with a 90 degree shoulder while others are tappered into the wheel. If you use the wrong nut on the wrong wheel, it will not seat correctly and could cause the wheel to move a bit.

 

thanks for the reply. I am gonna post pictures right now with a photobucket link. I think they may need to be adjusted out. It is hard to slow the truck down to a stop for sure. I am guessing it's only really braking with the fronts right now. I have stock rims and tires on it for the moment.

 

http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n...drum%20brakes/


photos...

 

Good pictures!!

I would not say there is plenty of shoe left there. The thickness may look good, but it looks like you are very close to hitting rivets soon. From the wear indication, they've definately been working. I don't think it's a problem of them not being engaged.

I would say, replace those shoes and get the drums turned (assuming there's enough meat on them to turn down still. Get them adjusted properly with new hardware and they look like they'll be in good shape.

Everything I can see in those pictures leads me to believe it's all in very good shape. I don't see any leaking wheel cylinders, axle seals. Not too much rust and dirt....all looks good.

If you still don't have good stopping power after that, it may be time to look at the system as whole. That brake fluid may have never been flushed out. There may be issues with the master cylinder and/or booster.

 

thanks for the help.

 

The self adjusters on these trucks are notoriously lackluster and you do need to adjust them once in a while.
Those shoes are not bad but with the grooves in them and the cost of a new set I would swap them out.
As for the wear on the studs that can only be caused by the wheel not seating all the way. Make sure the center bore in the wheel is big enough to fit all the way over the hub and not getting hung up preventing it from holding the drum tightly.
I would replace those studs as well.

 

My trucks been running, driving, and actually stopping well for a few hundred miles now. And, I wish my brakes were half that clean.

A simple test if it'll make you feel better. Jack up one wheel and spin it by hand. Have someone press the brake and parking brake pedal. Wheel should stop. That's how I set mine after I had to do some work.

And +1 it sounds like your wheel was just loose enough to allow some movement. I had to use my feet to hold mine all the way on, while reaching through my legs to tighten the nuts in order to get a good seat. And the factory manual calls for re-torquing after I believe 25, 75, and 150 miles.

 

I agree with 82f100460 regarding the shoes and drums. The wear on the studs is worrisome and I would find out why they are wearing, fix that, and replace the studs. Losing a wheel when on the road would really suck.

 

thanks guys! One last question. Should I replace the drums? The driver side one has some nasty grooves in it as well. I heard some slight noise coming from that one when I came to a stop.

 

Depending on how deep the grooves are, it may be useable. The machine shop where they are turned will tell you if they can turn them or not. If so, they can be used. If the grooves will require to much material to be removed to get rid of the ridges and grooves, then the drum must be replaced. The limit should be stamped on the drum somewhere. Always turn the drums when replacing shoes, and always replace the shoes when turning drums. Always do both sides together.
Good luck.

 

Well...apon further review I noticed the factory rims are not fitting on all the way. I will post pictures. I ground out the center hub (on the rim) and got them on tight. Drove it and noticed I have wheel wobble. I jacked up the truck and put it in gear. Real bad whobble on the drivers rear. Took the rim off. Same problem. I put a spare slotted mag I have with no tire on. It whobbles. So hence I have a bent axle. I am hoping I can just change the one side? I bought the truck on ebay back in February but haven't really driven it until now. I bought it to tow my boat.

Should I just buy the driver's side axle? Never done one.

Thanks,

Chris

 

bent axle 86 f250 pictures by jaclynrbakerlmt - Photobucket

 

Yes you can just replace one axle. But while you're going that far into the rear, I would replace bearings and axle seals while you're at it.

 

I personally don't see how you could have a bent axle; did this problem just come about after having done the brakes?

It looks like you have a Ford (Sterling) rear end, you didn't have to remove the axles in order to remove the drums like you do with a Dana.

The axles are held on with those 8 bolts on that round protrusion from the center of the brake assembly/backing plate.

It really seems to me there is something else not right about the assemblies back there. I hope you get this figured out correctly, I'd hate to see something like this happen to you:



https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...e-driving.html