At work we have a 1988 Ford F-450 (SuperDuty) with rear disc brakes. I was just wondering how the parking brake works. I understand how it works on a vehicle with rear drums. But how about rear discs? Also, is it self adjusting or does it eventually need to be adjusted? Thanks guys.

-Matt

 

Anyone?

-Matt

 

Wow, I am surprised no one knew this. On a F-Super Duty (at least in 1988 with rear rotors and calipers) the parking brake is actually hooked to the drivehaft/transmission area somehow. I haven't looked and seen EXACTLTY how it works but that is what I was told and I kind of glanced at it. Interesting......

-Matt

 

There are a couple different ways, but I don't know offhand how it works on an '88 F-450.

One way is to have a lever on the outside of the caliper that's attached to the cable. When you pull the lever, it squeezes the caliper.

Another way is to have a small drum brake inside the rotor. Picture a hat, and the brim is the friction surface for the caliper, and the headband where your head goes is where the e-brake shoes ride.

The other way I've seen is to put it in the tailshaft of the tranny.

I would guess that the superduty uses the second method, but just follow the e-brake cables and take a look to see what you have.

 

I told you where it is. Read my third post again.

-Matt

 

The rear brakes on a F-Superduty don't need adjusting the rear calipers are no different compared to the front calipers. Its why I like the F-Superduty 450 trucks is the rear disk brakes no need to worry about adjusting brakes every 2 weeks like I had to with my F-350

The rear disk brakes is why the F-Superduty trucks can stop with a load and a regular F-350 rolls through the intersection because its out of braking power. I had way to many pucker moments with a F-350 because of its pizz poor brakes, it was a chore to drive the truck because the braking power sucked to bad. I wasn't the only one with the same problem a friend of mine that used to have a chevy flatdeck had lack of or no braking power too even with Chev uses bigger drum brakes.

As for the shaft brake it is a drum brake that bolts to the back of the transmission you don't need to adjust it either I never had to adjust mine it holds good. Its the only emergency brake on a Ford truck that does hold good the shaft brake will lock the wheels up if I put it on while the truck is still rolling.