Parking brake problem
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
From: AZ in Winter UT in Summer
One thing I shouls have mentioned but I am over-winded anyways... 
Once you determine/repair any defective hardware, the final adjustment should go like this. You fully adjust the star wheel so the shoes are making full contact with the hat drum. This ensures the assembly is self-centering on the backing plate. You then back them out until a faint drag is head.
New shoes may not conform to the drum inside radius, i.e. it may take a while for the shoe radius to meet the drum radius for full contact. It is just like new brake shoes, they may require a few manual adjustments until they fully seat the drum. Remember, this setup is not self adjusting and needs to be manually adjusted on a service schedule.
Depending on year and design, the cables may or may not have adjustment. If stretched they have to be replaced.
The requirement is there to prevent a roll-away. Say you go into get a six-pack and walk bask out and the truck has rolled off into the river...
Once you determine/repair any defective hardware, the final adjustment should go like this. You fully adjust the star wheel so the shoes are making full contact with the hat drum. This ensures the assembly is self-centering on the backing plate. You then back them out until a faint drag is head.
New shoes may not conform to the drum inside radius, i.e. it may take a while for the shoe radius to meet the drum radius for full contact. It is just like new brake shoes, they may require a few manual adjustments until they fully seat the drum. Remember, this setup is not self adjusting and needs to be manually adjusted on a service schedule.
Depending on year and design, the cables may or may not have adjustment. If stretched they have to be replaced.
The requirement is there to prevent a roll-away. Say you go into get a six-pack and walk bask out and the truck has rolled off into the river...
Mel
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
From: AZ in Winter UT in Summer
One thing I shouls have mentioned but I am over-winded anyways...
Once you determine/repair any defective hardware, the final adjustment should go like this. You fully adjust the star wheel so the shoes are making full contact with the hat drum. This ensures the assembly is self-centering on the backing plate. You then back them out until a faint drag is head.
New shoes may not conform to the drum inside radius, i.e. it may take a while for the shoe radius to meet the drum radius for full contact. It is just like new brake shoes, they may require a few manual adjustments until they fully seat the drum. Remember, this setup is not self adjusting and needs to be manually adjusted on a service schedule.
Depending on year and design, the cables may or may not have adjustment. If stretched they have to be replaced.
The requirement is there to prevent a roll-away. Say you go into get a six-pack and walk bask out and the truck has rolled off into the river...
Once you determine/repair any defective hardware, the final adjustment should go like this. You fully adjust the star wheel so the shoes are making full contact with the hat drum. This ensures the assembly is self-centering on the backing plate. You then back them out until a faint drag is head.
New shoes may not conform to the drum inside radius, i.e. it may take a while for the shoe radius to meet the drum radius for full contact. It is just like new brake shoes, they may require a few manual adjustments until they fully seat the drum. Remember, this setup is not self adjusting and needs to be manually adjusted on a service schedule.
Depending on year and design, the cables may or may not have adjustment. If stretched they have to be replaced.
The requirement is there to prevent a roll-away. Say you go into get a six-pack and walk bask out and the truck has rolled off into the river...
Mel
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
From: AZ in Winter UT in Summer
So far nothing has worked. I've had the drums off a half dozen times and checked everything. Nothing is bound up. everything is free and working. the levers are free and move like they should. All hard ware is new and so are the brake shoes. Out of desperation I will replace the cables today weather permitting. The cables do not appear to be stretched. They are tight and there is no slack in them. I don't know what else to do. I have read several other posts of people with the same type problem. This appears to be one of Fords Better Crummy Ideas. If I can't get it fixed I will trade it off and get a chevy that will pass safety inspection.. I am tired of messing with it. I am about to give up. Anyone else have any ideas? Has anyone else ever solved this problem. I would like to hear from you. I have tried everything suggested so far and have replaced everything except the hat drums and the cables.
Mel
Mel
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,740
Likes: 37
From: Central NYS
My experience is that this rear ebrake design is not the best. I have found that if you adjust the star wheel and brake shoes too tight, the ebrake pedal is hard to push down as it is right near the top of its travel. At the top of travel the ebrake pedal doesn’t offer much leverage advantage. Sometimes if you back the star wheel off a bit more so the ebrake pedal easily goes down 1/3 of the way you will have better leverage to apply the ebrake.
Does your ebrake hold better in reverse as opposed to holding in drive?
Does your ebrake hold better in reverse as opposed to holding in drive?
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
From: AZ in Winter UT in Summer
My experience is that this rear ebrake design is not the best. I have found that if you adjust the star wheel and brake shoes too tight, the ebrake pedal is hard to push down as it is right near the top of its travel. At the top of travel the ebrake pedal doesn’t offer much leverage advantage. Sometimes if you back the star wheel off a bit more so the ebrake pedal easily goes down 1/3 of the way you will have better leverage to apply the ebrake.
Does your ebrake hold better in reverse as opposed to holding in drive?
Does your ebrake hold better in reverse as opposed to holding in drive?
Mel
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,740
Likes: 37
From: Central NYS
That indicates that all is normal. 
I usually run those levers through the sand blaster to clean them up.
(They we’re not part of your new hardware kit, right?)
How far down does your ebrake pedal move when you apply the ebrake?
New ebrake shoes don’t always match the curvature of the worn drum surface.
(Back in the day we used to have brake shoes arc ground to match the curvature of each drum.) You could apply the ebrake lightly and drive up and down the driveway to clean the drums up and wear in the shoes to match each respective drum.
You should not need a breaker bar to rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. You want to just barely hear/feel a faint rubbing sound when you rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. I find that I have more ebrake holding power when the ebrake pedal is about half way down.
Good Luck.
I usually run those levers through the sand blaster to clean them up.
(They we’re not part of your new hardware kit, right?)
How far down does your ebrake pedal move when you apply the ebrake?
New ebrake shoes don’t always match the curvature of the worn drum surface.
(Back in the day we used to have brake shoes arc ground to match the curvature of each drum.) You could apply the ebrake lightly and drive up and down the driveway to clean the drums up and wear in the shoes to match each respective drum.
You should not need a breaker bar to rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. You want to just barely hear/feel a faint rubbing sound when you rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. I find that I have more ebrake holding power when the ebrake pedal is about half way down.
Good Luck.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 749
Likes: 93
From: Pagosa Springs CO.
That indicates that all is normal.
I usually run those levers through the sand blaster to clean them up.
(They we’re not part of your new hardware kit, right?)
How far down does your ebrake pedal move when you apply the ebrake?
New ebrake shoes don’t always match the curvature of the worn drum surface.
(Back in the day we used to have brake shoes arc ground to match the curvature of each drum.) You could apply the ebrake lightly and drive up and down the driveway to clean the drums up and wear in the shoes to match each respective drum.
You should not need a breaker bar to rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. You want to just barely hear/feel a faint rubbing sound when you rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. I find that I have more ebrake holding power when the ebrake pedal is about half way down.
Good Luck.
I usually run those levers through the sand blaster to clean them up.
(They we’re not part of your new hardware kit, right?)
How far down does your ebrake pedal move when you apply the ebrake?
New ebrake shoes don’t always match the curvature of the worn drum surface.
(Back in the day we used to have brake shoes arc ground to match the curvature of each drum.) You could apply the ebrake lightly and drive up and down the driveway to clean the drums up and wear in the shoes to match each respective drum.
You should not need a breaker bar to rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. You want to just barely hear/feel a faint rubbing sound when you rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. I find that I have more ebrake holding power when the ebrake pedal is about half way down.
Good Luck.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
From: AZ in Winter UT in Summer
Working now
That indicates that all is normal.
I usually run those levers through the sand blaster to clean them up.
(They we’re not part of your new hardware kit, right?)
How far down does your ebrake pedal move when you apply the ebrake?
New ebrake shoes don’t always match the curvature of the worn drum surface.
(Back in the day we used to have brake shoes arc ground to match the curvature of each drum.) You could apply the ebrake lightly and drive up and down the driveway to clean the drums up and wear in the shoes to match each respective drum.
You should not need a breaker bar to rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. You want to just barely hear/feel a faint rubbing sound when you rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. I find that I have more ebrake holding power when the ebrake pedal is about half way down.
Good Luck.
I usually run those levers through the sand blaster to clean them up.
(They we’re not part of your new hardware kit, right?)
How far down does your ebrake pedal move when you apply the ebrake?
New ebrake shoes don’t always match the curvature of the worn drum surface.
(Back in the day we used to have brake shoes arc ground to match the curvature of each drum.) You could apply the ebrake lightly and drive up and down the driveway to clean the drums up and wear in the shoes to match each respective drum.
You should not need a breaker bar to rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. You want to just barely hear/feel a faint rubbing sound when you rotate the rotor with the ebrake off. I find that I have more ebrake holding power when the ebrake pedal is about half way down.
Good Luck.
Mel
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