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Thread: Parking brake adjustment!!!

  1. #1
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    Parking brake adjustment!!!

    Hello from sunny Scotland!
    It's that time of year when my 03 needs to go for its MOT (UK annual road worthiness test). Been over the truck and most of it seems ok........apart from the parking brake!
    It's performance is marginal to say the least. Last year I put on new shoes in the rear drums as well as 2 new rear brake cables. I gave the system a good clean up and made sure nothing was sticking. The shoes were adjusted to the factory 0.5mm less than the drum diameter. It had its MOT and only through a "sympathetic " MOT test dude did it pass! The pedal seems to go down further than previously to get the brake to bite.
    This year I thought I'll adjust the cables to make it all a bit more responsive on the parking brake - however I must be missing something as there doesn't seem to be any nuts to tighten them up. The shoes are now dragging very slightly on the drums to get better figures for the test but I would rather adjust the system properly.
    Question is - do any of you superb fellas know how to get the parking brake performing well on these things?
    Cheers!

  2. #2
    Vader's Chauffer
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    On the back of the dust cover there is a little oval rubber plug that covers the shoe adjuster. Pop that our and with a flat head work the adjuster screw out so that the shoes are closer to the drum.

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    Cheers So-Cal! Already tried that - even with the shoes adjusted tight enough to stop the wheels from rotating with the brake off it doesn't hold with the brake on! Bit of a puzzler!
    Failed its MOT inspection on Wed with inedaquate parking brake! Truck missed Thunder in the Glens today. UKs biggest Harley meet - was taking the family down in the truck, had to go in my wife's Honda CR-V instead
    Had a buddy over yesterday who is pretty good with vehicles, he came in all confident it would be sorted in minutes, went out puzzled 3 1/2 hours later with the parking brake just as bad!

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    aka not rite
    Name: Bob

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    Does the pedal have some sort of adjustment to it? If not your cable may be stretched? Not sure just throwing out ideas.
    Last edited by B.O.B.; 08-27-2016 at 06:06 PM.

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    Vader's Chauffer
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    Perhaps the drums are worn out? I see no reason if the shoes are adjusted properly that they wouldn't grab.

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    Still not got it sussed! The rotors/drums were new last year prob less than 5k on them, shoes and brake hardware the same as are the 2 cables going to the rear. When adjusted to give a HEAVY drag on the drums with the parking brake off the shoes can be seen to ( with the rotors off) actuate mostly the leading shoes probably 95% movement on them with next to no movement on the trailing shoes. Is this normal? Once the parking brake is applied with everything back together there is not enough grab to hold the truck on the slightest of inclines.
    I was thinking of replacing the little actuating levers that enter the brake at the top but they don't seem to show significant wear so am reluctant to spend £50 (postage and taxes to UK included) on something that is probably OK.

  9. #7
    Huh?
    Name: Philip

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    If I'm not mistaken the HDs have rotors on front and back. No drums.

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  11. #8
    Oki 916's Dad NHTOC #103
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    pulled this up from an old thread- Memphis has an 02 and I figure it's similar to yours.
    it mentions an adjustment "tool." If you need it let me know and I'll make it happen.

    If anyone else has a better answer post it up

    http://www.nhtoc.com/vbforum/showthr...ake+adjustment

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    Have already adjusted the rear "in rotor" drums to within an inch of their life! Managed ok with a flat blade although I do have one of those adjuster bezzlers (cheers Slick!) somewhere in the chaos that is my garage. Adjusting the shoes was my first port of call.
    It's now sitting in the garage on axle stands having not been looked at in days with me making enquiries about a 67 Fleetwood Brougham! Although my wife will go absolutely bat**** if I get the Caddy! The children love "trucky" too, although Lachlan age 5 is coming round to the idea of a Caddy!
    Not sure where where I'd put the Christmas tree this year or how I'd fetch firewood an a Fleetwood!
    The truck is driving me nuts though - short of replacing the entire parking brake system (most of which is new anyway) I'm not sure where to go next! No MOT til it's done though - so not allowed on the road.

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    So perhaps you can take a picture of the shoes with the drums off and we can try to help a little more? Something is definitely not right there.

  15. #11
    Oki 916's Dad NHTOC #103
    Name: Slick

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    Not that we don't have a lot of folks with a heck of a lot of experience and good advice, but isn't there an actual Ford Mech who pops on now and then?
    would like to hear from him- just saying

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    Cheers Slick and So Cal! Been away with work for a few days - so haven't looked at the truck. Will make an effort to do something with it this weekend. Will try and get some pics up. Looks OK to my perhaps uneducated eyes! I can usually get by with working on mechanical stuff like that as well - been fixing aircraft for the last 17 years and not been stumped yet but this parking brake has me scratching my head!

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