Satan designed our parking brakes!

[BigCars4Ever]

It's the only explanation. I had to pull the axles to replace my leaking seals at 45k miles:mad2:. To do this the parking brakes have to come apart. Not so bad but putting them back together was a RPITA. Why do some engieers feel the need to make some things so freakin difficult.

[Haggis]

So you will want/have to bring it to the dealer to fix.

[snowbird]

I agree. I had to have them changed. The price of those tiny pads are also a ripoff. I now use them every other week to make shure they stay in good shape.

[Hack Goby]

Your in Fla.Why do you even use it?I don`t think I have ever used mine.I can see using it if your in hill country but on flat land I don`t see why you even need it.

[O's Fan Rich]

I use mine all the time, everytime I park. It's a habit.
I have no idea how much they would cost to buy, but many machine shops can reline brake shoes.

I wonder what the LS does... the parking brakes are elctrically activated with a console mounted lever/switch.

[mrjones]

The worst thing you can do to those p-brakes is not use them. They freeze up and cause REAL trouble.

[ahess77]

Why do some engieers feel the need to make some things so freakin difficult.

I agree, this is a case where they took the old concept (drum brake) and just put it on the new design. It's idiotic. I had a '99 crown vic that I couldn't get the rear rotors off because the stupid parking brake had created an undercut in the hat section and wouldn't retract because it had rusted in place.

[RoyLPita]

There was no need to remove the E-brake shoes to replace the axle seals. Did you do this so you could pry them off?

[Aren Jay]

Car makers make money on parts not on the car itself.

The makers sell the parts and the people you me him her etc... buy the parts.

The dealers make money on used cars and on labour for fixing cars.
Not so much on selling new cars.

A part that costs $0.25 for the dealer will cost you $2.00. The maker makes the parts 25 for $0.01. That is a good profit margin.

They then apply that same profit margin to the rest of the parts and that is why a front or back light lens cover costs $500.00 to a $1000.00 each.

For Panthers it isn't so bad because the fleet operations won't pay that profit margin, instead they will only pay dealer price and as such for end users the prices usually drop a little bit.

As for making things hard to put together, the idea is the end user never will take it apart twice. Letting a dealer do it instead.

[BigCars4Ever]

There was no need to remove the E-brake shoes to replace the axle seals. Did you do this so you could pry them off?

Actually you couldn't push the axel in far enough to remove the clips untill you remove the parking brakes and the abs sensor. Wasn't like that on either my 92 or 00 gm's.

[cyclopsram]

And what would the Ford Service manual say is the proper procedure..???

[rayjay]

So you will want/have to bring it to the dealer to fix.

Bingo! we have a winner.

[RoyLPita]

Actually you couldn't push the axel in far enough to remove the clips untill you remove the parking brakes and the abs sensor. Wasn't like that on either my 92 or 00 gm's.

Where I work, we just disconnect the ABS sensors to push the shaft in enough to get the C-clips out. The rear end guy here has done this many times flawlessly.

[larryo340]

I think they use the stupid parking brake shoes to keep the calipers simple and cheap. I really hate those spin in rear caliper pistons! :mad2:

[BigCars4Ever]

Where I work, we just disconnect the ABS sensors to push the shaft in enough to get the C-clips out. The rear end guy here has done this many times flawlessly.
I tried just pulling the sensor first. If I had some help mabey the parking brake mechanism could have moved enough but I was alone on this one.

[Stranger in the Black Sedan]

Actually you couldn't push the axel in far enough to remove the clips untill you remove the parking brakes and the abs sensor. Wasn't like that on either my 92 or 00 gm's.

Nope. I thought this at first, too. Look at where the wheel studs stick out the back of the axle shafts. If you rotate the axle shaft until it is indexed such that the wheel studs straddle the parking brake shoe metal spreader thingie, and do not touch it, you have enough room. You definitely do not have to take the P brake apart to get the axles in/out on a Marauder.