My "Brake Bar" came off my drum, can I replace just that?

[TorontoGT]

I was driving yesterday with the window down and everytime I went over a bump I heard a rattle, so last night I took off my driver side rear wheel, and pulled off the drum brake cover and this just fell to the ground:

RockAuto says this is a "Brake bar" but my service manual calls it a "Parking brake strut"...Regardless it's pretty bent up and doesn't look like I'll be able to re-use it, but I was wondering if I buy a new one from Rockauto, will I be able to replace just that, or will the entire drum assembly have to come apart to get at it? Drum brakes are something I have zero experience with so this is all new to me.

Also, while you're here I went to replace my rear turn signal light that I thought was a 3157 (like all the look-up guides suggested), but when I got home and got back there it ended up being a light with a round socket like this:

Any idea why it's different, or are all the look up guides wrong?

Let me know what you guys think on either matter

Thanks!!

 

[87GT Drop Top]

You will probably have to remove the top springs. Drum brakes are simple as long as you leave one side together. Just jack up the car and pull both wheels. Leave one side assembled and you can do it no problem. I would also get a spring kit too. If that thing fell out you probably need more then just that. A spring kit should be less then $10 and it does both sides. Also there is a spring that goes on the end of the bar that most parts guys won't be able to find, that doesn't come in any of the kits. The Wagner part # is F71846 or F71846S.

If the bulb is clear it's an 1156 if it's amber it's an 1156NA.

 

[TorontoGT]

Thanks very much

I did notice that little spring you're referring to on the other side where everything is together and as soon as I saw it I said "That little thing is going to be a b@#%# to find"

 

[87GT Drop Top]

You're welcome from your friendly parts guy with 27 years experience.

 

[TorontoGT]

Now where can I pick this spring up from? Rockauto.com doesn't have it, any places you can suggest?

 

[87GT Drop Top]

What brand does you local parts store sell? I can get you a part #. If they can't help you I can ship it to you.

 

[MustangLX-5.0]

Have you tried Advanced Auto or Pep Boys? That dumb spring should be available. It stretches out just like the rest of them. They have a complete overhaul kit available. It comes with all the springs, that fork piece, adjust ass'y, spring loaded retaining pins (holds shoe), the piece of cable with hooks on the ends, cable guide.

That fork piece goes in the upper middle portion, just below the wheel cylinder. It wedges between the shoes. How bent up is it? If its pretty mangled, chances are the wheel cylinder AND springs are also bad. Especially the lower spring that is supposedly hard to find. The lower spring is what keeps the lower portion of the shoes pressed against the fork piece. Might wanna check your shoes while your at it. Overhauling rear brakes isn't hard. It just LOOKS complicated. Once you know where everything goes, and you have the right tools, it's cake. Get a Haynes/Chiltons manual. They have step by step procedures with pics. Still need help? Post away... I know every bit of how those things go together. I can have it together in less than 10 minutes.

Note - You will need to get a brake spring tool (It's like a pair of tongs that have curved hooks on the ends instead). Use those to re-attach the new springs to the upper center pin. You will also need a brake shoe pin tool. You use it to insert/remove the 2 pins that hold the shoes in place. Both tools are cheap and can be bought at Advance Auto Parts.

As for the bulb, I thought it was 1157?? It's only NA if you have amber colored lenses. If its all red, then its NOT an NA bulb. Those bulb listing books are wrong a quarter of the time. It still shows the improper bulb for the chrome neck map light after 15 years . You'd think they would have revised that. (To date, I still dont know what bulb that light takes. And its NOT a 105!) 3157 I think is for the back-up lamp.

 

[87GT Drop Top]

The spring he is looking for DOES NOT come in any of the kits. The hold down/ return spring kit does both side and comes with this.

The self adjuster kits are one per side and come with this

The spring that goes on the brake bar is only available separately. It looks like this.

The job can be done without any special tools. I do drum brakes all the time with a screwdriver and a pair of dykes to grab the springs. You can get the cup off with a regular pair of pliers, but the right tools do make it easier.

 

[TorontoGT]

A lot of useful info guys, Thanks!!

I may just round up all of the necessary parts and hand it off to the shop I use. They'll let me watch and get familiar with what happens, my brakes are now something I want to tear into if I'm not familiar with what's going on; Even if it is the drums on the rear.

 

[MustangLX-5.0]

Ohhhhhh.. THOSE springs... ah damn I'm sorry I, thought you meant the lower spring that holds the brake shoes together. My bad.

Toronto, you should really think about doing it yourself. Yes, you can get the parts and watch someone else do it, but it's not the same as doing it yourself. If you do it yourself, you'll have confidence that you will be able to do it again. There is nothing like pulling a job off on your own successfully. You gotta get experience man. And you have to start somewhere. Trust me, it's not hard. You CAN do it. Don't waste $$$ by letting a shop do it.

 

[TorontoGT]

Ohhhhhh.. THOSE springs... ah damn I'm sorry I, thought you meant the lower spring that holds the brake shoes together. My bad.

Toronto, you should really think about doing it yourself. Yes, you can get the parts and watch someone else do it, but it's not the same as doing it yourself. If you do it yourself, you'll have confidence that you will be able to do it again. There is nothing like pulling a job off on your own successfully. You gotta get experience man. And you have to start somewhere. Trust me, it's not hard. You CAN do it. Don't waste $$$ by letting a shop do it.

Don't worry man, I'm more than compotent when it comes to working on cars I do most, if not all of the work on my daily SHO, and I've been doing the same with the Stang so far, but this is my first time ever dealing with drums and the fact that special tools may or may not be needed (even if they are just curved pliers) just seems like it's smarter to watch a pro do it once.

Hell, I'll let them do the left side (the one that's not working currently) then I'll go home and do the right side. As long as I can see how stuff comes apart, I'll be golden from then on.

Plus, they're good friends of mine and usually a pizza will suffice for payment

 

[87GT Drop Top]

Like MustangLX-5.0 said it's very easy. It can be done with the tools you have. All you have to do is pull both rear wheels and drums and do 1 side at a time, using the other side as a guide.

 

[TorontoGT]

So I called over a buddy today and got everything rebuilt with new shoes and the rebuild kit. Brake pedal feels much firmer and has a nicer feel over all.

I just wish the parking brake grabbed a little stronger, but I hear that's a common complaint of Fox bodies.

 

[87GT Drop Top]

I knew you could do it.

 

[TorontoGT]

Honestly, it's not very hard at all. He had the proper tools from his shop and I can see how you can do it without the tools, but it makes the whole job so much easier.