Fiesta drum brake removal

Fiesta drum brake removal

Author
Discussion

TvrToe

Original Poster:

71 posts

232 months

Tuesday 7th June 2005
quotequote all
Help! Rear brake drum removal. The 'nut' holding the wheel bearing is a pack of 4 thin nuts held together by a claw type washer. How do you get the nut off?? ideas anyone?

GreenV8S

30,398 posts

289 months

Tuesday 7th June 2005
quotequote all
Do not understand. Are you sure it is a stack of thin nuts and not just one ordinary nut with indentations on the corners? I can't think of any situation which would call for a stack of thin nuts. Also I would not expect to need to take the hub off in order to remove the drum, isn't it just slid over the wheel studs and clamped by the wheel? It's common for the drum to wear and form a lip which stops it sliding off the brake shoes, which might cause confusion, but I would be a bit surprised to find a radically unconventional setup on something as mundane as a Fiesta?

nighthawk

1,757 posts

249 months

Tuesday 7th June 2005
quotequote all
You don't undo the pack nut unless your replacing the wheel bearings.

The nut is torqued to +200lbft and removal will render the nut useless, it can also strip the threads on the stub shaft if it's undone too often.

The correct way to remove the drum/hub assembly is to remove the 4 bolts on the rear of the back plate, then the drum and stub will come off in 1 piece.

This also gives MORE room when replacing the shoes, the back plate is further secured to the twist beam axle with 2 x 3/16 pop rivets to locate and align it. Removal of the back plate is the ONLY way you'll get a socket on the wheel cylinder mounting bolts.

hope it helps.

TvrToe

Original Poster:

71 posts

232 months

Tuesday 7th June 2005
quotequote all
Haynes manual says to "remove dust cap, then remove 'nut' to release drum". This was no different to my previous escort, so thought it wouldn't be a problem. In fact, had to prise open the claw washer, snapping off the claws in process. Then managed to remove 3 nuts individually ('bout 3mm thick each) but the 4th and last one is stuck fast.

TvrToe

Original Poster:

71 posts

232 months

Tuesday 7th June 2005
quotequote all
Nighthawk - interesting comments, I'll have another look tomorrow. Haynes look to be way off target.

nighthawk

1,757 posts

249 months

Wednesday 8th June 2005
quotequote all
Haynes might well say remove the dust cap and twiddle the nut, FORD MOTOR Co. say undo the 4 bolts on the back, and in fact thats been the way to do it since the intruction of the 89shape fiesta.

Escort is the same from 91on too.

Earlier build vehicles had a solid steel nut, but later vehicles have the pack nut you describe. If you were to remove the nut and disassemble it, you'll see that the thin individual nuts are not flat, thats how they lock onto the threads.

hope it helps

TvrToe

Original Poster:

71 posts

232 months

Wednesday 8th June 2005
quotequote all
Nighthawk - deferred the drum brakes for now, need to get the the pack nut replaced that i've tampered with, sounds like a job for someone with a big spanner.

Done the front pads tonight, not altogether a straighforward job either due to a siezed cylinder.

Thanks for the advice

nighthawk

1,757 posts

249 months

Wednesday 8th June 2005
quotequote all
No problems m8

drop me a mail if you need to know anything.

The rear wheel bearings are of the set right type, meaning that the inner races of each bearing touch each other and the correct level of torque preloads the bearing itself. Thats why it's such a high torque.

I should have also mentioned that the dustcap should be replaced if you've distorted it getting it off, as water will get into the bearings and kill them.