|
Why do my front brakes wear out so quickly?
Ford vans have always had a front to rear brake imbalance. Maybe it was designed that way on purpose, who knows. Front brake wear is a constant source of irritation to many Ford van owners. The main reason for premature front brake wear can usually be traced to the rear brakes.
It is not uncommon for the front brake rotors to be heat cracked and the brake pads totally decimated in three or four months and the rear brake shoes still look new. There is more than one cause for this.
Frozen adjusting hardware is the most common problem. If the rear brakes are not constantly readjusting themselves (when you are backing up, and pumping the brakes) out to the brake drum, they develop a gap which the brake shoes have to span every time the brakes are applied. By the time the rear brakes start to work, the front brakes have taken all the load and stopped the vehicle. The tremendous effort it takes for the front brakes to stop the vehicle, unaided by the rear brakes, generates a lot of heat and excessive wear on the front brake components.
Consider the following ideas if you have this type of problem.
Does the brake pedal feel spongy? When you apply the brakes, you begin to slow down, but you don't feel like you have full brakes until the brake petal is almost to the floor? Or maybe you need to pump them a couple of times. The delay is usually due to the gap between the rear brake shoes and the brake drum, and when the gap has been spanned, you have full brakes. The problem with that is, the front brakes were already working, waiting for the rear brakes to contribute to stopping the van.
Before you tear into everything, try adjusting the brakes the way they are designed to adjust. First, in a safe location, go into reverse and at a slow speed and begin pumping the brake pedal. If the rear brakes respond, and adjust, you will feel the brake pedal respond more quickly and the pedal will be more firm while braking. If that does not seem to make a difference, try adjusting the rear brakes manually.
On a flat surface, chock the front wheels, release the parking brake and put the transfer case in neutral. Jack up one wheel, just enough to clear the ground. If you have a positraction rear differential you may need to jack both rear wheels off the ground at the same time. Rotate the wheel by hand, and listen for a light metal to metal brushing sound. If you hear nothing, remove the rubber plug that covers the brake star wheel access hole. Using a brake adjusting tool, turn the star wheel a few turns. Turn the wheel by hand and listen for that light brushing sound . Keep adjusting until you hear the drum and brake shoe contact. Working the adjuster can shift the shoes out of alignment and give you a false indication that the shoes are adjusted. Have a helper pump the brake pedal a few times, this will force the brake shoes to realign again. Then rotate the wheel by hand again to verify that you still have contact. If you don’t, adjust some more.
If you can't make the star wheel turn, and all you hear is a loud springy pop., the star wheel adjuster is more than likely, rusted up. Replace the brake hardware and go through the adjustment drill mentioned before.
If you require more info, consult a shop manual for the less simplified instructions for adjusting rear brakes.
|
