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How to Change Drum Brakes Drum brakes are the rear brakes used on some vehicles. A drum brake is a braking system that consists of a steel housing (the drum) and pads (brake shoes). When you want to slow down, you press the brake pedal, which pushes hydraulic fluid through the system and actuates springs inside the drum which push the shoe against the inside of the drum to slow your car down. Over time, the brake shoes will wear down and you will have to replace them (once they become 1/8-inch thick). Things You'll Need Tire wrench Hammer Jack 2 Jack stands Rag Brake parts cleaner Torque wrench New brake shoes Instructions Place the tire wrench over the lug nuts and turn them counterclockwise to break them loose. You should only loosen them. Do not remove the lug nuts. This is to make it easier to continue to loosen and remove the lug nuts when the vehicle is on jack stands. Put your vehicle in first gear if it is a standard transmission. Ot...

How to Fix the Rear Brakes in a Buick Park Avenue The rear brakes on a Buick Park Avenue are drum brakes connected to the parking brake. If the parking brake offers little resistance when you apply it, you need to fix the rear brakes. You might just need to adjust the positioning of the brake shoes to get them working again. In most cases, though, you need to replace the shoes. This will involve working with the many springs and levers within the drum assembly. Things You'll Need Wheel chocks Floor jack Jack stands Tire iron Hammer and chisel Hooked tool Needle-nose pliers Spring removal tool Lithium grease Brake shoes Accessing the Brakes Block the front wheels with wheel chocks. Raise the car's rear end with a jack and support it on jack stands. Remove the lug nuts on the rear wheels with a tire iron then remove the wheels. Adjusting the Brakes Remove the plug in the top end of the brake drum with a hammer and chisel. Insert a hooked tool into ...

2001 Ford Escape Brake Caliper Torque Specs In 2001, Ford debuted the Escape SUV, which sat just below the Explorer in the automaker's lineup. The Escape had the huge task of taking on the likes of the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V, so it needed to have a similar range of options as them, including V-6 and four-cylinder engine options, and two- and four-wheel drive. Regardless of engine and drivetrain setup, the front and rear calipers on the 2001 Escape shared torque values. Caliper Torque The front and rear caliper bolts on the 2001 Escape require 26 foot-pounds of torque. The front caliper bracket-to-spindle bolts require 111 foot-pounds of torque -- the rear brakes do not have a removable caliper bracket.

Brake pads are designed to absorb heat as they create friction against the brake rotor. The brake pads ride against either side of the brake rotor and are held in place by the brake caliper that is typically mounted to the spindle or backing plate. Hydraulic pressure is provided by the brake system via a brake master cylinder. When the brake system is activated the brake pads are forced against the brake rotor causing it to slow down, in turn slowing the motion of the car. Heat is created and dissipated through the brake pad and rotor. If a bake pad or rotor become overheated it can hinder the brake operation until cooled. Unlike the shoes on a drum brake which convert motion into heat, pads on a disc brake literally hug the wheel. The amount of pressure a driver applies to the brake pedal is a relative amount of force that will be applied to the brake pads. This means that the driver can feel how much pressure he is applying to the brakes. The driver may also apply a pumping motion t...

A brake caliper is designed to utilize brake fluid under pressure to transfer force the brake pads. In-turn the brake pads contact the rotating brake rotor to slow the car. A brake caliper is typically mounted to the spindle or backing plate. There are two basic designs of brake caliper mounting, fixed and floating. A fixed position brake caliper is bolted to the spindle and is not allowed to move. This kind of brake caliper is constructed with caliper pistons on both sides of the caliper. The floating style of caliper is mounted to the spindle or backing plate using a slide bolt. This slide bolt design allows the caliper to slide on these bolts. This design uses pistons on just one side of the brake caliper. Brake calipers are a crucial part of the braking system of any vehicle, as they perform the mechanical aspect of the braking action. Properly understanding brake calipers, their function and operation, helps you to identify issues when the brakes do not work correctly. While basi...