How to Assemble a Drum Brake on a 1988 Mustang

When you take the drum brakes apart on your Ford Mustang, it may seem complicated to put them back together, but it is not. Most of the parts you are looking at are springs, and each has a specific purpose. When you depress the brake pedal, the brake fluid floods the wheel cylinder and pushes the brake shoes outward. The car then stops, and the brake shoes need to return to their original position when you let off the brakes. The springs pull them back in. Other springs include retaining springs for the brake shoes and the emergency brake spring.

Instructions

1

Connect the brake cable to the secondary brake shoe. The secondary brake shoe is the one on your right as you are looking at them. The cable hooks into it.

2

Place the shoes on the backing plate and place the retaining pins through them from the backside of the backing plate. Place the retaining spring and washer over the retaining pin. Depress it using the pliers and turn it one-quarter turn until it locks into place. You will have to do the brake shoes one at a time.

3

Install the parking link in the notch of the primary brake shoe. Place the automatic brake adjuster between the two brake shoes at the bottom.

4

Using the brake tool, install the return spring between the two brake shoes at the bottom. This spring is the longest spring. Connect the automatic adjuster cable to the secondary shoe using the pliers to pull it over to it. Connect the short end of the adjuster spring to the primary brake shoe, and the other end on the automatic adjuster at the top of the lever. Pull the adjusting lever down and to the left until it engages the pivot hole in the secondary shoe.

5

Measure the inside diameter of the brake drum with a tape measure. Manually adjust the brake shoes with the adjusting screw until the diameter is just a little smaller than the diameter of the wheel drum. Place the drum on the wheel assembly. Install the wheel on the Mustang.