How to Replace the Rear Brakes on a 1993 Ford Bronco

In 1993, The Bronco was just three model years from elimination, as the Expedition replaced it in 1997. The 1993 Bronco came standard with a 5.0-liter V-8 engine, four-wheel drive, and a front disc and rear drum brake configuration. Replacing the rear drum brakes on the 1993 Bronco requires special care, as there are numerous small parts to keep track of. As you remove the various components, lay them on a flat surface in the same position they mount on the truck. This will help you when reinstalling them.

Instructions

Removal

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the rear wheels with a breaker bar and socket. Lift the rear of the Bronco off the ground, using a floor jack, and slide jack stands under the Broncos frame rails. Lower the SUV onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the rear wheels from the vehicle.

2

Pull the retaining washers from the wheel studs with needle-nose pliers, if equipped. Discard these washers, as you do not need them.

3

Pry the drum brake adjustment plug from the rear of the drum brake backing plate with a flat-head screwdriver. Insert a small flat-head screwdriver into the adjustment hole until it contacts the brake shoe adjusting lever, the metal lever above the star-shaped adjuster wheel. Press the adjusting lever away from the adjuster wheel with the screwdriver and rotate the adjuster wheel downward with a drum brake adjuster tool until the drum rotates freely, then pull the drum off. Grip the rear drum at the 3 and 9 oclock positions and wiggle the drum as you pull it outward.

4

Draw a diagram or take a picture of the drum brake assembly, paying special attention to all of the springs, levers, cables and guides. Also document the color of each spring to aid in reinstallation.

5

Position a drain pan under the brake assembly and spray the entire assembly liberally with spray brake cleaner. This prevents asbestos dust particles from becoming airborne.

Place large slip-joint pliers over the wheel cylinder, so each side of the pliers jaws are contacting each of the wheel cylinders pistons. Open the wheel cylinders bleeder valve with a combination wrench, then immediately squeeze the pliers until the pistons retract into the wheel cylinder. Immediately close the bleeder valve and remove the pliers.

6

Pry the adjusting lever downward and toward the rear of the vehicle with a flat-head screwdriver and slide the adjusting lever from the hole in the secondary shoe -- the rear-most shoe -- frame. Remove the adjusting lever spring from the adjuster lever and primary shoe -- the front-most shoe -- frame. Pull the self-adjuster cables end from the adjuster lever.

7

Look at the top of the brake assembly and find the pin at the 12 oclock position; this is the anchor pin. Pry the secondary shoe-to-anchor spring from the anchor pin with drum brake multi-tool, then repeat this step to pry the primary shoe-to-anchor pin spring from the anchor pin.

8

Pull the self-adjuster cable end from the anchor pin and from its guide on the rear-most part of the drum brake assembly. Pull the adjuster cable from the adjuster lever, then set the cable and lever aside for reuse. Pivot the cable guide outward to align its retaining pins with the holes in the secondary shoe, then pull the guide from the shoe. Pull the metal plate off the anchor pin and set it aside for reuse.

9

Remove the primary and secondary brake shoe hold-down springs by compressing the springs and turning them until the notch in the springs caps align with their retaining pins, using the drum brake multi-tool. Release the springs and pull them from the shoes.

10

Pull the brake shoes away from the drum brake backing plate, then remove the adjusting screw assembly. Remove the primary brake shoe and leave the secondary shoe hanging by the parking brake lever and cable.

11

Pull the parking brake link and its spring -- the thin bar spanning the width of the backing plate -- from the parking brake lever. Pull the parking brake spring away from the parking brake cable-to-parking brake lever anchor, using slip-joint pliers, and slide the anchor from its bed in the parking brake lever.

12

Pull the secondary shoe and parking brake lever from the vehicle. Grip the U-shaped retaining clip retaining the parking brake lever on the brake shoe, using needle-nose pliers, and pull the retaining clip from the parking brake lever. Pull the washer off the parking brake lever and remove the lever from the secondary shoe. Set the lever aside for reuse.

13

Repeat steps 3 through 12 on the other side of the Bronco.

Installation

14

Guide the parking brake levers pivot pin through its mounting hole into the top of the new secondary shoe. Slide the washer onto the end of the pivot pin, then align the U-shaped clip with the groove in the pivot pin. Press the U-shaped clip into the groove with slip-joint pliers.

15

Hold the secondary shoe near the end of the parking brake cable. Pull the spring away from the parking brake cable-to-parking brake lever anchor with slip-joint pliers and slide the anchor into its bed in the parking brake lever. Release the spring.

16

Set the secondary shoe in place on the rear of the drum brake backing plate, guiding the shoe-retaining pin thorough its hole in the shoes frame. Guide the shoe hold-down spring onto the retaining pin, then press it downward until the end of the pin protrudes from the springs cap, using the multi-tool, and turn the spring a half turn to lock the pin on the spring.

17

Position the adjusting screw onto the flat on the lower part of the secondary shoe, with the threaded side of the screw toward the secondary shoe. Set the parking brake link on the flat spot on the upper part of the secondary shoes frame, with the links spring side facing away from the secondary shoe.

18

Guide the primary shoe onto the drum backing plate, so the flat on the lower part of its frame slides into the slot on the free end of the adjuster screw, the slot in the parking brake link slides onto the flat section near the top of the shoes frame and the shoe-retaining pin goes through its hole in the shoes frame. Install the hold-down spring in the same manner you did on the secondary screw in Step 3.

19

Slide the adjuster cable guides tabs through their holes in the secondary shoe and lay the guide flat on the secondary shoes frame. Slide the anchor pin plate back onto the anchor pin.

20

Guide the end of the self-adjuster cable onto the anchor pin and route it over the cable guide. Insert the adjuster lever into its holes on the base of the secondary shoe and hook the free end of the self adjuster cable into hole on the top of the adjuster lever.

21

Hook the short side of the primary shoe-to-anchor pin spring in the hole near the top of the primary shoes frame. Pry the long end of the primary shoe-to-anchor pin spring over the anchor pin, using the multi-tool. Repeat this step to install the secondary shoe-to-anchor pin spring.

22

Connect the short side of the adjusting lever spring to the lower hole in the primary shoe by hooking it through the hole. Pull the spring toward the top of the adjusting lever with slip-joint pliers and slide the hook on the long end of the spring in the hole on the top of the adjusting lever.

23

Align the wheel stud holes in the drum with the wheel studs and press the drum into place over the new brake shoes until it seats on the wheel hub.

24

Repeat steps 1 through 10 on the other side of the Bronco.

Adjusting the Brakes

25

Insert a flat-head screwdriver into the adjusting hole in the drum brake backing plate and press the adjusting lever away from the adjuster wheel. Rotate the adjuster wheel upward with a drum brake adjuster until the shoes lock onto the drum, which is when you cannot rotate the drum freely by hand.

26

Rotate the adjuster wheel three-quarters of a turn downward to back the shoes into their automatic adjusting position. Press the drum brake adjuster plug into the hole on the drum brake backing plate.

27

Repeat steps 1 and 2 on the other side of the truck.

28

Install the rear wheels and hand-tighten the lug nuts. Raise the SUV off the jack stands and remove them. Lower the Bronco to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 100 foot-pounds if the SUV has five lug nuts or 140 foot-pounds if it has eight lug nuts, using a torque wrench and socket.

29

Start the SUV, then press and release the brake pedal five to 10 times to activate the auto-adjusting feature of the drum brake system. Check the fluid level in the master cylinder and fill it to the Max line, if needed.

30

Take any old brake fluid to a used automotive fluid recycling center for disposal. Some auto parts stores take old fluids for free.