Automotive Service and Repairs - drum brake adjustment

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broth1
02-12-06, 05:35 AM
My son has a 1998 Ford Escort with rear drum brakes. He ask me to adjust them the other day, but I found no opening on the outside of the drums. My truck and car are accesable from the outside. There is no brake shoe drag on the driver side rear wheel when it is rotated.I assume that the drum must be removed to adjust the shoes. I also assume that they are self adjusting and the adjuster is not working on this wheel. The passenger side seems to be adjusted correctly. Any help appreciated.

zzzz1486
02-12-06, 09:48 AM
try backing up than braking heavily. I'm not sure about this particular car, but some adjust when you brake while going in reverse.

hope this helps
our442
02-12-06, 10:52 AM
try backing up than braking heavily. I'm not sure about this particular car, but some adjust when you brake while going in reverse.

hope this helpsPull drums off and check adjusters.Adjust untill drum go on snug.

slickshift
02-12-06, 05:20 PM
They are "self-adjusting" when braking while in reverse
However, I've never met a self-adjuster than adjusted by itself as well as I'd like
Not once the car has a few miles on it anyway
Lol

I'm sure there is an opening
I know there is on the earlier ones
It's up top on an angle
However, on these I find it much easier to pull the drum
the_tow_guy
02-13-06, 06:18 AM
I thought there probably was one, too, slick, but I looked it up on autozone.com and the procedure calls for removing the drum, measuring the diameter of the drum and then the distance across the two shoes. Then you (theoretically) adjust the shoes to just match the diamter of the drum. Sounds like typical Ford engineering. Have to remember to look under my daughter's '96 Escort to see what it has.