OEM 2001 Mercury Cougar Brake Shoe

2001 Mercury Cougar Brake Shoe Parts Q&A

• Q: How to service and repair brake shoes on 2001 Mercury Cougar?

  A: The first task for brake shoe servicing and repairing includes wheel nut loosening and vehicle elevating to set a secure support. The automatic adjuster for brake shoes requires release before removing the brake drum. The first step should be to remove retainers then double-check that the hub flange is set in its correct position. Proceed to detach the parking brake cable from its secondary shoe attachment while you lever this shoe to the outside position. The shoes receive removal in two steps which include removing the anchor block first and then removing the lower return spring. The installation process requires extra attention because wheel cylinder boots can experience damage when shoes are detached from the wheel cylinder. Secure the wheel cylinder pistons using a rubber band before proceeding to take out the upper return spring and primary shoe from the strut and brake shoe adjuster through counterclockwise rotation of the adjuster. The operator must detach the secondary shoe from the strut support with caution because of the tension in the strut support spring while also removing the parking brake return spring. Assemblies of new shoes should be installed together on the axle. The backing plate contact points need clean application of Silicon Dielectric Compound D742-18A331-A that satisfies Ford specification ESA-M1C171-A. First install the parking brake return spring and afterward position the secondary shoe to the brake shoe adjuster and strut before installing the primary shoe while rotating the brake shoe adjuster completely clockwise. Wrap the upper spring before releasing the wheel cylinder piston retaining rubber band that enables positioning the shoe onto the wheel cylinder and its final installation on the anchor block along with the installation of the lower spring. The installation of hold down springs and parking brake cable requires that you apply light pressure to the secondary shoe for attaching the cable. Place the brake drum on the vehicle and any attached retainers if present before installing the wheel and performing a brake pedal operation to obtain automatic adjustment.