Rear brakes rusting

[craveman85]

Anyone else have problems with their rear brakes rusting on them a lot? I've had to replace all my adjusters and springs and shoes on every ranger I owned pretty much yearly. I even made sure this year I didn't drive through any deep water and made a trailer tongue extension so my back brakes never hit the water while launching and they still rusted up. I may switch to rear discs if I can't keep these damn back brakes working. The axle is a 7.5 with 9" rear drums and yes the rubber plugs are in it.

 

[Andy D]

Hardware kits are cheap, prolly impossible to find kits that aren't Chinese. Whats up with the shoes? Do you launch into salt water? Just being damp is enough. The Rat sat for a yr under an oak tree. The brakes had been replaced shortly before the truck was parked. Worked great until I broke a line. The entire system except the MC, rotors and drums had to be replaced. While you're under there check out the rear lines ,spring hangers, and frame rails too.

If I had a CJ-8, I wouldn't need the Ranger

 

[adsm08]

HAHA, that line about discs is funny.

If you can't keep your drum setup from rotting when it is mostly enclosed what do you think is going to happen to a rotor with a fully exposed machined surface that can't be painted?

 

[craveman85]

The discs don't have all the little springs and adjusters inside them though do they? I drive enough where the surface isn't going to rust. Probably 350-400 miles a week. Never had it anywhere near saltwater. It's always damp here in NY. Shoes went bad from other bad internal parts.

 

[adsm08]

In that case it might be worth it. The problem is the easiest disc swaps still have a drum style parking brake. So you still have springs.

Have you tried leaving the rubber plugs out? I know it lets water in, but it also allows air circulation.

 

[craveman85]

My cj8 when it's done again will never see snow so I need the ranger. It's never had one spec of rust on it.

 

[pjtoledo]

My cj8 when it's done again will never see snow so I need the ranger. It's never had one spec of rust on it.

I wouldn't say that too loud in the company of jeepers

 

[Doofy]

I'd recommend moving. Arizona would be a safe bet for lowering the rust action.

 

[craveman85]

I wouldn't say that too loud in the company of jeepers

Most Jeepers won't take an 8 out in snow if they put down even the slightest amount of road salt. They made about 28000 over 5 years and almost half ended up over seas. A big chunk of them have rotted out or been wrecked so there's not too many of them left out there.

 

[bobbywalter]

Anyone else have problems with their rear brakes rusting on them a lot? I've had to replace all my adjusters and springs and shoes on every ranger I owned pretty much yearly. I even made sure this year I didn't drive through any deep water and made a trailer tongue extension so my back brakes never hit the water while launching and they still rusted up. I may switch to rear discs if I can't keep these damn back brakes working. The axle is a 7.5 with 9" rear drums and yes the rubber plugs are in it.

what is not working? your wearing the pads to the core because the springs rust off or something?


do you disassemble and thoroughly anti sieze the self adjuster shaft and pack the cap or just install them right out of the package?

are you installing the self adjuster correctly?


I swamp mine out with gooey ass mud and run in ocean water to salt infested waterholes all winter long....they are grabby in the mornings when its damp....but that is the nature of them. if they get sticky I just tighten them up.

if you are assembling them incorrectly and or not lubing the adjusters I can see there being problems. the springs are gonna rust where its damp, but I cant see them failing after a year.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

In that case it might be worth it. The problem is the easiest disc swaps still have a drum style parking brake. So you still have springs.

Can be deleted if you don't want it, having a manual the OP might want it though.

Hardware is a PITA to get at on an Explorer axle, it is tiny and a lot of it is hidden behind the axle flange. Combined with the shoes there isn't much room to get at stuff so your annual spring change probably wouldn't get any more fun.

Something is weird though, I know I ran my 7.5 for 11 years and I don't think I ever touched the hardware.

 

[craveman85]

Maybe it's because I changed it all the first time I did pads. Could be all that cheap Chinese garbage in there

 

[bobbywalter]

yeah....I can see that.


the difference between me doing my rears(dana 60)with Chinese garf and top shelf is 240 dollars.

probably 2 years more in general use....

 

[craveman85]

How does the parking brake setup with with the mustang disc swap? That's the route I planned on taking.

 

[pjtoledo]

the rear caliper is more complicated, it has a big screw and some bearings behind the piston.
in function the cable attaches to the caliper and pulls a lever that advances that big screw to force the piston out.