parking brakes nightmare

[jippi]

ive searched and didnt come up with much but i went from a simple brake rotor swap to a parking brake nightmare. long story short my rear rotors were toast so i decided to put new pads and rotors on and i took a hammer to break the rotor free from the hub and it worked, upon inspection i touched the shoe for the ebrake andit fell off so i simply went to the dealer and got a set of shoes which were cheaper then the usual parts places. reinstalled everything and i get weird noises out the back so off with the rotors again to see whats going on. it turns out that the spring that holds the star wheel is some how hitting the abs wheel, so i thought it was the springs and i went out to get a parking brake hardware kit which is a POS. the hardware is the right kit but some springs are too long and the hold down pins are too short etc etc. with the shoes adjusted so that the rotor goes on right, the adjustment in the car is adjusted to the loosest possible setting. with all that the star wheel spring still hits the abs wheel. i just got done the same thing on my volvo and it wasnt nearly as complicated. any suggestions or advice??

thanks in advance

[chuckthefuk]

Where did you get the brake hardware kit? From the dealer?

Sounds like you have the wrong kit.. Most jobbers/aftermarket suppliers get subaru models mixed up since there are so many little variations.

-Chuck

[harrymaneuvers]

^This. Either you got the wrong kit or some component other than the replacement parts is bent, warped or damaged.

I am leaning towards wrong parts as well.

[jippi]

hardware kit was beck and arney which everything matched up exactly like the old hardware. the shoes are direct from subaru. after much investigation and removing the rotor many times i believe ive found the issue, due to it being a NE car and it being almost 15 years old the rear brake backing plate had a substantial amount of rust on it i wire brushed most of it off but to no avail. since its japanese the clearences are real tight and it turns out that the shoes dont sit flush with the backing plate, so i used my usual techniques to make it work it still doesnt. after another 280 spent at the local subaru dealer for both backing plates i think my nightmare should end. i havent gotten them yet so fingers crossed hope it fixes it. this is what comes from replacing the OE rotors on a 15 yo car.

[Dead91silvia]

this is what comes from replacing the OE rotors on a 15 yo car.

No, thats with living on the east coast where you guys use salt... My 15 year old car is a dream to work on and it's got 251K+ on it! Come to think of it, my 24 year old truck is not even that bad. Now the 67 Chevy, that can be a pain at times... :grin:

[jippi]

its a pain, but yea my car is a northern pa car with all that salt and snow and crap so rust was expected. i got the new backing plates in just got to figure out how to put them in. if that doesnt work then im just gonna rip the parking brake system out all together... :mad: :mad: :smt011 :smt011 it doesnt help that japanese cars use thin sheet metal, i got a 96 volvo, 93 mercedes, and 91 bmw and none of them have rust on the brake backing plates like this.

[jippi]

anyone have an ideal of how to remove the bAcking plateon these cars?

[chuckthefuk]

You have to remove the hub. This is one of the reasons people buy brake adapters instead of the backing plate.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/CIMG0477-1.jpg
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/CIMG0479-1.jpg

:-(

[jippi]

hows the hub come out with the knuckle still in the car? everywhere ive read the assembly needs to come out first. ive searched the forums and thats all ive gotten is to either cut the backing plate or swap the knuckle. no solid methods to remove the hub.

[chuckthefuk]

I take it you haven't bothered looking at the Factory Service Manual or a how to off of google.

You sir need a hub puller.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2012/12/hub_puller-1.jpg

Its a bitch.. But it works.

[jippi]

thanks chuck i read the manual, and googled it and all of them refer to using a hub puller with the knuckles out if the car. i wasnt sure if they were the same.

[chuckthefuk]

I've seen about 20 wheel bearing services and all of them are done on the car. The labor rate for removing the knuckle off the car is way to much for any shop to justify that practice.
-Chuck

[jippi]

i got the hubs out im reading the manual and im assuming that the hub and bearing need toe be pressed back into the knuckle? ive been searching videos and how tos and they tell me that the hub is like the be/bh hubs where the hub unbolts from the knuckle.

[chuckthefuk]

Yes you need to press them in by taking off the knuckle. I was referring to the removal of the hub itself in my previous posts.

Most home mechanics will rent or build a bottle jack press setup or the lazy just take the entire knuckle to a shop with a press.

Good luck
-Chuck

[prodriver1]

Yes you need to press them in by taking off the knuckle. I was referring to the removal of the hub itself in my previous posts.

Most home mechanics will rent or build a bottle jack press setup or the lazy just take the entire knuckle to a shop with a press.

Good luck
-Chuck
LOL that would be me, the lazy guy who just takes the knuckle off and brings it to a shop :lol:

[jippi]

Hmmmmm. I'm guessing that the bearing and seal needs to be carefully removed from the hub end repacked with lots of grease and pressed into the knuckle. Ironically I have access to a bottle jack press. This turned into more work then I imagined.

[chuckthefuk]

wheel bearings are the worst of the worst for Subarus.

[jippi]

found diys on wheel bearings and its a PITA as everyone stated.... im assuming i cant take the bearing off the hub and reuse it....i guess its time to replace the wheel bearings too while i have it all out.. after some searching is 95 per side for the bearing and the 3 seals is it a good deal ??

[prodriver1]

found diys on wheel bearings and its a PITA as everyone stated.... im assuming i cant take the bearing off the hub and reuse it....i guess its time to replace the wheel bearings too while i have it all out.. after some searching is 95 per side for the bearing and the 3 seals is it a good deal ??
thats an ok price, i pay 84 when i bring my knuckle in myself, but thats at a top import shop in my area.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Hmmmmm. I'm guessing that the bearing and seal needs to be carefully removed from the hub end repacked with lots of grease and pressed into the knuckle. Ironically I have access to a bottle jack press. This turned into more work then I imagined.

According to the FSMs, you should replace with new bearings each time the hubs are put in/out. If they're the newer bolt-on style bearings, they may not need to be replaced though, I'm not sure what vehicle you have.

[jippi]

Hmmmmm. I'm guessing that the bearing and seal needs to be carefully removed from the hub end repacked with lots of grease and pressed into the knuckle. Ironically I have access to a bottle jack press. This turned into more work then I imagined.

According to the FSMs, you should replace with new bearings each time the hubs are put in/out. If they're the newer bolt-on style bearings, they may not need to be replaced though, I'm not sure what vehicle you have.
98 outback sus

[jippi]

After a lot of headaches and bunch of beer the new backing plates, bearings, and seals are installed in the knuckle and knuckle waiting to be reinstalled in the car, just got to get new lateral bolts and nuts. So a simple rear rotor job which cost about 70 turned into a $500 can of worms gotta love these cars.

[jippi]

Finally done the car 600 in parts and another 150 in tools ....lesson learned if it ain't broke don't touch it

[prodriver1]

Finally done the car 600 in parts and another 150 in tools ....lesson learned if it ain't broke don't touch it
word.