you don't need to pull the hub nut to do the rear brakes. You can just un-do the 4 bolts on the back and the whole spindle, bearing, and drum will come off. It's really a lot easier to do it this way if you're doing just the shoes and not replacing the whole drum.

This page shows the rear brake disassembly in quite a bit of detail:

http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=48

 

you don't need to pull the hub nut to do the rear brakes. You can just un-do the 4 bolts on the back and the whole spindle, bearing, and drum will come off. It's really a lot easier to do it this way if you're doing just the shoes and not replacing the whole drum.

This page shows the rear brake disassembly in quite a bit of detail:

http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=48

Okay so I've messed up now. I looked for info after I did it. Could have saved some time and done it correctly but now I have to fix what I may have done.

I've already removed the rear axle nuts and inspected my brakes. I'm going to have to get some brake shoes but it's okay for a few more miles.

What's the correct torque for the axle nut and should I replace them. I had no problem with them. I just didn't know about the removable spindle. I'm just doing slow local driving for the rest of the week but I have to get on the highway again Friday.

Is removing the spindle really the Ford recommended procedure?

Louie.

 

you don't need to pull the hub nut to do the rear brakes. You can just un-do the 4 bolts on the back and the whole spindle, bearing, and drum will come off. It's really a lot easier to do it this way if you're doing just the shoes and not replacing the whole drum.

This page shows the rear brake disassembly in quite a bit of detail:

http://www.focushacks.com/index.php?modid=48

Okay so I've messed up now. I looked for info after I did it. Could have saved some time and done it correctly but now I have to fix what I may have done.

I've already removed the rear axle nuts and inspected my brakes. I'm going to have to get some brake shoes but it's okay for a few more miles.

What's the correct torque for the axle nut and should I replace them. I had no problem with them. I just didn't know about the removable spindle. I'm just doing slow local driving for the rest of the week but I have to get on the highway again Friday.

Is removing the spindle really the Ford recommended procedure?

Louie.

IT is in my CD-ROM service manual!

Unfortunately I don't have it here with me, it's at work, so I don't know what the torque spec is.

 

hub nut is 32mm and the torque spec is 173 ft/lbs

 

hub nut is 32mm and the torque spec is 173 ft/lbs

173ft/lbs! It was no where near as tight as that when we took it off. My torque wrench won't even read that high.

The rear bearings were serviced as part of a recall last year(or the year before) so Seguin Ford must not have tightened them very much. Either that or they loosened up by themselves. I guess I'd better look for a torque wrench and tighten them up a little more.

The other question was are they re-usable. I have to take care of this quickly. Last Friday I had the car up to 120 mph on a twisty farm road trying out the new speed limiter.

Louie.

 

It's 29mm. I'm in the process of doing the rear brakes on my 2000 Focus SE and I tried the sockets I had. 29mm was what fit on mine. The proper procedure for removing the drums is to remove the spindle (there are 4 bolts behind the backing plate) and to disconnect the ABS wire from its connector.

 

I agree with the 29mm, that is definately the size I used to change my rear brakes. 32mm is too big.

The rear axle nuts are only recommended to be reused 3-4 times. I replaced mine with new nuts the last time I had them off because I had already taken them off once, and I have no clue how many times the previous owner of my car had the nuts off. New nuts were $8 a piece from my local Ford dealer parts department.

 

So the front and back are different sizes ? I just worked on my front and it is 32mm.

 

I guess that may be the case, I dont believe I have taken my front axle nuts off yet, so the fronts may be 32mm. My focus is a 2000 as well, what year is yours?

 

2001, I did the back brakes taking off the four bolts. I never touched the hub nut. * Anyone doing back brakes, take shock off. It's much easier working than working around it. I took the bottom off and should have removed the whole thing.

 

So, the winner is 29 MM for the rear spindle nut?

 

Are we sure the torque spec is 173 ft./lbs?

 

Just wanted to clear some things up for you:

Front Axle Nut - 32mm
Rear Axle Nut - 29mm

Rear Axle Torque - 173 Lb/ft (yes, it gets cranked on).
Front Axle Torque - I'm not sure, but it's up there too.

Ford states that you can re-use the axle nuts a couple of times before replacing. I typically do my rear brakes by removing the axle nut. My spindle nuts (the "proper" way) are rusted and rounded so I've always gone with the axle nut for removal. I don't think I've ever re-used the nuts more than once, but I've definitely re-used them without any problem.

Maybe it's better for the wheel bearing to remove the drum via the spindle bolts, but that seems like a bit of a stretch.

 

front axle nut is 254ftlbs. yeah real bitch to take off without an impact.

 

I am doing the rear brakes on my 2001 ZTS. I have the new brakes on and got new drums as well. The old drum looks to have a hard rubber washer on the back of the drum. The new drum does not. Do I need the hard rubber washer or just put the bare metal drum on?

Thanks,

 

rear hub nut is 29 mil or 1 1/8 sae.you may have to lightly tap the socket on the nut this is good cause the nuts are very tight. if the drum after releasing the park brake doesnt slide off you need a puller .wiggle side to side as you are winding out. after, if not replacing drums take your die grinder and remove the ridge off the outer side of the drum this will make replacing and next time and removal eaiser. dont forget to never seize the park brake acuator arm best you can before assembly also the 10 inch park brake cable should be lubricated from drum to to the cable connectors this will make life easier next time and keep your park brake free and working for a very long time. those are very bad areas for siezing up and stopping the park brake from operating. lightly lubercate the dust cap on the inside of the drum and make sure the rubber ring isnt damaged or torn off before assembly

 

Impact guns are nice for this

 

I just went through the trouble of finding the rear nut size of the hub. The front was without doubt was a 32 mm, however I went to numerous auto parts stores and they had no clue. I read the note by the team member that said it was a 1 1/8", so I went and tried it out, however for a 2000 ford focus the rear nut to the hub is 1 1/16", so I hope this will help anyone that runs into this problem. Why are they both different sizes, can't answer that. I do thank the team member for getting me on the right path.

 

Thanks for posting ax0n The pix were a diffinite PLUS!!

If I ever have to remove the spindle nut, how do remove the nut locking clamp so you can get the socket on the nut?
I tried removing it but gave up The only other thing would be to bend all 6 tabs away from the nut.

 

nm

 

The locking part to keep nut from backing off is left handed or backward thread. The nut itself is normal right hand thread. If you pull big nut off be sure it's tightened all the way back up to full torque, Foci have a history of the passenger side rear nut backing off in use to let wheel come off car. That's why the locking part added. There was a recall on the problem.

Make sure the self adjuster cam quadrant is free moving and the spring is on it. Brakes adjust automatically the first time the brake applied if you got it all right. No multiple stops necessary.

Thinking 254 lbs. too high, closer to 200................make sure as you pull up to torque it feels solid with no give. If nut strips you'll feel it pull looser as you go up to that torque.

 

I went to Sears and bought a 29mm socket. It fit the rear wheel nuts perfectly!
I replaced the rear rotors because the bearings on the driver side were so loud you couldn't have a conversation with passengers while driving. Since the bearings are pressed into the rotors and it was only $10 more for rotors with bearings already installed than purchasing bearings by themselves, I replaced both rear rotors in less than an hour. Test drove the car and quiet as can be. Wife is happy now, so....

 

The whole system is the WORST drum set up in history. There is NO advantage to the integrated hub and drum other than a bunch of dealer-only items that get ruined if someone tries to do the job in a normal, logical, and industry standard procedure. There was nothing wrong with a drum that simply fitted over the hub and stud assembly. I hope the 'special' engineers who participated in this clusterf#ck change experience a painfull, horrible death, and join their brethren in Hades

 

nm

 

nm

 

The advantage in hindsight is that we get to see how many other parts have now joined up with the drum/bearing combo to be parts sold as 'subassemblies' now rather than separate parts. The industry now makes as many parts together as they can to then sell you plenty of parts you don't need in order to get the one you do need. No such thing as a $400 repair any longer, the normal small repair is $800-$1000 now and great job Detroit. I yearn for the days at our family garage where many of the repairs were under $50..............and I can't wait to have to buy an entire engine just to get a set of spark plugs.