97 ford escort, weak rear brakes
 

I changed the front pads and rear shoes of my 97 escort. I noticed the
rear brakes are weak. With the vehicle raised, I could turn the wheels
by hand with the brakes on. On ice, I couldn't lock up the rear wheels.
Unfortunately I didn't check this before I replaced the shoes.

This car has a funning looking brake adjuster. It doesn't have a star
wheel. There is no dust cover access either. I stopped repeatedly in
reveres to adjust them.

With the rr drum off there was almost no movement from the wheel
cylinder when the brake was pressed. Since I hadn't opened the
hydraulics, and the pedal was firm I didn't think there was air in
the lines. I thought I had a frozen wheel cylinder. I replaced both
rear wheel cylinders and bled them. I can no longer turn the wheels by
hand but I can't lock them up on ice. I'm concerned that the rear
brakes aren't doing anything significant. How can I tell if the rear
brakes are working OK?

I suspect the proportional valve. Can this be tested?
BTW: The parking brake works fine. This car doesn't have abs.

imnoldee wrote:
> I changed the front pads and rear shoes of my 97 escort. I noticed
the
> rear brakes are weak. With the vehicle raised, I could turn the
wheels
> by hand with the brakes on. On ice, I couldn't lock up the rear
wheels.
> Unfortunately I didn't check this before I replaced the shoes.
>
> This car has a funning looking brake adjuster. It doesn't have a star
> wheel. There is no dust cover access either. I stopped repeatedly in
> reveres to adjust them.
>
> With the rr drum off there was almost no movement from the wheel
> cylinder when the brake was pressed. Since I hadn't opened the
> hydraulics, and the pedal was firm I didn't think there was air in
> the lines. I thought I had a frozen wheel cylinder. I replaced both
> rear wheel cylinders and bled them. I can no longer turn the wheels
by
> hand but I can't lock them up on ice. I'm concerned that the rear
> brakes aren't doing anything significant. How can I tell if the rear
> brakes are working OK?
>
> I suspect the proportional valve. Can this be tested?
> BTW: The parking brake works fine. This car doesn't have abs.

Do you have a load-sensing proportioning valve like VW uses? That will
result in an almost complete loss of pressure to the rear wheels when
the car is in the air. Try jacking it up so the load is on the
suspension and try it again. You may not have a problem at all :)
good luck

nate

> Do you have a load-sensing proportioning valve like VW uses?

I don't know if it has a load-sensing valve.

> Try jacking it up so the load is on the
> suspension and try it again.

The car was raised by the rear suspension.
> You may not have a problem at all :)
> good luck
>
> nate