Any Car Guys In Here?

[TronX]

I've been working on my 1998 Mercury Mystique rear brakes.
The brake fluid busted out the rear wheel cylinder. I got a new Cylinder, fluid and pads. However I?m a little perplexed on how this brake assembly goes back on. The part in question is the strut and auto adjuster. The Haynes manual does not show this part in great detail. I got the thing almost back on and then noticed something was not quite right because the right side shoe would stick out with the adjuster in the way.

So I guess my real question is, ?Does anyone have a picture in detail of this Rear Brake Assembly??

 

[Ladies Man]

check out the other side and see how that looks

 

[TronX]

Originally posted by: Ladies Man
check out the other side and see how that looks

Yah.. It's about the only way I guess..

 

[Slacker]

but remember it will be a mirror image of the opposite side.

 

[TronX]

Originally posted by: Slacker
but remember it will be a mirror image of the opposite side.

It's bad enough you can't really see how the darn thing fits together without
taking it out. There are way too many parts blocking the view of the auto brake adjuster.
I better get a digital camera from someone before I end up
at a car shop with smirking faces and gold teeth that say "bling bling."

 

[Ornery]

I purchased my basket case of a first car when I was 15. Soon after I turned 16 one of my first repairs on that thing was the rear brakes. My first thoughts were, "Man, cars are COMPLICATED!" One of the first special tools I purchased was brake spring pliers. Still have 'em after 30 years!

I don't know how I managed to get those things apart and back together right. I don't even think I had a book! I know I had both sides opened up, so I could compare them. Didn't take 'em both apart at the same time, though! You might want to buy a new spring kit. That may even have instructions included. The tricky part is how several parts are latched in place with a single retaining clip. Pretty clever... crude, but clever.

• Pic 1
• Pic 2
• Pic 3

 

[TronX]

Originally posted by: Ornery
I purchased my basket case of a first car when I was 15. Soon after I turned 16 one of my first repairs on that thing was the rear brakes. My first thoughts were, "Man, cars are COMPLICATED!" One of the first special tools I purchased was brake spring pliers. Still have 'em after 30 years!

I don't know how I managed to get those things apart and back together right. I don't even think I had a book! I know I had both sides opened up, so I could compare them. Didn't take 'em both apart at the same time, though! You might want to buy a new spring kit. That may even have instructions included. The tricky part is how several parts are latched in place with a single retaining clip. Pretty clever... crude, but clever.

• Pic 1
• Pic 2
• Pic 3

I'll get a pair of those spring pliers! Hehe..

On diagram 9.5 of Picture #2 part (B) Quadrant Lever is not the same shape. This is the big problem that I'm having because the books I've got don't show the right parts, but when I go to order the new pads and stuff they use what I have. So I guess they may have changed the brake system since the first car manuals where released?

Anyway, the small teeth ridges that connect the Quadrant lever to the (E) Pin are that same. But on the other side of the Lever on this car it has gear like notches and the shoe has an open hook. And there is a notched section on the Strut for a different type of spring that looks like it raps around the strut rather than what is used in the Haynes book.

 

[RossMAN]

I envy you car guys.

I can't even change my car's oil

 

[Ladies Man]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
I envy you car guys.

I can't even change my car's oil

so learn

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
I envy you car guys.

I can't even change my car's oil

Why the fsck not? :Q

A 6 year old could change a car's oil.. with adult guidance... and maybe a little bit of help with the oil filter.

The concept isn't hard.

Drain old oil
Change filter
Put new oil in

If you can make mac&cheese, you should be able to change your oil.

 

[TronX]

Originally posted by: Ladies Man

Originally posted by: RossMAN
I envy you car guys.

I can't even change my car's oil

so learn

I killed my first junk car changing my oil and filter.
Not sure how or why but the oil never made
it too the engine..cough

Super lube it..

 

[RossMAN]

But would my hands get dirty?

 

[SuperSix]

If the guy isn't mechanically inclined, let him be. I would rather have someone admit they can't do than try to do brake repairs w/o the proper tools and/or knowledge.

I wouldn't want some hack that just did his brakes coming up behind my car and not able to stop. (Not calling you a hack, Rossman)


That being said, I usually take a pic of the rakes with my digital cam..

/me HATES drum brakes.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
If the guy isn't mechanically inclined, let him be. I would rather have someone admit they can't do than try to do brake repairs w/o the proper tools and/or knowledge.

I wouldn't want some hack that just did his brakes coming up behind my car and not able to stop. (Not calling you a hack, Rossman)


That being said, I usually take a pic of the rakes with my digital cam..

/me HATES drum brakes.

I totally agree, I'm not very mechanically inclined ... although I think eventually I should learn how to change my car's oil.

Then I'll learn how to drive a manual and become [grunt] a man [/grunt].

 

[TronX]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
If the guy isn't mechanically inclined, let him be. I would rather have someone admit they can't do than try to do brake repairs w/o the proper tools and/or knowledge.

I wouldn't want some hack that just did his brakes coming up behind my car and not able to stop. (Not calling you a hack, Rossman)


That being said, I usually take a pic of the rakes with my digital cam..

/me HATES drum brakes.

Yah.. I did both front brakes is 30min..so easy.

/me HATES drum brakes!

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: TronX

I killed my first junk car changing my oil and filter.
Not sure how or why but the oil never made
it too the engine

<---- hates drum brakes after taking a pring to the face in high school on my very first set. Safety glasses are your friends. buy some.

 

[godmare]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
But would my hands get dirty?

You could wear latex gloves like some of the new mechanics are doing now.

but you're a sissy if you do

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: godmare

Originally posted by: RossMAN
But would my hands get dirty?

You could wear latex gloves like some of the new mechanics are doing now.

but you're a sissy if you do

Actually, it's probably a really good idea....

I know I get too much gasoline, carb cleaner, etc.. on my hands. Probably develop some kind of cancer later in life.

BTW, latex doesen't last long around gasoline...

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: godmare

Originally posted by: RossMAN
But would my hands get dirty?

You could wear latex gloves like some of the new mechanics are doing now.

but you're a sissy if you do

Actually, it's probably a really good idea....

I know I get too much gasoline, carb cleaner, etc.. on my hands. Probably develop some kind of cancer later in life.

BTW, latex doesen't last long around gasoline...

Nah, wouldn't a real man use his bare hands and just lick anything that spilled onto them?

 

[StageLeft]

Less than a year ago I didn't know how to change my oil. I knew essentially nothing about how the mechanics behind a car work. Now I change it in both cars, have swaped the front brake pads (hey it's easy with disc brakes!), changed an O2 sensor, and replaced a thermostat. It's a far cry from rebuilding an engine to be sure but it's amazing how _easy_ so much of the stuff is on cars that people continually pay money to do because "Hey I can't do that." Granted it took me two days to get that damn O2 sensor replaced and the thermostat just would not budge, but that's just technicalities. The actual understanding of what was going on was not difficult.

If I need a new tranny I'll bring it in but a lot of things somebody with a Haynes can do and you'll get that rear brake setup if you keep at it

I got a thing in the mail reminding me to get a checkup on one of the cars and it had prices for all of the things they do - various point check outs, fluid levels, etc. etc. etc. and I realized that hey I can do most of it and what I can't do the Haynes would teach me, so no need to spend money on that for the rest of my life. And like I said I have almost no experience.

It's kind of like how people look at somebody who has built their own computer in awe like "Wow man I can't believe you know all that", but since you know how easy it is it's really not amazing to you at all.

Disclaimer: Not saying all car repairs are easy. They definitely aren't all easy, but a lot of the basic stuff that most people need done on a semi-regular basis is generally not very difficult and once you learn you can save yourself a ton of money down the road.

Oh yeah and I installed a second horn in the sentra!!!

 

[Ornery]

On diagram 9.5 of Picture #2 part (B) Quadrant Lever is not the same shape. This is the big problem that I'm having because the books I've got don't show the right parts, but when I go to order the new pads and stuff they use what I have. So I guess they may have changed the brake system since the first car manuals where released?

Anyway, the small teeth ridges that connect the Quadrant lever to the (E) Pin are that same. But on the other side of the Lever on this car it has gear like notches and the shoe has an open hook. And there is a notched section on the Strut for a different type of spring that looks like it raps around the strut rather than what is used in the Haynes book.


You're lucky if that picture even closely approximates what yours looks like. It could be from a 1952 Citroen for all I know! There won't be many images of yours on the web, since it's not too old. Like I said, the most complicated thing about it, is that one single pin/retainer can be used to latch several components in place. If you could get a nice close-up digital image or two, of the assembly on the other side, I bet it wouldn't be too hard to piece it together.

Edit: If you plan on keeping the car a few years, it would pay to invest in one of these 1998 Contour/Mystique Shop Manuals. It goes into great detail on all systems of that car.

 

Remember that when assembling drum brakes, there are right and left hand parts (Adjusters, e-brake lever, one has a left hand thread, the other a right hand thread), also there are leading and trailing brake shoes(One shoe has more friction area than the other), your best bet seeing that you disassembled them already without memorizing or drawing a pic on how the assembly goes back together is to carefully disassemble the other side to see how it goes together, remember that the opposing side is exactly the opposite.

 

[grillmasterP]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Nah, wouldn't a real man use his bare hands and just lick anything that spilled onto them?

LOL...A real man mouth siphons gasoline from a garden hose into a Jerry Can! (hacks and spits to the side)
then proceeds to wash mouth out with a beer.