All2kool
Senior Member
How do you adjust the Parking Brake on a 2004 Lincoln Town Car?
Parking Brake Adjustment
- Thread starter All2kool
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Town
Senior Member
There are two adjustments for the parking brake, at the cable and at the shoes, see attachments. Ford recommends adjusting the cable first, and then the shoes if insufficient holding power on a grade. I think this is because the parking brake shoes are self adjusting, but Ford does not say this. Just that the shoes often wear into the drum and make the drum difficult to remove unless the adjuster is backed off first.
It is best to remove the rear brake disc that includes the drum for the parking brake shoes to make sure the shoes are good and the springs are good and there is not a leak of differential oil onto the drum/shoes from a worn seal. If the drum will not pull straight off after releasing the usual seizing of drum to hub, you can access the parking brake adjuster (see the attachment on the parking brake shoe R&I) by removing a rubber plug in the backing plate for the parking brakes. It is not shown in the illustration but it is beside the adjuster at the rear of the backing plate for driver's side and front of backing plate for the passenger side. The adjuster wheel turns to adjust the shoes. I cannot remember which way to turn the adjuster wheel but you will be able to see the number of threads increase when moving the shoes closer to the drum and vice versa.
Good luck.
It is best to remove the rear brake disc that includes the drum for the parking brake shoes to make sure the shoes are good and the springs are good and there is not a leak of differential oil onto the drum/shoes from a worn seal. If the drum will not pull straight off after releasing the usual seizing of drum to hub, you can access the parking brake adjuster (see the attachment on the parking brake shoe R&I) by removing a rubber plug in the backing plate for the parking brakes. It is not shown in the illustration but it is beside the adjuster at the rear of the backing plate for driver's side and front of backing plate for the passenger side. The adjuster wheel turns to adjust the shoes. I cannot remember which way to turn the adjuster wheel but you will be able to see the number of threads increase when moving the shoes closer to the drum and vice versa.
Good luck.
All2kool
Senior Member
Many thanks.
All2kool
Senior Member
Got the car up on my cousins lift today and adjusted the Parking Brake to its fully extended position - car is now holding on a hill, which it was not doing before.
Dorman (part #03008) also makes an inline adjuster, which could be rather handy.
Town
Senior Member
Good job, but sounds like you are going to need new cables sometime. Would that Dorman adjuster work with the Ford adjuster or replace it?
Good luck.
Good luck.
All2kool
Senior Member
The Dorman adjuster is inline - just place it in the cable anywhere there is room. Cable does not need to be cut, the eye-hook draws the cable in, therefore shortening the length of the cable. The picture shows the eye-hook as it is shipped. It actually functions when the eye-hook is turned around. The two nuts lock it in place against the flat section (where the eye-hook is now). Why this picture is shown could be very confusing.
Town
Senior Member
Thanks, sure is confusing to me. Looks like a poor quality link for the single cable to twin cable connection to me. Not going on my car for sure as a means of shortening the front cable.
Good luck.
Good luck.
All2kool
Senior Member
It isn't meant to link anything together, only draw the cable in. Looks to me as thought it could shorten a cable by up to 2". Look at picture I posted but turn the eye hook around so that it fits between the two posts. Now imagine turning it down, therefore removing any slack in the cable you put it on. Similar to a turnbuckle but the cable remains un-cut.
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