03 F250 Rear Brake Disaster

Well here goes another disaster thanks to the highway department and their use of brine solution for the roads every winter.

This is a pic of a 2003 F250 Rear Axle. It is my brother in law's vehicle. Only has 186,000 miles on it. I got the phone call from his wife telling me she thought the rear left loose. Thought at first she hit something and the tire was going down. Checked the tires and they wee OK. So I get there and have her try to move it. That was when I start hearing metallic clanking going on. So it was flatbedded to my shop. This is what I found the next day in the daylight.
So it has a bent axle tube flange. I figure something went wrong internally so order up a used axle assembly. After starting to disassemble it to begin the swap, I find this:
So it is my belief that the backing plate rusted apart allowing the parking brake shoes to come loose. They jammed between the spinning axle and the caliper mounting bracket. This broke the bracket while bending the mounting flange. The end of the tube actually was forcing the rear wheel into a toe in condition simulating a flat tire as it tried to track down the road while she was bringing the truck to a stop.

So I get the used axle in here and the backing plates for that just about crumbles in my hands. So now we have to replace the backing plates (requiring removal of the axles), new parking brake shoes, new shoe hardware as some ended up somewhere along the highway while springs were stretched, new rotors, new rotor pads, new calipers, and replacing the gear lube on the new (used) axle.

I know 1 thing for sure, I'm checking my backing plates before I put my 00 F 250 back on the road. Backing plates are only $50.00 for a set from Rock Auto but a hell lot of labor.

Rick

Holy crap!! What a friggin horror show!! First time I've EVER seen that happen on any vehicle!

Guess we'd all better get used to it. Auto manufacturers continue to cheapen up parts, and municipalities continue to dump more and more salt on the roads to keep these yuppified idiots out of the ditch ...

First time I ever saw it as well. Never would have imagined this to happen. But when I pulled the rotor off, all the brake pieces hit the floor. So I am ASSuming this is what happened. At least that is the only plausible answer I can come up with.

And I think the metallic clanging I heard was the brake actuator lever hitting the inside pieces rolling around. I actually drove it slowly into the shop. But when I attempted to back it up, everything locked up inside the rotor. The left backing plate was just about non existent anymore. The right has huge holes in it but the shoes remained in place.

Part of this I do blame on lack of maintenance. I think the emergency brake shoes were shot before this happened. Or at least looking at the right side, I don't think they would have passed inspection. And this truck is due by the end of the month.

The replacement backing plates are supposed to be powder coated and they say to not coat them with anything else prior to installation. Hmmmmmmmmm

Rick

*censored* Rick the last time I did the rear brakes on my 01 the backing plates were bad almost to the point they would not hold the shoes in place,after seeing that I better put on some new ones ASAP before its more then just brakes. Keepaeyeonit

Rear plates were rotted through on my 04 silverado, did the 2 piece replacement a couple yrs ago, already has surface rust.

I just had a preventative marathon with the truck this weekend, lifted bed off with tractor forks, bolts came off with impact gun when compressor was fully charged. Wire weeled and needle scaled away as much as I could then brushed on chassis saver. I sprayed it on the underside of the bed as well with my $10 harbor freight HVLP gun. There are still spots in the inner frame rail near the gas tank I just couldn't get and of course under the cab. Fuel pump steel elbows looked nasty also, coated them with chassis saver, probably should have replaced the pump just didn't have the time.

Finally using my $10 gun I sprayed down the underside of the bed and frame rails with 10W-30. This was pretty easy, wish I had been doing this in years past, didn't really think of doing it till reading this forum. The frame cross member that holds the spare tire plate in rough shape, bolted in a piece of angle to give it some more support. I've owned this truck 10 yrs now, hoping I can get 3-5 more until at least one of my girls is out of day care. I don't see advancing the 125k on it now past 190 without being overcome by the rot. Would like to rig up the PVC wand to wash underside more frequently. Still can't believe GM isn't in hot water for non stainless brake lines rotting, mine gave out 2 yrs ago, copper nickel replacement still holding up.

I had to redo everything on our '99 F250 SD when we bought it last February ,had to buy the special socket to pull the axle,that's quite a job & something that totally freaked me out when I first saw the mess. Never saw that on my '51 Dodge p.u. or the '72 or either of the '78s,or the '88 or the '86.. all those were Dodges ,didn't see it on my '93 F250,come to think of it not on the '68 Plymouth Valiant, not on the '73 Dodge Dart with 300k on it,not on the '73 Dodge polara,not on the '77 fullsize Dodge van with 275k on it when we sold it to a small church to use, not on the '76 Dodge Aspen station wagon, not even on the piece of junk '79 Plymouth Volare & there are more could be mentioned,but they all had 1 common factor..... they used METAL backing plates not tin like my '99 F250 SD has.

Just a follow up.

This vehicle is freaking possessed.

It has been plaguing me all friggin' week. Every time turned around had to order something else.

Final tally was new parking brake shoes, new hardware for them, new backing plates, new rotors, new hub seals, repack the rear inner bearings, new calipers, new caliper brackets, differential cover gasket, 2 tubes limited slip additive, 3 1/2 qts of gear lube and about 25 pair of nitrile gloves.

I didn't have a puller so had to buy one of those and the brake springs were too tough for the needle nose pliers so new spring tools. Also bought a 1 man brake bleeder hose.

Finally get everything put together. While it was still on the stands I burnished in the new shoes and double checked the caliper action. Drop the thing on the ground and get ready to take it for a test drive and the pedal goes straight down to the friggin' floor.

Look underneath it and see the telltale sign of brake fluid dripping off the middle of the fuel tank. Stayed late to finish this thing up. Should have been packing for our MD hunting trip but noooooo, I want this customer to get their vehicle before we leave!!!!!

Well guess what?? I'm leaving the shop now at 7:45 PM. We will leave for MD in the morning and I will finish this SOB when I get back. I am so ready to shoot something. Hopefully we get to se a lot of deer otherwise there will be trees with .50 cal muzzleloader rounds in it !!!!!

Rick

I totally understand your frustration, I could not believe the mess involved with that job on mine & mine was not quite as involved as yours.Happy hunting.

Yes the hunting was successful. I got 2 Bambi's. Would have liked to shoot some more but they just were not moving as they normally do. There is way too much for them to browse right now that prevents them from seeking out our food sources.

Came home refreshed as well. So we had to snake a replacement brake line behind the fuel tank along the rail Made the connections where they were made before. Now on to tackle the antifreeze leak in the engine area. First have to find it...........

Rick

Bout time ya got done fkin off & get some work done!! Sounds like ya had a much needed trip Rick