I have a 2002 Ford Focus with drum brakes in the rear. It seems thatthe rear brakes seem to be making a grinding and sqeaking noise in the mornings when I first start out driving. It only occurs when I apply the brakes. I am going to pull the hub assembly off this weekend to see if I can't find out what the problem is. Does anybody know if the Focus is prone to have drum brakeproblems? Also, if I found out that I need to change the hub assembly, will I need to install the wheel bearing in the new drum or will the new drum havethe bearing already installed? Thanks for any commments.

 

the hub assembly will have the bearing already attached, you just bolt it on. Be sure to rent a heavy duty puller (free with refundable deposit at autozone) to get it off the axle. I didn't need it on my ZX2 but I did on a blazer...

 

Oh and the drums, just open 'em up and see what's going on, there's nothing much to brakes, but I can't imagine the pads are already worn. You may need to drill out the drums' screws (if the focus has em, i cant remember) to get the drums off. you can buy a replacement at any hardware store for a buck. they don't support any weight or anything so it's not a safety issue...

andwhen you let the car down be sure to torque that axle nut to the proper spec, if you roll even a little bit without, you'll ruin the bearing.

 

You will need bearings for the new drum. They do press in. Not really prone to rear brake problems though. Sounds like you may have a cracked shoe. Pay attention to the linings for cracks as this will make noise. If all looks okay then clean brake dust out, and sand shoes with 180 grit sandpaper and this may help your moisture squeak. you can also place a dab of anti seize on area of backing plate where shoes rub.

 

I noticed that the Wagner Drums from Oreilly were $50.00 apiece while the Duralast drums at Autozone were $25.00 apiece. I wasn't sure if the Wagner's actually came with a bearing already pressed in since they were so much more expensive.Noboby at Oreilly could tell me whether or not that theycame with the bearing since they would have to order them. If I do have a cracked lining on one (or both) of my shoes, will I need to go ahead and replace the drum?

I noticed in the repair manual that for the focus, it recommends to disconnect the park brake cable from the park brake handle before removing the drum. Is this really neccasary? I thought that just making sure the park brake is disengaged was usaually good enough?