03 Explorer Emergency Brake

I had to replace the emergency brake shoes. Had similar problems that I read elsewhere, linings breaking and stuck rotor. Used penetrating liquid and let it sit for 20 mins and hit the hat part of the rotor with a mini sledge hammer. Now tap the rotor off. Now my problem - Having a difficult time reinstalling the mini brake shoes return spring (the one on the top). Any special techniques putting the bad boy back on easily? Haynes manual make it sound easy but it isn't.

You are sure the parking brake is released, right? Does the cable to activate the parking brakes work freely, both activating and releasing? Maybe the cable is not releasing all the way, causing the spring to need to stretch more than normal?

If the problem is just keeping a good grip on the spring, you could try a dull side cutters/diagonal cutters to grab on to the spring and pull it over the post. You want to be sure it's dull though so you don't weaken the spring.

-Rod

Thanks Shorod for your input, but I still have the problem.
I followed all of the steps per Haynes manual and the Ford repair CD.
Pulled out the park cable and placed 5/32 drill bit in hole of park brake mechanism so the cable is slack. Removed cable form actuator. Removed calipers, disc. Used small vise grip to remove mini shoe retractor spring, adjuster spring and removed star adjuster. Removed hold down springs and finally shoes. Assembly was the reverse. My problem is getting the spring back into the holes. There are no posts to hook spring onto, similar to service brakes, just triangular holes. Very little room to work. Getting spring off was easy but stretching to reinstall is a bear.

I hook both springs to the shoes and then stretch them over until it locks in place. Of course, I am very strong and crazy also.

What I finally did was used a long thin screwdriver and draped spring hook over screwdriver and insert the blade tip into triangular hole. Now with a swift movement similar to regular service brakes, stretch spring outward and the spring will drop into hole. Now push further into hole. That's it. BTW, if this is the first time the e-brakes are being done the linings are most likely to break so have a set handy. Pop the metal plugs out of the backing plate because you'll need to adjust the shoes with brake spoon afterwards. If you need to remove rear rotors in future remember to back off the adjusters on e-brake so you don't break linings when removing rotors.

I am having a similar problem. My friend used her e-brake on her 2003. She then got a brake-burning smell and when I took her rear brakes apart, she needed new pads badly. I checked her cables and they are both free in their sleeves. I replaced her pads and rotors and everything seems to spin freely. After two weeks she is still getting a brake-burning smell and wisps of smoke coming from the driver's rear wheel. I'm sure I had everything as loose as possible.

Could her e-brake shoes still be hanging? Brake pedal is perfect.

Any help with this would be most appreciated!

Did you have any difficulty getting the rear rotors off the hub? If not, the e-brake shoes are probably not hanging up.

When you replaced the pads did you have any problems compressing the calipers, and did you make sure the calipers slide freely on the mounting bolts?

-Rod