Rear ABS / Truck moody like an ex wife!!

[Acidbath]

Ok.. to help give you all some background I've had this truck for approximately 2 years now, and put i'd say about 45k miles on it since I've had it. It is an 89 Custom with the 300, and a 5 speed. HD if i remember correctly. Here is a list of the things i replaced when i bought it, and called it all 'preventative maintence' as it ran ok when i bought it.

New Parts

Front brake pads, turned rotors, Brake booster, new metal line to RF caliper
Nothing done to rear, as i could not hammer off the drums w/o breaking them, and said f*** it! lol
New Clutch kit, TOB, turned Flywheel
1000 CCA Battery, Starter, Starter Cyl & Relay, Plugs, wires, distributor
Water Pump, Thermostat was the colder one i think, as i did it in summer, air filter, fuel filter, 02 sensor, about 15 minuites with an angle grinder, 4 gallons of fiberglass bondo, a few of some cobolt blue metallic paint, and one of some clear coat, new 'real truck tires' and there you have it.

Problem areas

Not sure what to call them, in my SHO they are Sub Frame Mounts, 4 total, and are old and worn, and result in play in my front end when loaded, Nothing has been done to the 200,000 mile suspension except for the origional recall in the front that ford / machperson did. needs a prothane bushing kit, IMO.
Rear brakes I'm sure they are shot being i can't get em off. Front fuel tank leaks when 3/4 full so i ran it dry and dont currently use it. Blower motor bearings shot.. BURRRRRRRRRR northern indiana.. it was -2 last night, BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR


Ok now my 2 things that are odd to me with this truck. On occassion when i start it up the rear abs light is on, i can go and drive all day and it will stay on. But say i notice it, and drive in reverse and step on the brakes semi-hard.. when i pull forward the light is off. Additionally when the light is on it feels like i'm dragging soemthing. sometimes just a hard stop will pop the light back off. Wet, dry, icy, it doset matter with this light. Maybe i just need to do my rear brakes? so i dont give it much thought.

Second thing.. surging idle, sometimes.. but never always... ?!!?!?!? I have timed this thing over and over again, and i find it easier to do it by ear. This truck seems to be moody as hell, some days just dosent wanna get up and go. Feels like its dragging a honda or something.. lol Motor just seems slow to turn. Codes have seemed fine, but i am going to check them again soon, to double check. When it first starts up, it might and sometimes will surge from 1k to about 500.. and sometimes even it self out, sometimes a little touch of the throttle at the right time will get it to settle right at 750 and its fine. other times it high idles for a few like it should and sets down to 750 also. It is an utter mystery to me why this happens... lol is this just its attidude? Or is there something I'm not seeing!? Somedays i swear, and its usually in warmer weather, it seems like this truck pulls the front end up off the ground at stop lights, now it seems sick. It seems to take a while to warm up, but it is between 0-25 degrees here latley. Only gets to the N of normal, and just seems sluggish. Oh yeah, I have about 450 lbs of sand over the rear axle too.. but I am taking that into account also.. still sluggish.. any ideas or thoughts? And if you got to this part, thanks for reading all of this. As it is not the shortest description of a problem.

[carr17]

The surging engine and wierd idle at start up would probably be the coolant sensor, my truck had the same problem. Also check the fuel pressure. As for the brakes, probably just need to replace the shoes and misc. hardware. Also I would check the wheel speed sensors.

P.S. When is the last time you flushed your brake system this could be contributing to the problem.

[Akira13126]

The abd system in the late model Fords like yours and my 1990 F250. Are just a piss poor disign. As for you brake problem check your parking break cables were they split from the main cable into the two. Often I have seen the rust up were the cable enters the plastic coving or you might have some broken brake hardware inside of the drum. When it comes to getting the drum off have you tryed backing the star adjuster off or if that doesn't work use a tourch and heat around the lug bolts. If done right you should hear a craking or poping. One last thing. How badly rusted are the rear drums???

[Acidbath]

[quote=carr17]The surging engine and wierd idle at start up would probably be the coolant sensor, my truck had the same problem. Also check the fuel pressure. As for the brakes, probably just need to replace the shoes and misc. hardware. Also I would check the wheel speed sensors.

P.S. When is the last time you flushed your brake system this could be contributing to the problem.


I was wondering about that one. I kind of had a similar problem surging on my sho, turned out to be a ACT (air charge temp) sensor in the airbox that was shorting, or just not working periodically. I kind of wonder, because when it runs good, I get great gas mileage, nearly 20 mpg, but its quite less now, and i chalk some of that up to me warming it up a little longer now. But I'll probally change that later today, and let ya know. And I flushed the brakes when i had the metal line replaced, but didnt bleed the rears.

Originally Posted by Akira13126

The abd system in the late model Fords like yours and my 1990 F250. Are just a piss poor disign. As for you brake problem check your parking break cables were they split from the main cable into the two. Often I have seen the rust up were the cable enters the plastic coving or you might have some broken brake hardware inside of the drum. When it comes to getting the drum off have you tryed backing the star adjuster off or if that doesn't work use a tourch and heat around the lug bolts. If done right you should hear a craking or poping. One last thing. How badly rusted are the rear drums???

Well, the metal line i had replaced broke when i was out of town. And i was about 400 miles from my tools.. lol so i had midas do it, and told them to look at the rears for me. They initially came back and said they were having troubel getting them off, and i just told em to forget it as it wasnt really a problem. my parking break cables is definatelly funny IMO it moves, and i can depress it fine, it pops back ok, but never goes in that last 1/2 of cable.. so i'm assuming its too loose. I was thinking i might be able to get away with heating up the outside of the drum with a torch, and maybe it would expand enough to get it off? not too sure. I've been fortunate enough to only have owned cars with disc brakes, and never worked on drums before. Rear calipers are no joy either let me tell u, (espically a 92 SHO's) grrr... gotta screw the piston back in there.. really sux unless you have a lot of beer and time. Is a rebuild kit usually availble for drums? or should i just bite it and find some sucker willing to replace them fairly cheap and keep me outta the cold? it is about 10 here tonight u know.. thanks again for both of your help. much appreciated.

[Akira13126]

Drum brakes are a pain right in the butt, but so arn't rear disc. I'd rocomend buying a repair book for your truck. Or if you don't want to that right now, just let me know I have the Ford book that covers all the 1980-1996 F-Series and Broncos. So if you would like I can scan the diagram and PM them to you later tonight after I get out of work. Just let me know....

[Acidbath]

Originally Posted by Akira13126

Drum brakes are a pain right in the butt, but so arn't rear disc. I'd rocomend buying a repair book for your truck. Or if you don't want to that right now, just let me know I have the Ford book that covers all the 1980-1996 F-Series and Broncos. So if you would like I can scan the diagram and PM them to you later tonight after I get out of work. Just let me know....

Well I have a book, and i'm pretty sure it has all the drawings in it. But all i remember about drum brakes, is when I stopped by a friend, when he was doing the brakes on his Cadilliac, right when i walked up, was when he lost one of the springs. Was pretty funny to watch him walk around cussing. I just want to make sure if I do it alone, that I have everything I need once i take it apart.

[Akira13126]

Depending on the last time the brake hardware was replaced. If you plan on doing a brake job I would recommend replacing the hardware that goes with it. (Return springs, Hold down springs. etc) Thats just my opion though.... Good luck