RS Motorsport :: Classic Speed Restored

Once again, I need some help from the Escort experts.

I have constructed a clubman style chassis that my family and I use as a motorkhana special, with a Pinto engine and an Escort rear axle- loads of fun. I use Cortina front uprights and discs and I have installed a hydraulic handbrake. I am trying to ensure that the rear brakes are working as well as they can - at the moment we seem to be locking the fronts in the finish garage too often.

In checking the rear brakes (Mk 2 Escort, straight from the rusty donor car), I have been trying to understand the self adjusting mechanism, to ensure it is working as well as the Ford engineers intended.

Can someone let me know if the serrated "wheel" (you can see it labelled as such in the attached image) is suppose to rotate. Mine certainly don't, so is it known that these things seize or are they simply fixed?

If you are interested, there is a clip of it running at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH3ljdtTIrk

Thanks in advance for you help.

Michael Jones

I believe that is correct Michael. The wheel should be fixed. This system has to be adjusted fairly regularly though, particularly if you are doing a lot of handbrake turns!!!!!!!!!!!! You might have to look at doing a cheap disc brake conversion.

If the wheel turns, how does it hold adjustment?

All of the Escorts I've had always seem to be very front biased in the braking. Only when I installed an adjustable pedal box and wound a bit more rear on did the car stop better. You can also pull on a bit of handbrake as you're coming into the garage to help a bit.

It looks to me that the wheel rotates to allow the serrated arm to move out and adjust the brakes when pedal is pressed. The geometry of the mechanism combined with main spring tension maintains the adjustment. You have to prise apart the serrated arm & wheel (with screwdriver) to push the arm inwards to release adjustment

Cheers Gregg

I'm still running this set up and the serrated 'wheel' does not turn, so as the shoes wear the opposing serrated wedge slips to the next tooth, but self adjusting by themselves is pretty non-existant. Just have to keep on top of them by adjusting manually every so often as adding any sort of lubricant just accumilates brake dust.

Just inspected rear brakes. Gary & Darren are correct & I was wrong - not for the first time! The "wheel" is stationary, but mine self adjusts fine. Moving the serrated arm towards the backing plate moves the shoes closer together, refit drum, pump pedal, remove drum & serrated arm & shoes have moved out again.

Cheers Gregg