When To Replace Rear Brakes.

[borgward]

2013 Fiesta Hatch SE 1.6 DOHC. How many miles do brake shoes last? At what thickness should the be replaced?

 

[Handy Andy]

Depends upon your driving habits.

2013? At least take the wheel off, mark the hub to drum so you can match mark it to keep it balanced - and remove the drum too - and inspect.

Had to add:

When you remove the Drum, and no one has messed with the brakes - as in still original aspects and all the hardware installed for it, take a photo (Or two - front and backside for those pins) of it to help with re-assembly using the newer parts.​

Also feel free to check with Youtube vids on various Fiesta brake jobs; and they way they did their fixes, methods, tips and tricks. They can all add up to help you have more confidence in your ability to swap out the old pads and use the new ones and not have to re-do anything - you did it right the first time!​

The Minimum thickness they say is 1.6mm - but considering the year - and the time span to this time in years, it's best to change it now and be done with it. That refers also to a new hardware kit for it - so all those pins and shims and the clips are replaced and the star adjuster cleaned up as needed and all is brought back to OEM specs with new pads

• - with the main premise that to adjust the star is to remove the drum to get access to the adjusters and release the holding pawl and turn in or out to make them meet to the drums with a slight drag.
• IF you keep the drums, and they are not too grooved in the part of the drum where the shoe rests - you can burnish them to remove any glaze or small imperfections and just reinstall.
  • Else if they came with a lot of highway miles and they "dug in" and now you have a rather steep groove to pop out the shoes from
    • - check those drums for proper thickness - most of the time they should be welll within tolerance
    • - they may not have to be resurfaced just wire brushed and rust and loose debris removed and they can be reused
  • - but check the HUB and studs, make sure you can use the drum - else if it's too pitted or not seating flush to the hub, it may need more service - note that the hub to drum bore size, make sure the hub and bore are not loose with a lot of clearance to each other - rocks side to side, not just around the hub and stud hole clearances - those might need replacement (Out Of Round)

The key to all of this is to look where the shoes rest on the bottom. A rest/stop, the plate offers a groove to seat and the shoes have a tab to fit into that gap of the rest to hold them fast in symmetry to the drum and their clips seating them to the backing plate.

New Springs? Yes...
New Clips? Certainly!
New Pins? Always...

Once both shoes have been made equaled distance and shoe contact to the drum - you're good. Just don't overdo the drag - so they can seat but also let the shoes contact the drum as when you apply the brakes, nothings else.

If done correctly you should not have to adjust the parking brakes number of clicks - it should be within 1 to two clicks and have a little longer - farther pull - to help with cable slack and return spring seating - then; once set - that works for the new hardware in an older cage and their age and conditions you'll be in.