OEM 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser Parking Brake Shoe

2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser Parking Brake Shoe Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to Maintain and Fix Parking Brake Shoes on 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser?

  A: You should lift the car, take off the rear wheel and tire and remove the parking brake to fix or service the shoes. Then, take off the rear disc brake caliper from the brake rotor and put it aside and after that, remove the brake rotor. Removing the dust cap from the rear hub and bearing and the retaining nut and washer lets you pull the assembly out of the rear spindle. Take the rear brake shoe holddown clip off, shorten the brake adjustment wheel and remove the adjuster from inside the parking brake shoe assemblies. Disconnect the lower rubber spring from the pair of shoes, pull the back brake shoe clear of its mount and pull out the back shoe and the upper return spring. After that, take out the hold-down clip from the front brake shoe and the entire assembly. First, place the front brake shoe and affix it with a hold-down clip, next fit the rear brake shoe along with its return spring and check that it is in the right position on the adapter. First, install the lower return spring for the shoes and then mount the brake shoe adjuster with the star wheel at the back of the carriage. Apply the rear brake hold-down clip, reduce the circumference of the parking brake shoes down to 171 mm (6.75 inch) and remove the cover to replace the rear hub and bearing assembly on the spindle. Install a fresh retaining nut after the previous one and tighten it to the proper torque, 217 Nm (160 ft. lbs.) and then add the hub and bearing dust cap to finish. Return the rear brake rotor and brake caliper to their position, place the tire and wheel assembly on the vehicle and secure all the mounting nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.). It's important to also check and replace the parking brake shoes and then lower the vehicle.