front brakes

Hi all I am replacing my front brake pads and upon removel of the drums realized that I have no clue what the retaining nut for the drums should be torqued to when I put it all back together oes anybody know if it is even a torque value or is it just a tighten it until it feels right kinda thing?

I forget what the official method is, but i usually do this two step jobby: 1. spin the drum while tightening spindle nut until you feel it just showing resistance to your tightening maybe 5-10ft/lbs (to seat bearings in races) 2. loosen nut, while holding drum flush, and retighten to just slightly more than finger tight (such and such INCH/lbs)...Ive never had a problem with this method. All good shop manuals explain the procedure ...invest in a good shop manual, there as valuable as a swivel head 1/2" ratchet with an 18" handle [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
[addsig]

For the last 35 years I have used this method and never had a problem. It probably isn't the prescribed Chilton or Ford method.

Tighten the nut good and snug with a pair of channel locks as you turn the disc/drum. Then back off approximately 1/8 turn of the nut and then install the outer cover for the cotter pin so the cotter pin slides in. It might require loosening the nut a touch more to get the cotter pin to slide in, if so, that is okay too.

Hope this helps and this is just my method, but as I have said, I have never had a problem with it from too loose or too tight.

_________________
Larry

96 Ford F350 PSD CC DRW
97 Ford Taurus
64 Fairlaine 500 rust bucket/future Tbolt clone with 514 BBF

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Just Strokin on 11/19/02 12:11am ]</font>

thanks for the help guys now all i need to do is find a ride to the shop to get some new pads, i wasn't prepered to change pads to day but when I checked to see if the cylinders were leaking I didn't like what i saw with the pads, at least the cylinders are good. Thanks again guys.