FRUSTRATION! I must be a total dumba$$, I cannot figure out how to install the axle, spacer ring, and retainer plate while keeping the factory parking brakes. Is it even possible to keep the internal parking brake? My first attempt was to install the seal, set the loaded backing plate on the T-bolts, tap the axle in... Oops, there's no room to get the spacer in nor is there room to install the "C" style retainer plate. Second attempt: remove the p-brake stuff, install axle, drop in the 0.200" spacer ring (which, BTW, is in halves), add the retainer plate (which, BTW, requires grinding a deep "V" groove to clear the backing plate retainer bolt head in order to sit flush) then try to install the p-brake crapola around the axle flange. Spent close to 4 hrs on this and got exactly nowhere. So, what's the trick? Should I just give up on keeping the p-brake?
i hope your axles have the access hole for the retainer nuts. will usually use a magnetic pick up tool and a pick through the hole to put every thing in place. the 2 piece spacer will be more difficult to get in there. i would try gluing the two pieces together before doing the job. that will make it much easier. if you dont have the access hole in your axles then you have to do it with the parking brakes off and its a royal pain in the rear end to put them back on. i usually wont even do the job if it doesnt have the access hole. ill make my service writer who forgot to order the axles with access holes do it or send the axles out the get a hole machined in to them.
It's much easier if you have a one piece spacer and a one piece axle retainer installed on the axle before you press the bearing on. Then you can have the parking brake shoes already assembled on the backing plates before you install the axles. And yes the access hole in the axle flange is a must! Trust me, it's extremely difficult replacing parking brake shoes in an explorer/mountaineer. I ended up pulling the axles on my sons mountaineer to do the job. What a pain! It will be easier on a 9" because you don't have c-clip axles.
I've got the access holes, in fact, the axles are dual-pattern drilled so there are the 5 additional smaller holes that I can at least look through. I think I gave up too soon on assembling them with the loaded backing plates. I have the PASS side to do yet and it's still together so I'll try again on that side. I'm gonna stick the spacers to the outside of the bearing with a dab of silicone before sticking the axle in...
I cut down an old outer bearing race and tack welded it to the bearing retainer before pressing the bearing and retainer on the axle. I figured I would pull the axle to mess with the parking brake shoes since doing those on the Explorers are a pain the butt anyway.
What a difference a day makes! I "tacked" the spacer on with silicone and drove the axle (bearing) halfway in so there was enough clearance left to get the retainer plate in. Then used two regular tee bolts along with two temporary homemade long tee-bolts to locate the plate and draw it down, then replaced those temps with the other regular tee bolts. PASS side took all of 20 minutes! Redoing the DR side took a bit longer as I had to pull the axle back out and rebuild the backing plate... Never give up on what seems right, just scratch your head a few minutes, or even take the day off and get a fresh start...
