Ford LTD Crown Victoria Brake Drum Replacement Costs

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

See availability

Customer Ratings

Brake Drum Replacement Service

How much does a Brake Drum Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Ford LTD Crown Victoria Brake Drum Replacement is $447 with $219 for parts and $228 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
1987 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.8L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$749.90	Shop/Dealer Price$892.38 - $1265.82
1989 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.8L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$695.39	Shop/Dealer Price$832.17 - $1181.65
1990 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.8L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$697.49	Shop/Dealer Price$834.80 - $1185.85
1990 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.0L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$697.49	Shop/Dealer Price$834.74 - $1185.74
1989 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.0L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$695.39	Shop/Dealer Price$832.21 - $1181.72
1988 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.8L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$695.39	Shop/Dealer Price$832.17 - $1181.65
1987 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.0L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$678.90	Shop/Dealer Price$812.34 - $1159.32
1988 Ford LTD Crown VictoriaV8-5.0L	Service typeBrake Drum Replacement	Estimate$708.89	Shop/Dealer Price$846.31 - $1196.27

Show example Ford LTD Crown Victoria Brake Drum Replacement prices

What are brake drums and how do they work?

A brake drum is a heavy, cast iron brake system part that looks like a shallow, several inches-high cylinder about 9 to 12 inches in diameter. The brake drum has a precisely machined surface all around the interior circumference, that the brake shoes make contact with when you apply the brakes, transmitting hydraulic pressure through the wheel cylinder. This forces the brake shoes outward against the interior of the brake drum, resulting in the friction that causes the car to slow. The brake drum is mounted over, and fully encloses, all of the rear brake components such as the wheel cylinder, springs and clips, brake shoes, and parking brake mechanism. The drum is commonly held to the wheel hub by the wheel and the lug nuts, but some configurations combine the drum with the wheel hub as one unit. Nowadays, a drum brake type system is only installed on the rear axle, if used at all, as 4 wheel disc type systems have become more common.

When to consider replacing brake drums:

Reduced braking effectiveness. If the brake drum is unevenly worn, scored or cracked, it will increase stopping distances. A cracked drum must be replaced outright but a worn drum can be restored on a brake lathe so long as enough metal material remains.
Pulsating brakes, pulling to one side, vibration or noise. If a brake drum is warped, is unevenly worn, or perhaps the brake shoes have worn down completely — creating metal-to-metal contact — you might detect pedal pulsation, the vehicle may pull to one side, or you might feel a vibration or hear a noise when you apply the brakes. The brake system will have to be inspected to pinpoint the exact problem.
Brake shoe replacement. Anytime the brake shoes are replaced, the drum must either be resurfaced or replaced outright. Installing new brake shoes on a used, unresurfaced drum will lead to poor results.
Loss of parking brake function. The parking brake locks the brake shoes against the brake drum. If the brake drum is cracked, the parking brake lever will pull up excessively and the car may still be able to roll. However, a more common circumstance is parking brake maladjustment or seizure of parking brake components. Repair of those problems will often require removal of the brake drum.

How do mechanics replace brake drums?

There are two options when it comes to brake drum service: outright replacement or resurfacing. In some cases, it is cheaper to replace the drum rather than refurbish it. In both cases though, the removal and installation procedure for the drum is the same.

Raise the vehicle and safely support it using steel jack stands.
Remove tire and wheel assembly.
Remove brake drum. Sometimes the brake drum has rusted to the wheel hub and removal of the drum will require a brake drum puller. In some cases, the wheel hub is integral to the brake drum, in which case the hub-bearing retaining bolt and the wheel bearing must be removed to replace the drum.
Measure the interior diameter of the machined surface in the drum with a brake drum micrometer or similar measuring tool. If sufficient metal exists to resurface the drum on a brake lathe, the mechanic will compare the cost of such restoration to the alternative: buying a new drum.
Prior to installing the resurfaced or new drum, the brake shoes, springs, wheel cylinder, parking brake mechanism, and backing plate are all inspected. All worn parts should be replaced. Generally, if drums have been replaced or resurfaced, new brake shoes should be installed. The worn shoes will cause irregular wear in the brake drum and reduce braking effectiveness.
The shoes are adjusted and the drum is installed. The wheel and tire assembly are installed and torqued in the proper sequence and the car is road tested to check the operation of the brakes.

Is it safe to drive with a brake drum problem?

No. Should there be a deficiency with the brake drums, stopping distances will not be as short as possible. In a panic stop, stopping just five or ten feet shorter could be the difference between no collision and a collision. Any deficiency in a vehicle’s braking system is a cause for concern and a potential safety issue. Have the brake drums inspected at your earliest convenience to determine if a problem exists and find out what must be done to fix it.

When replacing brake drums keep in mind:

With few exceptions, brake work on one end of an axle should be performed on both ends of the axle. Should a brake drum on one end of a front or rear axle be serviced, or brake shoes on one end are serviced, both sides of the axle should receive the same service. This helps to avoid problems, such as pulling, vibration, and so forth, once the vehicle is returned for use.
Brake drum systems use very powerful springs to keep the brake shoes in position. These springs are exposed to extreme heat. It is best practice to replace all springs whenever new shoes are installed. Should a spring unexpectedly break in the brake drum assembly, a mispositioned brake shoe could cause the brakes to grab and lock, which would pose a safety issue.
If the wheel hub and bearing are integral to the brake drum on your car, the mechanic may recommend replacement of the grease in the wheel bearings and inspection of the wheel bearings.
Since the arc of the brake shoes will not perfectly match with the arc of the drum when new, expect a bed-in period before maximum braking efficiency is achieved.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee

Meet some of our expert Ford mechanics

Real customer reviews from Ford owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(6)

Rating Summary

6

0

0

0

0

6

0

0

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Reyna

15 years of experience

39 reviews

Reyna

15 years of experience

by Rock

Ford LTD Crown Victoria V8-5.0L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Alpharetta, Georgia

Very detailed inspection and report received. I'm in NC and was looking for this vehicle in GA so Reyna's services were crucial in my decision making process. Would use this mechanic again.

Kenny

28 years of experience

91 reviews

Kenny

28 years of experience

by Suzanne

Ford LTD Crown Victoria V8-5.0L - Oil Change - San Jose, California

Jeffrey

21 years of experience

55 reviews

Request Jeffrey

Jeffrey

21 years of experience

Request Jeffrey

by Suzanne

Ford LTD Crown Victoria V8-5.0L - Car is not starting - San Jose, California

Jason

17 years of experience

429 reviews

Jason

17 years of experience

by David

Ford LTD Crown Victoria V8-5.0L - Brake Pads Replacement (Front) - Fairfield, California

This was for a friend that didn't have time to book the appointment but it was a great job and very well done. My friend was more than pleased with the service. This really solved a big problem when the car needed expert repair. It's always nice to have Jason work on the cars for real!

Excellent Rating

(6)

Rating Summary

6

0

0

0

0

6

0

0

0

0

SEE REVIEWS NEAR ME

Recent articles & questions

How to Buy Good Quality Brake Shoes

Most Most cars on the road today have a disc brake system, at least on the front end. Cars used to utilize drum brakes on both front and rear, and some cars today still have a drum system in the...

How to Remove the Wheels from Your Vehicle

Your Your tires are an essential part of your vehicle. They are there for safety, comfort, and performance. The tires are mounted (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-tires-work) to the wheels, which in turn are mounted to the vehicle. Some vehicles have directional or positional...

How to Use a Self-Service Car Wash

A self service car wash is cheaper than a drive through or automatic car wash. A hand car wash is also less damaging to your car paint and car wax.

Upgrade stereo size dimensions - 2013 Infiniti FX37

Hello. The exact speaker sizes depend on whether or not your vehicle is equipped with a Bose system. If it not, then your vehicle uses 2 x 3.5" tweeters in the dash, 2 x 6.5" speakers in the doors, and...

Side mirrors

Hi there. The side mirrors on a 2016 Toyota are power operated, so there is no way to adjust them manually; without risking breaking the power functions behind the mirror. If you're mirror appears to be stuck and only go...

03 and the temperature gauge in my Dash has been disconnected and I need to know exactly how to reconnect it

The instructions depend on where it was disconnected, that is in the engine compartment versus behind the dash. If in the engine compartment, you can look at the driver side near the water outlet on the engine. There is an...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com