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Originally Posted by ArthurKotb
Looks like a handy tool and a really good video. He gives some great advice on taking a picture before you start; a video would be better. Using the other side as a reference is also a good tip. BTDT Drum brakes are all pretty much like this video shows. You'll encounter some differences but 98% will be the same.
I've been working with drum brakes since my '58 Chevy's 4 drum brakes (and other cars until disc came along) many, many years ago. I used a strong pliers for the top return spring removal and flat tip screw driver to put them back on (hook the spring to the screw driver shaft, flat tip on the post, then pry the driver handle towards the brake). It's tricky but after you've done it a lot you develop a feel for it. You can also grab the spring on the shaft by the hook with Channel Locks and pull the hook to the post. He does this in the video to remove them. At one point he uses grease. I have never done that. I feel that using grease near the brake shoes is looking for trouble. That mechanism is designed to run dry. Never used grease, never had a problem.
For the brake clips I used a pliers to hold and rotate the disc while I held the pin on the back with my fingers. (Or hold the pin with a needle nose pliers and rotate the disc with your fingers) To back off the brakes from the drum there was a slot in the bottom of the backing plate and you needed a special angled tool to reach in and turn the star wheel. It was possible to use a flat tip screw driver too. On these brakes you remove the rotor and the star is visible. After assembly he shows you can adjust through the access hole. That is a good tip for me. I wasn't aware of it.
Our '99 Sienna and '12 Corolla have rear drum brakes, so I get to stay in practice. For someone encountering drums for the first time it can be a daunting task.
There is a brake cable adjuster nut under the console to the rear of the shift mechanism. That's for the Gen4 T4R, I don't know about later models.
It's a great video, especially if you've never done drum brakes. I'm going to "like" it so it will be saved in my YouTube favorites.
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The grease applied to the rear spring plate to give it some holding power to the shoe isn't going to be an issue. The Toyota FSM instructs to put grease on the backing plate raised spots so the shoes move smoothly when they contract and extend. You also apply grease to the shoe lever pin and adjuster. There's grease all around the brake shoes and it's not an issue. I have a fair amount of experience working with drum brakes and I've always used grease where the Toyota FSM recommends you put it.
We were originally going to use a panel clip remover tool to compress the hold-down spring assembly while rotating the shoe into position. We tried it with an altered pry bar, and it works, but it's still was a bit of a fight. A person commenting on the video gave us a link to a panel ciip remover tool he said works well for this application. We're going to give it a try this coming Wednesday and film the result.
