2003 4Runner Sports. Had to change brake pads and rotors in the rear. I had problems trying to remove the rear rotors (they would not come out freely) to do the rear brakes. Ultimately, the parking brake somehow was engaged although the pedal was not in the engaged position. It took a rubber mallet and some elbow to remove the rotors. I had to reassemble some parts of the parking brake system. I thought, I assembled everything correctly but know I have a clicking noise because on of the two Shoe Hold-down spring pin and cup are rubbing on rotation. Any suggestions?
Broke something in the parking brake mechanism while doing the rear disc brakes
- Thread starter rephard2
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
So, you clearly didn't read any service manual. Your supposed to use the wheel hub drum tightener to free the rotor.
Taking a mallet to it, good god, who knows what you broke by just attacking it.
If you look at the bottom of the hub you will see a small groove that you can use a screwdriver to adjust the drum pads. A few clicks one way releases the rotors...another, tightens.
The service manual is posted all over for free, it can be very helpful to prevent issues such as this.
Taking a mallet to it, good god, who knows what you broke by just attacking it.
If you look at the bottom of the hub you will see a small groove that you can use a screwdriver to adjust the drum pads. A few clicks one way releases the rotors...another, tightens.
The service manual is posted all over for free, it can be very helpful to prevent issues such as this.
Last edited:
dougrozet
New member
As I'm sure you discovered, the rear brakes are a bit different then the front. It happens if you are not familiar with 4 wheel disk brakes. Everyone makes mistakes (God knows I have)! The parking brake doesn't need to be engaged to keep it from coming apart, if you had the brake off, the shoes can still catch the drum as there may have been a ridge in your drum and the clearance is tight. Hence the shoe adjuster to "retract" the shoes from the drums as DC Runner mentioned.
Did you do both sides of the vehicle? Do both sides now rub? If one side makes noise and the other doesn't, then you can closely examine them and compare. It's entirely possible that you bent and/or cracked the part that supports the parking brake assembly, depending on how hard you hit/pried on it. It's also possible that you didn't get it back together correctly... Maybe someone on here has a picture of their parking brake drum assembly so you can see what it looks like when assembled correctly. You might do a web search and see if you can find a picture or diagram.
Like DC Runner, I too would recommend checking out a service manual if you are not totally familiar with a particular system. When in doubt, look it up, or ask someone that has done it before. Used to be, you could check them out from a local library, if not, the interwebs have all of the info (one of the perks of a forum like this), and Chilton's/Haynes manuals are $30-$40 at any parts store and have a LOT of good info! Well worth the cost in my opinion, as they have saved me a LOT of time and money over the years! I buy one for every vehicle I get. Good Luck!
Did you do both sides of the vehicle? Do both sides now rub? If one side makes noise and the other doesn't, then you can closely examine them and compare. It's entirely possible that you bent and/or cracked the part that supports the parking brake assembly, depending on how hard you hit/pried on it. It's also possible that you didn't get it back together correctly... Maybe someone on here has a picture of their parking brake drum assembly so you can see what it looks like when assembled correctly. You might do a web search and see if you can find a picture or diagram.
Like DC Runner, I too would recommend checking out a service manual if you are not totally familiar with a particular system. When in doubt, look it up, or ask someone that has done it before. Used to be, you could check them out from a local library, if not, the interwebs have all of the info (one of the perks of a forum like this), and Chilton's/Haynes manuals are $30-$40 at any parts store and have a LOT of good info! Well worth the cost in my opinion, as they have saved me a LOT of time and money over the years! I buy one for every vehicle I get. Good Luck!
My time was way more ahole than intended. Sorry.
In the old days, you disassembled and reassembled drums one at a time so you could use the intact one as a guide. Before the internet, served me well.
Take a close look at the good side. If not, the service manual will have detailed part breakdowns to help you nfigure out what is wrong.
With the force likley needed to remove the rotors with the shoes unretracted, you may well have bent or broken something. Drums are a pain exactly because if the slighest thing is off they go wonky.
In the old days, you disassembled and reassembled drums one at a time so you could use the intact one as a guide. Before the internet, served me well.
Take a close look at the good side. If not, the service manual will have detailed part breakdowns to help you nfigure out what is wrong.
With the force likley needed to remove the rotors with the shoes unretracted, you may well have bent or broken something. Drums are a pain exactly because if the slighest thing is off they go wonky.
Thanks to DC runner and Dougrozet for your prompt responses. Yes, I was not familiar with this type of parking brake system. I actually spent hours looking on the internet for YuoTube videos or any type of information to help me do the work prior to getting down to it, and could not find anything specific.I should have looked harder and longer. Regarding the manuals suggested, I have always found that manual such as Chilton/Haynes are a bit generic. However, in this situation it would have been of great help. I am going to buy a parking brake replacement set together with the hardware that goes with it. As Dougrozet suggested I might have broken or bended out of shape parts of the mechanism, that are now causing causing the clicking noise. Any picture detailed description of the parking brake shoes replacement process, service manual links would be greatly appreciated.
The link is on the stickys on the top of 4th gen forum.
HokieRunner
New member
Here's my writeup I did a while back on the replacing the rear brakes - it doesn't include the parking brake portion. If you google '4runner DIY rear brakes' it's like the 4th result. obviously it won't help you at this stage but you can use it for next time....
DIY rear brakes
dougrozet
New member
Autozone also has repair guides for free. Free to join, and they don't send you a bunch of emails if you opt out. Not a ton of info, but another resource non the less.
These are a couple of pics from their section about the parking brake. This might help you to ensure that all of the parts are there anyway. Hope this helps!
These are a couple of pics from their section about the parking brake. This might help you to ensure that all of the parts are there anyway. Hope this helps!
Attachments
stevesturm
New member
I've got the same problem. The hold down spring retainer (rear shoe on the driver side) is rubbing against the backside of the hub. None of the other retainers comes close to rubbing.
I have no idea why. The pin hasn't come free, it's still flush against the backing plate. The retainer is locked on the spring and in the right position.
Unlike the original poster, I used a screw to back the rotor off the studs.
I have no idea why. The pin hasn't come free, it's still flush against the backing plate. The retainer is locked on the spring and in the right position.
Unlike the original poster, I used a screw to back the rotor off the studs.
shahsmerdis
New member
My local mechanic did the same thing. Except he didn't put it back together correctly, took me a few weeks to find out what the issue was, by then my rotors were shot. Thanks to guys here I figure out how to fix it.
please read these two posts, I've asked everything that there could be wrong with it and how to put it back together. (so should be all there)
most likely your shoe hold down springs are gone, there is a repair kit from autozone for 20 bucks, or one on amazon for 15-20 bucks that comes with everything. while you are there you might as well clean out all the rust and brake clean everything, and swap out the springs. which is what I did, and it is running perfectly now....I'd also suggest swapping out any questionable wheel studs while you are there. good opportunity while its all open.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/123238-parking-brake-repair-procedure-question.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/139794-parking-brake-noise-issue.html
Once you are reading please feel free to ask any questions. If you need immediate assistance PM me if you like. I spent 3 weeks to get this right, took it apart 20 times. Call me a slow leaner it was my first job, but people here helped me alot, time to return the favor
There a lot of pics and video in those links including the service manual, as well as additional pictures to make things clear, everything should be there . By the way it is a heck a lot easier with two people. good thing is you didn't put and damage the rotor...
roverdisco
New member
Just did mine last weekend and had the same issue. The back hold down spring rod is not straight and if the parking brake pad is caught on the rotor it can lengthen it (un-bend it). I used two flat head screw drivers and gently put it back into position by holding the back and pressing the front of the pin with the spring and cap in place. This gave me the clearance I needed. You can see the shape in the diagram below (the back shoe hold-down spring pin).
TowMeOut
New member
I wish I'd come across this thread before doing my rear brakes. I found a couple of other threads with instructions and I released the parking brake shoes by turning the adjustment maybe 10 notches. Unfortunately, that was plenty to not have it drag but not enough to clear the tiny ridge on the inside edge of the drum.
So, I ended up tweaking both hold-down spring pins on the same side. It also bent up the spring cup a bit too. Getting the side with the straight pin back together was pretty straightforward. The rearward shoe (with the u-shaped pin) was a royal pain.
An actual tool to install/remove those cups would have been great. Since my shoes have tons of life left I decided to skip fighting any more with the parking brake. I ended up making a tool from some aluminum tubing I had floating around the garage. I ground away about 1/16" on each side, leaving a pair of tabs to engage the washer (spanner wrench??).
After all the headache I took the rotors to the local shop only to find out they're right at the discard thickness....oops. Time to order some rotors too.....
So, I ended up tweaking both hold-down spring pins on the same side. It also bent up the spring cup a bit too. Getting the side with the straight pin back together was pretty straightforward. The rearward shoe (with the u-shaped pin) was a royal pain.
An actual tool to install/remove those cups would have been great. Since my shoes have tons of life left I decided to skip fighting any more with the parking brake. I ended up making a tool from some aluminum tubing I had floating around the garage. I ground away about 1/16" on each side, leaving a pair of tabs to engage the washer (spanner wrench??).
After all the headache I took the rotors to the local shop only to find out they're right at the discard thickness....oops. Time to order some rotors too.....
Last edited:
glad I saw this thread, I started reading and was thinking "why do people keep talking about shoes when we have disc brakes lol" I have been a shade tree mechanic for 40 years and didn't know rear disc didn't just have pads but that they also had shoes and worked like drums lol.
admittedly I never cared enough to know how you get emergency brakes with rear disc but now I know they just combined both brakes into one.
we are never to old to learn more stuff
.
BlackWorksInc
New member
Depends on the design of the vehicle, but yeah the 4Runner style rear disc brakes need to have the parking brake pulled in before the rotors can be removed. I think maybe Sequoias and Tundras might be this way as well but most of the other ones don't seem to be as finicky if I remember right. Honestly since we switched over to using on-car brake lathes I haven't had to pull a rear rotor off in a long while unless doing a wheel bearing or replacing one on a 200k vehicle.
well if you put on the e-brake wouldn't that lock the shoes onto the rotors?
AuSeeker
Elite Member
He wasn't referring too putting on/applying the e-brake, when he said "...need to have the parking brake pulled in...." he was referring to adjusting the e-brake shoes "in" away from the e-brake drum section of the rotor.
ahh ok, that makes sense :bravo:
Utah_4runner
New member
Is there any other way to adjust the rear brake shoes out other than turning the adjuster with the wheel off? I did my rear brakes and didn't adjust it out after working on it. I have wheel adapters and don't want to take them off to get to the adjustment hole. I've read that you can drive in reverse and hit the e brake and it should engage, but it still doesn't work at all. I can't get any bite with the e brake.
trublucali
New member
Rear brake shoe adjustment
I don't think so because you have to turn the star adjuster to loosen or tighten them...
I don't think so because you have to turn the star adjuster to loosen or tighten them...
BlackWorksInc
New member
Nope, that only works on vehicles like a 3rd gen 4Runner or Tacoma because the brake drum has an "Auto-Adjuster" that moved the star wheel when you pull the parking brake.
The parking brake on disc brake vehicles doesn't as it's not desirable to have them auto-adjust typically so they don't drag. Also the access hole is usually on the mounting face of the hub so the wheel has to come off.
