'05 T4r Parking Brake Adjustment - Just did it

[ram]

I did several searches on this subject and found little info. To save other folks some time, I thought I would post some info (sorry, no pics).

Remove your rear wheels. The brake rotor has a hole in it to allow you to look through to the e-brake assembly. My rotors have two holes, but only one allows me to see though to the e-brake side (they are aftermarket).

The star wheel adjuster is at the bottom of each e-brake assembly. To see it, rotate your peep holes to the 6 o'clock position, and with a flashlight you can line it up with the hole to get at it with a screwdriver. To adjust:

DRIVER'S SIDE as you look though the hole, rotate the star wheel down to tighten.

PASSENGER SIDE, as you look though the hole, rotate the star wheel up to tighten.

Hope this helps.

Rob.

2005, T4r SR5, V-6, 4x4.

 

[bergs]

Not to rain on your parade but two 12mm bolts in the center console storage bin followed by yanking the center console would have revealed a 14mm (?) lock nut which adjusts both e-brake sides at the same time.
20 minutes tops to sort the adjustment out.

 

[ram]

Description above is how to adjust the e-brake shoes in the rear. When I ran searches here, the above info never came up regarding pads. So I posted it.

When you set the e-brake, spec is 5 -7 clicks. If you get m/l, then do the adjustment you are talking about.

Though I knew of the adjust you are talking about b/c of other posts I found, none discussed the direction of star adjust.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Not to rain on your parade but two 12mm bolts in the center console storage bin followed by yanking the center console would have revealed a 14mm (?) lock nut which adjusts both e-brake sides at the same time.
20 minutes tops to sort the adjustment out.

You should always adjust the shoes first and then and only then when it is still too loose adjust at the cable.

The reason behind this is because the shoes are more likely to wear out/fall out of adjustment regularly than the cable. When you adjust under the center console you are adjusting the cable itself for slack; when you continually adjust the cable and not the shoes you promote stretching. That's how you wear out the parking brake cable prematurely.

 

[RaceTRaCk]

I could never get my parking brake to hold. Ive adjusted the shoes all the way and its still fairly weak. Ive used 2 different brake shoes and new hardware. Before I replaced the original cracked shoes, it was holding fine so I doubt its a cable issue.
Any thoughts?

 

[riceandpho]

with no parking brake engage on the pedal, at the star wheel, you use it to tighten it up with a flat head all the way, dont force it tight since you can feel it, then back down 2 clicks or so. do this on both sides and then step on the pedal and loosing it up a few times to get it adjusted, also make sure the rotors are even and fully mounted to the hub itself before you start.

 

[Atlanta_man]

I could never get my parking brake to hold. Ive adjusted the shoes all the way and its still fairly weak. Ive used 2 different brake shoes and new hardware. Before I replaced the original cracked shoes, it was holding fine so I doubt its a cable issue.
Any thoughts?

Even the dealer gave up on mine way back when the 4Runner was new.
P Brake is still weak, mostly useless.

 

[bergs]

You should always adjust the shoes first and then and only then when it is still too loose adjust at the cable.

The reason behind this is because the shoes are more likely to wear out/fall out of adjustment regularly than the cable. When you adjust under the center console you are adjusting the cable itself for slack; when you continually adjust the cable and not the shoes you promote stretching. That's how you wear out the parking brake cable prematurely.

My mistake then. I figured the cable would continue to stretch long before the shoes wore out based on the parking brake being used when the vehicle is not in motion.

 

[RaceTRaCk]

Even the dealer gave up on mine way back when the 4Runner was new.
P Brake is still weak, mostly useless.

I think its the design, and smaller shoes.

 

[TechWrench]

This system, which us OLD timers used to call an Emergency brake, is now only designed to act as a parking brake. With the smaller shoe system inside the rear discs, that is about all it is good for. If adjusted properly, it is designed to keep a vehicle, parked on a level surface, in its place while in drive or reverse, as long as the engine speed is at an idle. ( Which is how the NYS safety inspection tests it for proper operation ) It might, as long as you have plenty of room to work with, help you stop a vehicle that has had a main brake system failure, but I wouldn't count on it. It was never designed to hold the vehicle on a steep incline.

 

[nevada]

This system, which us OLD timers used to call an Emergency brake, is now only designed to act as a parking brake. With the smaller shoe system inside the rear discs, that is about all it is good for. If adjusted properly, it is designed to keep a vehicle, parked on a level surface, in its place while in drive or reverse, as long as the engine speed is at an idle. ( Which is how the NYS safety inspection tests it for proper operation ) It might, as long as you have plenty of room to work with, help you stop a vehicle that has had a main brake system failure, but I wouldn't count on it. It was never designed to hold the vehicle on a steep incline.

yep. no longer are they called, or considered an emergency brake.
in fact, they can barely be called a park brake.

 

[digi]

So if I'm launching a boat just put the 4runner in Park? No need to put the "Park Brake" on?

I'm asking because my "Park Brake" pedal goes all the way to the floor and is very weak, it can barely keep the 4runner from moving in Drive.

Thanks

 

[TechWrench]

So if I'm launching a boat just put the 4runner in Park? No need to put the "Park Brake" on?

I'm asking because my "Park Brake" pedal goes all the way to the floor and is very weak, it can barely keep the 4runner from moving in Drive.

Thanks

It sounds like your parking brake needs to be adjusted. But, even if it was working 'perfectly', I wouldn't trust it alone to hold the vehicle on a boat ramp. In the case of a boat ramp, I usually set the parking brake, and then put trans into park. This helps to keep some of the vehicle weight off the parking pawl inside the trans while on an incline. When I am ready to pull off the ramp, I put trans into drive first, and then release parking brake.

 

[daka320]

So if I'm launching a boat just put the 4runner in Park? No need to put the "Park Brake" on?

I'm asking because my "Park Brake" pedal goes all the way to the floor and is very weak, it can barely keep the 4runner from moving in Drive.

Thanks

Are your brakes adjusted correctly? If so, try the brake line mod where you replace the rubber brake lines with the steel braided ones. Did this to mine and made a big difference with the spongy weak brakes.

 

[digi]

are you referring to emergency brake pad adjustment? thanks

 

[TechWrench]

Are your brakes adjusted correctly? If so, try the brake line mod where you replace the rubber brake lines with the steel braided ones. Did this to mine and made a big difference with the spongy weak brakes.

This suggestion won't help much, since he is talking about the parking brake system, which is activated manually via cables. No fluid involved.

 

[digi]

Just adjusted the park brake pads as suggested, took a few trys to get both sides perfect but it works beautifully now. Grips like it should, thanks everyone.

 

[woodman60]

parking brake adjustment - what am I missing

Remove your rear wheels. The brake rotor has a hole in it to allow you to look through to the e-brake assembly. My rotors have two holes, but only one allows me to see though to the e-brake side (they are aftermarket).

The star wheel adjuster is at the bottom of each e-brake assembly. To see it, rotate your peep holes to the 6 o'clock position, and with a flashlight you can line it up with the hole to get at it with a screwdriver.

From all the descriptions of adjusting the parking brake, I assumed it would be obvious to see the adjustment hole and how to proceed once I got the rear wheel off...NOT.

What am I missing here?

 

[madmantwo]

From all the descriptions of adjusting the parking brake, I assumed it would be obvious to see the adjustment hole and how to proceed once I got the rear wheel off...NOT.

What am I missing here?

I think you need to remove the spacer to get to the adjustment hole

 

[woodman60]

I think you need to remove the spacer to get to the adjustment hole

So pull the six nuts? I was thinking that, but didn't want to start unbolting things when I wasn't sure what I was doing. Flatbed tow trucks are expensive.

Thanks.