3rd Gen Rear Brake Adjustment??

[WWRD99]

Have you considered that setting it tighter might be causing your brakes shoes to be dragging all the time and then the shoes wear down to where they should be and then you overtighten them again. Sounds like a potentially counterproductive strategy.

Absolutely they would drag with the machine work the shoes and drums come with out of the box...using an old tool that used to be common on shoe replacement, the new shoes have no low or high spots and are perfectly round...I don't know to many people that even know how to do machine work on shoes anymore...getting old!!...but I used to use it on every shoe replacement I did...it was hooked to an old AAmco lathe...the reason why they need tightened every once in a while is that the factory stuff won't let it stay there after it wears a bit...meaning it will go back to the high click count...plus I'm extremely hard on brakes...wear out a set in 15k easy...everything is a race car!!

 

[03V8Limited4Runner]

I am new to the page and suck at tech, so I need to ask for HELP.
I have a 2003 4Runner V8 Limited and I freaking LOVE IT. I got it used 2 years ago (230 000kms) and it's been freaking awesome! BUT!! The emergency brake shoes seized up and I couldn't get the truck to move (had the e-brake on while parked on a hilly part of the driveway for a few weeks, seriously, that's it). My dad has rebuilt engines and does everything for all of our family cars (except bodywork), and he has been LOSING IT on this ridiculous e-brake system... So, we replaced the shoes (pads were literally STUCK in the rotors) so we replaced those, then all 3 cables, and now the rotors... And we have had the wheels on and off more than I can say, (and the shoes on and off trying to troubleshoot) and we've tightened EVERYTHING sooo many times.... We have adjusted the shit out of these up and down, at the star on the e-brakes, under the console, and at the pedal. We can't get the balance where the wheels will spin in neutral, but the e-brakes will stop the car when in motion. And before I changed the rotors today, (but had done everything else), we removed the old rotors (for the 40th time) and the e-brake had obviously been catching somewhat, because the new e-brake pads had created a shit-ton of dust all in them and look scratched, but still wouldn't stop the wheel when in motion. So new rotors, re-adjusting, and the truck still rolls when the e-brake is on. I think it's making him crazy, and I've been there for a while. If you have any ideas on how to set this thing, I'd love to try them. THANK YOU!!

 

[Riceye]

You’re posting in the wrong forum. Your 2003 is 4th gen T4R. You’ll have better luck there.

 

[LOCOBEAR]

Been a hell of a year.

Recently 8/4/22 had the rear emergency brake shoes replaced since during rear brake disc pad/rotor replacement they told me the springs "just broke", great almost $900 to replace the drum shoes and springs. Since he told me just don't use the emergency brake but you will hear a metal scraping noise until you repair it after job was done, it's safe to drive it. So after getting used to Not setting it I forgot to release it one day and drove not even a 1/4 mile feeling like I was going over a hump with every rotation of the tires, when I got to where I was going I could finally smell the burnt pads and realized I forgot to release the emergency parking brake. After swearing at myself since this was the day I got those repaired I could only hope it was fine. Today 9/30/22 I went to set the brake and it offered little resistance then went all the way to the floor and am hearing the same metal scraping sound not as bad, plus it's not holding the vehicle back without it going forward a bit. I'm hoping I haven't got myself another broken spring to replace and don't know if youtube videos saying they're self adjusting are the thing to do, don't want to make it worse. Find it hard to believe that's all it takes to break a spring. Is it possible they need cable adjustment?

Well, here's some thoughts. People don't use their e-brake. I see time and time again people allowing the parking pawl on their automatic transmission take the brunt of holding the vehicle instead of applying their parking brake to hold the vehicle. People with manual transmissions just put it in gear and let the gears hold the vehicle and also don't apply the e-brake. So, if you don't use your parking brake, your brakes will slowly go out of adjustment.

Another reason is things get corroded like the bellcranks. If they aren't actuating properly, they won't be pulling the cable enough to pull the parking brake lever which ultimately turns the self adjuster if the wheel can turn one or more clicks due to out of adjustment shoes.

All anyone needs to do is pull their parking brake lever over and over again and ultimately it won't adjust any tighter. The FSM says 7-9 clicks from the handle is what you should have if your rear brakes are adjusted properly. If you can get way more clicks than 7-9 and no amount of pulling the lever changes anything, something in the system is bound up and not working right.