Another sticking caliper, parking brake issues

[viggen337]

Earlier this week I noticed my rear brakes making some squealing and grinding noises, and sure enough it turned out to be a sticking caliper on the right rear. I honestly didn't know these calipers are prone to sticking until I searched the forums and found all of the issues... :twitch:

Granted, I've never checked the rear pads since I've owned the truck, so that certainly didn't help matters. The right rear pads were worn completely down to the backing plate, so I guess I just found the source of my recent horrible gas mileage! :redbrick:



The left rear pads have much more life left in them:




Now I have never worked on brakes before other than changing pads, but after glancing at the procedure in the Haynes manual, I didn't think it would be very difficult. So far I have replaced both the front CV axles and installed the Daystar spacer kit by myself, so this should be a piece of cake.

I made sure to loosen the parking brake adjuster all the way, and started threading in my 8mm x 1.25 bolts to back the rotor off of the hub. When the face of the rotor passed the front of the hub and I still couldn't get it off, I knew something was wrong.

So I turned to the best sources of all 4Runner related information, and after carefully reading a few DIY threads here (and toyota120), I discovered that I had inadvertently tightened the adjuster for the parking brake. As it turns out, the instructions in the Haynes manual are very unclear and their definition of "up" is not the same as mine, or anybody else for that matter. :redbrick:

So after properly loosening the adjuster, I still had a little difficulty removing the rotor. I eventually got it off and some loose parts fell out, which I later identified as pieces of the rear shoe holding spring:


They had probably come off while I was fighting with the rotor the first time around, and were apparently lodged in the assembly somewhere preventing the rear shoe from completely retracting. This is the resulting carnage I discovered after I finally got the rotor off of the hub:



The washer at the top of the backing plate where the shoes pivot is completely bent from the rear shoe (left side in this picture) trying to pull off of the hub with the rotor. I also stretched the pin that holds that shoe to the backing plate, which is why those parts fell out when I removed the rotor.

Below is the hardware kit from NAPA, with the stretched pin placed in the center. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw the new one in the hardware kit:



As a result, what started as a rear brake noise turned into:

-New calipers (NAPA Total Eclipse w/lifetime warranty)
-New pads (Hawk LTS)
-New rotors (Centric Premium)
-New parking brake hardware (NAPA)

So I spent most of the week stockpiling parts:



In the meantime, I went to my local dealer and picked up a new washer and bolt for the top of the backing plate where I messed up the original washer. However, I realized while trying to change it earlier today that I can't replace them without removing the hub! The bolt is longer than I expected and it hits the back of the hub before coming out all the way.

So, I guess my question is: How critical is that washer? Obviously it needs to be flat and straight in order to do its job, but I don't think I want to deal with removing the rear hub just to change it. Instead, I carefully beat it back into a flat shape so I can rebuild the parking brake and finish up the rear brakes this weekend. Anybody have any thoughts on this? Here's what it looks like after a few minutes with a hammer and chisel:



I will start replacing everything else tomorrow morning, and I'm hoping to get it finished by the end of the day. I'm working in my driveway on jackstands, and the weather this week as been a little too cold for my liking, but tomorrow should get into the 40s again. It was in the low- to mid-20s earlier this week, so I'll take what I can get!

 

[viggen337]

I spent the better part of the last hour or two fighting with the brake shoe compression springs. I even tried the string/wire method with no luck. I don't know if it's because I am using NAPA parts instead of Toyota parts, but they just will not cooperate. At this point I would like to just finish the rest of the brake job and do without the parking brake.

I am going to give it one more try, but if it keeps fighting me I am removing the shoes and all associated parts on both sides, securing the cables so they don't interfere with the rotors, and calling it a day. I would pay money to see a Toyota tech work on these, it is the worst design I've ever seen for a parking brake on a vehicle with rear discs! :uzi:

 

[viggen337]

Well, I finally gave up on the damn parking brake. Don't know why I wasn't able to get it put together. I knew it was going to be frustrating, but for whatever reason it just wasn't happening. So here's what my parking brake looked like right before I put the rotor on:



That's the best way I could find to secure the parking brake cable so that it wouldn't interfere with the rotor or hub. I plan to disconnect the pedal so that this cable doesn't move if anyone tries to set the parking brake, just as a precaution.

Meanwhile, I had plenty of interruptions today dealing with my furnace. One of my 2 oil-fired hot water boilers had no heat for most of the day, but it's all taken care of and I managed to almost finish up the passenger side, at least:



Tomorrow I'm just going to rip out the left side parking brake, even though that side would probably work fine once adjusted properly. The rest should go pretty quickly: the new caliper and rotor will go on, the pads will be installed on both sides, and after a quick bleed I should be good to go. Then it will be on to my next project for the weekend: installing my '06-'09 LED tails!

 

[Atlanta_man]

Good move, I would have done exactly the same. Mine has never worked anyway, even with dealer warranty attention.

 

[chitown40]

I think you're making a poor decision giving up on the parking brake.

Besides not having a working parking brake, you are limiting you resale options as some states have inspections requiring parking brakes. Some trail rides also have requirements as far as minimum equipment including parking brakes.

Walk away from it for a bit, and then go back and install it correctly. Sometimes it helps to purchase a new hardware kit so you are working with new components. Ask for help... but don't give up.

Rear drum brakes suck and are a pain to install sometimes. Often times you think you need a third hand to get it all back together.

 

[viggen337]

As I mentioned, I was working with NEW hardware; I purchased a kit from NAPA.

This is really just temporary, as I will have all of the parts in my shop until spring when it is warm again and I don't mind my 4WD vehicle being down for a few days. Right now is not the time of year that I want this sitting indefinitely.

In the spring, I will also be able to work on it on a lift that I have access to. I couldn't use it this time as my right rear brakes were an urgent repair and that lift is currently occupied for the next few months.

Hopefully I will have better luck when I am not fighting with it while freezing my butt off in my driveway - if necessary, I will buy the hardware kit from Toyota. Quite often, the factory parts are just easier to work with.

As for resale value, I'm not worried about it, even if I never get the parking brakes put back on. I am eventually going to put so much $$ into this truck that I will never get what it's truly worth anyway. I'm planning to keep it until there is no resale value other than a part-out.

At least in Maryland the only regular inspection is emissions, so there is no immediate concern unless I were to sell/trade the truck for some reason. In the very unlikely event that happens, I'll just pay somebody to do it for me!

Bottom line is that I need my truck back this week and I will come back to this in a few months. In the spring I am planning to address my suspension. Right now I have the factory X-REAS with stock coils, and a Daystar 2.5/1.5 lift; the rear struts are about shot. I'm planning to add rear airbags for towing, and installing either the FJ suspension I have sitting in my shop, some Bilstein 5100s, or a combination of the two. I will deal with this again when I am doing all of that.