Metallic ring fell from rear brake assembly

[ScooterMD]

I removed the driver's rear rotor, and while I was turning the passenger side wheel (entire rear axle elevated) I heard a clank from the driver's side and then found this piece lying on the ground. Any idea what the hell the piece is?
I whacked the rotor pretty hard with a mallet before taking it off; maybe I knocked this piece loose?
this is a 2007 4Runner Sport, V6

 

[jfry008]

Looks like a 'cup' in the parking brake.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...ke-repair-procedure-question.html#post1638373

 

[TowMeOut]

Yep.....if you've got that piece then there's a spring, pin, and retaining clip floating around too. I was doing my rear brakes a few weeks ago and thought I had the parking brake backed off enough. As it turns out there was a bit of a ridge inside the old rotors that grabbed the shoes. Like you, when I went to pull them off I popped one of these retainers loose on one side.

They're quite a pain to put back without the tool but it can be done. You'll want both wheels up in the air so you can spin the hubs easily. I ended up just making a tool from some old aluminum tubing I had lying around. I had even mangled the retaining clip too and had to do a little work to get it back into shape.

Luckily, my brake shoes looked nearly new (on a vehicle with 140K). I never use my e-brake but now I'm reminded I need to readjust so it actually holds. I haven't touched it since doing the brakes but it will probably go to the floor and not hold....oops.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Sounds like you didn't retract the parking brake mechanism when you took the rotor off causing the springs to pop out and get everywhere. This happens a lot...

 

[ScooterMD]

Looks like a 'cup' in the parking brake.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...ke-repair-procedure-question.html#post1638373

thanks for the pic. Indeed, I later found the little cap to the left of the spring in the picture and will hunt for the spring, clip, and pin tomorrow. I;ll try to construct a similar contraption to put it back together. thanks for the help; will update on status.

 

[ScooterMD]

update:
Working on these emergency brakes are the worst ever. Since the incident where the spring assembly fell out, i have spent countless hours cleaning, taking apart, and re-assembling the e-brake brake assembly.

Putting the shoes back on over the springs is awful. I tried many techniques and found that the best is indeed maintaining the spring compressed with a wire through the hole in the hub as demonstrated in the pic above.

Once I got everything back together, however, i found that the brake shoes rubbed against and kept it from turning. This was only on the L rear rotor, the R rear turned easily. For example, with the rear axle elevated, the L rear hub wouldn't turn unless I really stepped on the gas, to ~3k rpm.

To address this, I tightened the adjuster between the shoes (at the bottom of the assembly) to the tightest setting; nothing. I removed, cleaned, greased, and replaced all springs and the shoes; nothing. I even bought a replacement spring kit, replaced all hardware in the assembly other than the shoes...nothing. I finally pulled the center console and completely loosened the brake cable....to no avail, the shoes kept dragging.

Any idea what the hell is wrong???!?

 

[AuSeeker]

update:
Working on these emergency brakes are the worst ever. Since the incident where the spring assembly fell out, i have spent countless hours cleaning, taking apart, and re-assembling the e-brake brake assembly.

Putting the shoes back on over the springs is awful. I tried many techniques and found that the best is indeed maintaining the spring compressed with a wire through the hole in the hub as demonstrated in the pic above.

Once I got everything back together, however, i found that the brake shoes rubbed against and kept it from turning. This was only on the L rear rotor, the R rear turned easily. For example, with the rear axle elevated, the L rear hub wouldn't turn unless I really stepped on the gas, to ~3k rpm.

To address this, I tightened the adjuster between the shoes (at the bottom of the assembly) to the tightest setting; nothing. I removed, cleaned, greased, and replaced all springs and the shoes; nothing. I even bought a replacement spring kit, replaced all hardware in the assembly other than the shoes...nothing. I finally pulled the center console and completely loosened the brake cable....to no avail, the shoes kept dragging.

Any idea what the hell is wrong???!?

"To address this, I tightened the adjuster between the shoes (at the bottom of the assembly) to the tightest setting; nothing."

If you tightened the parking brake to it's "tightest setting" the rotor can't possibly turn, that's the same as applying the e-brake, the proper procedure for adjusting the parking brake is as follows.....

"10. ADJUST PARKING BRAKE SHOE CLEARANCE
(a) Temporarily install the hub nuts.
(b) Remove the hole plug, and turn the adjuster and expand the shoes until the disc locks.
(c) Contract the shoe adjuster until the disc rotates smoothly.
Standard: Return 8 notches
(d) Check the shoe has no brake drag.
(e) Install the hole plug.
11. INSTALL REAR DISC BRAKE CALIPER ASSEMBLY LH
(a) Install the rear disc brake caliper with the 2 bolts.
Torque: 105 Nm (1,071 kgf/cm, 77 ft. lbs.)
12. INSTALL REAR WHEEL
Torque: 112 Nm (1,137 kgf/cm, 83 ft. lbs.)
13. INSPECT PARKING BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL
14. ADJUST PARKING BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL"


Download the PDF file posted in reply #10 by "Toyo" in the below linked topic for everything you need to know about removing an replacing/ servicing the parking brakes.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/123238-parking-brake-repair-procedure-question.html