Questions/Thoughts on Parking Brake Replacement

[aa040371]

I am having issues with my parking (drum) brakes on my 2007 Limited 6-Cyl 2WD 4Runner and need to replace at least the hardware involved on one side; I'll do both, of course.

I have not measured what’s left of brake pads but I don’t see a reason, at least not a cost reason, not to go ahead and replace them at this point (~170K miles) even if they haven’t worn out that much. Note: While I live in Texas, my driveway is pretty steep, and so I probably use my parking brakes more than most in this area. This still may not mean pads are all that worn, though.

I see [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION]’s (a.k.a. TimmyTheToolman) write-up from 2023. He indicates there may be issues with >any< after-market brake shoes. I trust him/his write-ups implicitly but wonder if the warning isn’t based on a single after-market manufacture rather than all of them. That said, I see a set of OEM shoes out on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/176216466248. Can I trust eBay for this?

As mentioned I need a complete set of hardware, too. There are several after-market options out on Rock-Auto, including from Raybestos, Carlson, Centric, Acdelco, Dorman, and others. They all look pretty much like this: More Information for RAYBESTOS H17395. Are any of these manufacturers recommended, or the opposite?

Lol…I’ll definitely make sure to get “the tool”!

 

[sundance21]

Aftermarket rotors are "hit miss" in my experience but I have them on both of my 4runners. I've never had an issue with wrapping but they might be noisy from time to time. Then tend to "flash rust" from moisture or rain. The rust will make noise.

I would never use anything but Toyota brake pads. I do have a set of centric pads on the front of one my 4runners but I probably wouldn't do it again. If you do anything otherwise. Do semi-metallics and go with Centric. Ceramic take heat to really work well. Which means the initial "bite" just isn't there.

Trust E-bay? A reputable seller with MANY reviews can usually be trusted. I have gotten Toyota parts on E-Bay that were fake but they were not terrible. A really unbelievable price should indicate it is probably a fake.

Just my penny.

 

[aa040371]

Aftermarket rotors...

Just to make sure we are on same page, I am not replacing rotors, just the drum/parking brake shoes. I gather you recommend sticking with Toyota/OEM for these?

Trust E-bay?

Thanks for the pointers...I don't use eBay hardly at all anymore, so I can get a little nervous with it.

 

[sundance21]

Sorry for the confusion.

I can't imagine using aftermarket for the parking brake shoes will matter. I can't think of a reason why they would actually be worn too much unless they have been dragging. If they have been dragging, they might have worn a grove in the inner "rotor" surface. In that case, I would replace the rotor too. This would avoid having to over adjust the "shoes" to get them to hold. I've never actually replaced those pads on any 4th 4runner I've owned. I have 240,000 on both of mine. I should have made that clear. Sorry.

 

[aa040371]

Thanks very much for your thoughts and responses.

I can't think of a reason why they would actually be worn too much unless they have been dragging.

Honestly, it's not clear to me that the pads/shoes do need to be replaced, but some of the hardware on one side gave up the ghost recently. My nature is just to take care of whatever I can on a preventative measure for things like this. I'd hate to have to go back in and deal with this chinese puzzle of a mess a second time.

As mentioned the only reason I wonder if my shoes/pads might need proactive replacing is that I park on a steep driveway for last 15 years. More use of parking brake than I think a lot of cars get in most areas.

I might just order the shoes on a "just in case they are needed" basis and take a better look at the wear/pattern on existing shoes once all torn apart. I'd then have the option of returning them if it turns out I really don't need them.

 

[AuSeeker]

Thanks very much for your thoughts and responses.


Honestly, it's not clear to me that the pads/shoes do need to be replaced, but some of the hardware on one side gave up the ghost recently. My nature is just to take care of whatever I can on a preventative measure for things like this. I'd hate to have to go back in and deal with this chinese puzzle of a mess a second time.

As mentioned the only reason I wonder if my shoes/pads might need proactive replacing is that I park on a steep driveway for last 15 years. More use of parking brake than I think a lot of cars get in most areas.

I might just order the shoes on a "just in case they are needed" basis and take a better look at the wear/pattern on existing shoes once all torn apart. I'd then have the option of returning them if it turns out I really don't need them.

If it were me I would go with OEM on both the hardware and the shoes, I have heard of some aftermarket hardware not being exactly the same as OEM, the pins are very important that they be the same, I personally wouldn't take the chance of any of it being wrong and finding that out once you take it all apart!!

That being said I can't see why there would be much wear if any on the original shoes because they don't actually rotate in use to wear them out....BUT since your hardware has gone south it's very possible that the shoes could be bad if they are dragging.

 

[MikeinNH67]

I have aftermarket in my truck, I buy the higher end stuff from RockAuto. These shoes don't wear down as they are just holding the truck in place, no real friction to rub them down. It is good to replace the shoes while in there though as the friction material can de-laminate from age and then you have a mess. Small zip ties compressing the retention springs is a tip I found on Youtube. Watch some videos before jumping in as it is a tough area to work on.

 

[4R005]

Standard(new) lining thickness is 0.158" and 0.039" the minimum. When replacing existing shoes with new ones and marry them to existing drum/rotor, do this exercise according to Toyota service manual. Coat drum surface with chalk and grind /remove any high spots on new shoe lining to produce even contact.
I went thro' this replacement of shoes ( when replacing worn brake hardware) for my 05" 4R w/V8 some years back and skipped this step and to my dismay, cannot fit the existing drum/rotor over the new shoes. Ended up reusing old shoes as they were in good shape. The pair of new shoes still sitting on a shelf in my garage.

 

[aa040371]

If it were me I would go with OEM on both the hardware and the shoes

Yes, will do for the shoes. And would be strong preference for hardware, but the hardware as a kit is not available from Toyota dealership or OEM parts websites. And assembling the order by hand is very confusing and challenging to make sure it is complete and correct despite Tim's list in his video. And, of course, the cost...about $110 (USD) more, with unknown actual shipping/delivery times. Sigh...

 

[aa040371]

[MENTION=770998]4R005[/MENTION]: Curious to know...did you use after market, or OEM shoes, i.e. if Toyota/OEM, you are saying you still had issue with fitment?

 

[4R005]

Compared the steel stampings with new and existing shoes. They were an exact match albeit lining thicknesses differ from old vs new. New shoes were bought from Rockauto not OEMs. Not RA's fault.

I'm an old timer and had changed drum brake shoes numerous times, so was surprised to find out later that new shoes needed " fitting" as per Toyota service manual, that was after I'd put everything ,the old shoes and NEW hardware back together. This was the first time I've come across the need to do a "fit" with new shoes to allow drum to slid back in. I'm good presently with the old shoes which still have a good amount of meat on them with the new hardware. Not planing to use the new shoes anytime soon. Lol.

Not saying you'll surely run into same scenario as me, but do comparision of new shoes with old cos its a PITA to assemble everything and find that you have to shave a bit of lining here or there before the drum can slide in.

 

[aa040371]

Thanks. The uncertainty in aftermarket shoes is really frustrating, since the 4 OEM parts needed cost ~$125 shipped and delivered (although will take ~2 weeks), and same parts from Centric (which I believe is considered to generally be an above average manufacturer of brake stuff) is ~$35 and can get delivered in two days. Under normal circumstances, the choice would be easy. *shrug*