Rear Brake Drums challenge to Board..

[Tkelly5]

91 4Runner, SR5, 2WD, Auto, 3.0L , 3VZE, A240E

I have watched every YouTube video with the words "4Runner brakes" on them and could not find what I am looking for. Same with searching the word "drum" in the classic forum.

Challenge to forum experts: provide a video, pictures, or just better detailed instructions on how to loosen (retract) the star wheel adjusters on the rear brake drums. Field service manual step #3 (attached) is guiding , not enough info to get 'ER done.

Situation; bought truck 3,000 miles ago, changed front discs no prob. Saved rear drums for another day. Today is the day. Lol.
Rear drums actually want to come off , they are loose so no hammer or sledge needed. I tried the 8mm bolt trick and drum easily starting coming off but pulled both brake pads with it, getting harder until I heard the dreaded "sproing" and stripped the drum on one thread. Stopped, took out bolts and the drum "snapped back" on thanks to (fill in diety here) my fingers were no where near or tips would have been gone.

Solution ; What I think is going on is brakes have eaten into drums and star wheel need to be fully retracted first. Then drums will come right off by hand.

Problem; I have used my brake adjuster tool, it turns the star and expands the shoes easily, with a ratcheting click , but will not go the other way. Looking at the FSM (attached) it says to use two screwdrivers, lift the auto adjusting lever, and then adjust back. Thanks Toyota, no help there. Exactly how does one lift the lever? Flathead or Phillips? Place the driver forward of the star or to the rear? What angle ? 45 down, level, or 45 up? How far in? That sort of detail.

If i could get a drum off, I could see easily , and video a detailed instruction, but working totally blind here .

Anyone know of a video, or series of pix, or able to first correctly Untighten the star wheel fully without forcing it and stripping the teeth, then take the rear drum off for a 1gen 4runnet...and share with us? Send you a bottle of jameson whiskey for first detailed video posted on YouTube ! Thanks for any help. I am almost ready to go to Jiffy libe for 250 bucks but soooo close it seems a shame. Plus truck is totally up ready to go.

 

[fwak1234]

The problem you are facing is that the star is flat on one side so it will not spin backwards because it is hitting that arm not allowing for you to spin it backwards. You need to get a small flat tip into the assembly from the inside (towards the third member) and push the arm outward (towards the drum itself). Then you will be able to spin the adjustment ring (star) backwards, loosening the grip on the shoes to the drum. What has more that likely happened is the shoes have worn a lip into the drum thus not allowing them to release the drum off. If you cannot get the arm free from the backside then try using the bolt trick to bring the drum out far enough to where you can move the arm out from the top and spin the star from the back. Hope this helps

The red ring is the adjuster that needs to move the opposite direction. The arm is right on the bottom of it and only allows it to move one way in normal operation thus you must move the arm off of the adjuster.

EDIT: I realize this may not be the exact drum but the concept is still the same

 

[wallytoo]

just as the FSM states. you'll need a narrow blade screwdriver to push the locking tab away from the star adjuster (of course, it will be through the slot, and you won't be able to see it). i use a brake adjuster to turn the star wheel, but it can be done with another screwdriver.

to hit the locking tab, put the screwdriver into the slot on the forward edge, not the trailing edge. try a slight downward angle. you'll try to feel the tab give way slightly after the tip of the screwdriver makes contact with it. keep pressing on it to hold it away from the star wheel, and then use the other screwdriver (or adjuster tool) to turn the wheel. you'll want to turn the wheel by leveraging the bottom of the wheel and up to loosen the shoes.


the problem in the photo above is that the brakes are missing the locking plate that prevents the starwheel from loosening. yours probably has the lock plate. you can try all day, but you aren't going to loosen the wheel if the lock plate is there and you don't push it out of the way.

wally

 

[Bad_Vision]

All the information provided is correct you just need to do what the FSM told you to do.

 

[Tkelly5]

Thanks

Thanks guys will try it again, it helped with the hints on where to put the screwdriver, that is what I needed. If i get it. I will post a picture or two to show the operations for future drum mechanics

 

[nevada]

Thanks guys will try it again, it helped with the hints on where to put the screwdriver, that is what I needed. If i get it. I will post a picture or two to show the operations for future drum mechanics

2nd down from the top. the 90 degree.

I like to use those for this job. you can slide it in past the adjuster, and then turn it so it hits the lever. it gives you more surface area, and smaller overall. easier than using a screw driver.

 

[wallytoo]

that would work well for holding the lever. nice.

 

[Tkelly5]

Got both!!

Gang thanks for the help. I tried the advice with a thin screwdriver and got both adjusters to back off and drums slid off! Drums were in great shape, They had just enough of a tiny lip to catch both brake shoes. Anyway, I made a quick video of the tools I used and did a demo on the easy way to locate the adjuster-lever, two ways. Will edit and do a YouTube upload, without the fancy graphics. Will post a link . Thanks ! Savings: the local NTB quoted me $500 for the brake job assuming new rotors were needed. My cost: $16.00 for shoes, 19.99 for screwdriver set, 4.99 for brake cleaner. Flushed brake lines and reservoir, nice and responsive!

 

[Tkelly5]

Here's a picture or two of the layout...

Attached is the passenger side brake, except the photo uploaded keeps flipping it upside down no matter how I upload it.. So you have to look at this rotated 180, sorry!

 

[Red Tintop]

Congrats on both the job well done and the savings!

For future reference, there are two threaded holes in the drum that allow you to thread a bolt into them that seats against the hub. By going back and forth between the two bolts it is usually possible to "walk" the drum off.
This works best if there is not too big a ridge on the edge of the drum.

It beats the heck out of un-adjusting the adjuster.

 

[Tkelly5]

Video on relaxing rear brake shoes

Here is the video. I did a part 2, where i show where exactly the screwdriver and tool should be with the drum off, but apparently I fat fingered it and got 3 seconds of video. Will have to do that a bit later.

Hopefully this moves me from a classic Forum "taker" into a "maker" and helps someone else out

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FQP5BCZss7o

 

[wallytoo]

Congrats on both the job well done and the savings!

For future reference, there are two threaded holes in the drum that allow you to thread a bolt into them that seats against the hub. By going back and forth between the two bolts it is usually possible to "walk" the drum off.
This works best if there is not too big a ridge on the edge of the drum.

It beats the heck out of un-adjusting the adjuster.

read through the very first post again. the OP tried it, and stripped one of the holes.

 

[Red Tintop]

Ooops, my bad :redface: