Rear brake issue

[WallyWest]

I did shoes and hardware today, which was fun. Been a long time since I did drum brakes. This is on a 2002 4WD sport edition. 155,000 miles.

The arm that's connected to the bell crank appeared to be frozen on both sides. It was gunked up real good, hit it with some brake cleaner and it looks better but my e-brake still feels like a dead fish. No resistance at all. I didn't have another person around to try and use it while I had the wheel off, so I'm not sure if the cable has snapped or what. I assume that's the case with zero resistance at all, seeing as how the mechanism it's connected to is frozen.

I'm not sure if it should be possible to move that lever (with the brakes pulled off) by hand or not, but I couldn't get it to budge. Whacked it a few times with the handle of a screwdriver, not terribly hard, and it didn't move. Thunderstorms are moving in so I didn't have time to mess around with it any more.

At 155,000 miles should I just replace the bell crank and lever on general principles?

The old brake shoes have me a little worried too. On both sides the shoe facing forward had the lower part worn pretty well. Towards the top though had decent thickness. The rear shoe I considered putting back on, it had damn near as much pad thickness as the new one I put on. Drums looked fine, nice and smooth. I'm going to check the wear on the new ones after 1000 miles or so, I'm hoping by cleaning everything up and putting new hardware on it that it'll be fine. I used a Raybestos hardware kit, which was fine except for the smallest spring, which wasn't even close to the right size. So I just reused the old ones since they were ok. I'll go OEM next time, tried to save money.

Brakes feel much better overall. Less pedal travel and it stops with more authority. I'm pretty sure the rear brakes were doing absolutely nothing before.

 

[TheDurk]

Well, if yours are anything like mine were, a few sprays of brake cleaner (or anything else) won't do the job. I had to take mine apart and clean with power tools until I had bright metal, reassemble, and pack with anti-seize. They've been fine for a few years now. Bellcrank should move if disconnected at both brake and e-brake cable ends.

I have a link for this:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/attachments/brakes/38092d1231601230-sticking-parking-brake-bellcranks-toyota-truck-park-brake-bellcrank-repair.pdf

As to the lower part being worn, frozen bellcranks will do that if they froze up lightly engaged. They expand the shoes from the bottom, while the cylinder does it from the top. Then the frozen bellcrank prevents that brake from ever adjusting, so it never evens out. {I think, I just came up with this.)

 

[WallyWest]

Well, if yours are anything like mine were, a few sprays of brake cleaner (or anything else) won't do the job. I had to take mine apart and clean with power tools until I had bright metal, reassemble, and pack with anti-seize. They've been fine for a few years now. Bellcrank should move if disconnected at both brake and e-brake cable ends.

I have a link for this:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/attachments/brakes/38092d1231601230-sticking-parking-brake-bellcranks-toyota-truck-park-brake-bellcrank-repair.pdf

Thanks for the link, that will come in handy when I take them apart. Mine are completely frozen it seems.

As to the lower part being worn, frozen bellcranks will do that if they froze up lightly engaged. They expand the shoes from the bottom, while the cylinder does it from the top. Then the frozen bellcrank prevents that brake from ever adjusting, so it never evens out. {I think, I just came up with this.)

I don't think so. I believe the bell crank, if it has to travel very far to engage the brakes, will hit that small metal lever on the back of the shoe. That will turn the adjuster slightly, same as if you stuck a screwdriver through the hole and did it manually. The end of that lever that makes contact with the adjuster serves to keep it in place, and turn it a bit if needed. I believe all the force to push the shoes out and make contact with the drum comes from the top. Which, if I'm right, makes the lower part of the shoe being more worn really strange. I can only assume something was seized in there and caused them not to make full contact. Everything other than the bell crank lever was cleaned up and moving fine when I put it back together, so fingers crossed.

I'm not 100% sure about the mechanics there, that's just my impression from taking it apart. I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time.