Chemistry and your parking brake bell cranks

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Trunk Monkey

Trunk Monkey

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The joys of dissimilar metals reactions and the parking brake bell cranks. This one was corroded to the point that if I set the brake it wouldn't release and was dragging the brake shoes. And I hate working on parking brakes, those dumb springs that like to shoot off to the far corners of the garage.

I need to train one of my kids to do pictures, but here's a quick how to:

- order new bell crank arm, crank holder (make sure you've ordered correct side for these two - L is driver's, R is passenger), pin, and c-clip for pin (apprx. $30 for all)
- remove wheel
- remove 17mm bolts holding brake caliper on
- hit rotor drum with BFH working your way around until it releases
- undo springs (3) holding shoes in place and bell crank (2)
- remove rear parking brake shoe
- pull pin from e-brake cable from backside
- pull pin from bell crank on front side, if you've ordered new parts consider adding in a new horseshoe c-clip that holds this pin, it's easy to mangle the one on there
- undo two 12mm bolts holding bell crank and remove
- assemble new bell crank
- remove rubber stopper from old bell crank and put on new one
- remove rubber boot from old crank, put on new, adding grease to new pin under boot
- reassemble in reverse

Here is the one pic I did snap, showing the corrosion. It's been this way on 3 LC's I've owned, either Toyota needs to use different materials or I need to use my e-brake a lot more.
2012-08-24 18.41.37.webp
2012-08-24 19.55.24.webp
 
Its a classic. Mine was frozen both sides. The bellcranks and brackets cleaned up nicely and after repainting with POR15 they went back on with new pins and hardware. No problem since, but rust never sleeps.
 
Mine actually fused together so they became one complete unit instead of a pivoting arm.

After replacing them I packed the rubber boots with grease when reinstalling, but ensured to keep the grease outside the drum/backing plate area.
 
Agreed on the timing - I've been meaning to do this for almost two years! :p

Since I'm going to be spending a bunch of dough on parts coming up anyway, I'll have to add this to the list of things to (finally) do.
 
Rust is something I have plenty of...I think I'll order the above kit from CP.net and hit up Beno for the rest.
 
Same experience here TM...even in arid Nevada.

Just to add: I need to be on top of the e-brake brake shoe adjustment at least several times a year (about every 4-5 months) to get the best performance out of the e-brakes; no auto reverse adjust from Toyota :rolleyes:. And "best" is a relative term :lol: Its really the only maintenance intensive system on a 100. Probably jinxed myself with that one.
 
My p-brake bells aren't so bad from last time I did brakes a few months ago. Can I just smear some grease all over that stuff to keep from sticking or will it just gunk up and attract dirt? Dont have rust to worry about here in CA, but as PM it's not a bad idea.
Also, since it was mentioned, where is the best place in the system to make adjustments in terms of handle throw? I properly adjusted my p-brake shoes at the wheels, but forgot to adjust the handle and figured I could do it later (which is now ;)) iirc I saw several places under rig to possibly adjust, which is why I'm asking.
 
Best bet is to clean the bellcranks up, give them a good sanding, then spray with rustoleum rattle can or paint with POR15. Much better than smearing them with grease.

Adjust the handle cable free play with the turnbuckle on the cable between the the cranks.
 
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My parking brake won't budge, not letting me engage it even exerting a lot of strength. Could this be the issue? Is it safe to jack up this vehicle without engaging the e-brake?
 
2002LX470 said:
My parking brake won't budge, not letting me engage it even exerting a lot of strength. Could this be the issue? Is it safe to jack up this vehicle without engaging the e-brake?
Click to expand...

Since the e brake only works on the rear, setting the parking brake and jacking the rear isn't safe anyways. Always lock the center diff, use wheel chocks, and only elevate the wheel you need off the ground. Oh- and use jack stands.
 
1407driver said:
Since the e brake only works on the rear, setting the parking brake and jacking the rear isn't safe anyways. Always lock the center diff, use wheel chocks, and only elevate the wheel you need off the ground. Oh- and use jack stands.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much! Pressing in the center diff button means it engages, right?
 
I have to tighten mine almost every month. I never just yank it anymore, I pull click by click in neutral and only use as much as needed. Any reason why the cable would be stretching that much? Time for new pads?

FYI: Last month it was 5 clicks, now I'm almost pulling it to the max. It works GREAT while facing uphill, downhill the truck will just squeak and roll forward.
 
2000UZJ said:
I have to tighten mine almost every month. I never just yank it anymore, I pull click by click in neutral and only use as much as needed. Any reason why the cable would be stretching that much? Time for new pads?

FYI: Last month it was 5 clicks, now I'm almost pulling it to the max. It works GREAT while facing uphill, downhill the truck will just squeak and roll forward.
Click to expand...

You need to adjust the star wheels in the brake assemblies... don't think anyone did mine since it was built. I bought the truck without a working parking brake and when I got in there the pads looked like antique mud, just falling apart.

In your case, you just need to adjust the star wheels and quit messing with the cable.

Oh, and glad to hear you stopped 'yankin' it!
 
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So just when I thought I'd hit the home stretch with parking brakes, feeling great through the bell cranks and just had some cable slack to take up, I hit another rusty wall.
There is a yoke on the left side that pivots (or should pivot) at the axle housing to allow equal force at each bell crank but mine is frozen up solid.
Anybody have a diagram of the cable assembly that shows the parts involved in said pivot?

I only barely got it moving with a lot of triflow and a pry bar. Going to let it soak for 24 and try some more. Not looking forward to trying to free up the rusty pivot bolt either.

TIA,
 
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Well, 4 years later and another lesson learned. When I replaced these I thought to myself "I sure don't want to do this again any time soon" so I filled the rubber boots over the pin with axle grease. Turns out, 4 years later, that's a bad idea. Aluminum and plain ole grease is a bad combo and now this crank is seized up yet again, but with solidified grease this time. So, replaced this one again.

Side note, I've been chasing a noise when driving that sounds like a brake pad dragging. When I found this bell crank frozen I thought for sure that was it, but the sound remained after replacing it. So, put the truck up on stands and had the wife "drive" it while it was up there so I could isolate the noise. Found it was coming from the PS front wheel. Dug into it, could hear it clearly turning the hub by hand. PUlled the flange, hub was full of grease. Should have checked the simple things first, I pulled the caliper to see if it would still make the noise and it didn't. Looked at the pads and they're shot. Seems like I had just changed them not long ago, so the pads being worn out wasn't even something I was thinking about. Also, I'm used to the wear indicator only sounding when you press the brakes and get the squeak-squeak-squeak, but it goes away when you let off the pedal. This was constant.

New pads going in on Monday. Learned another new thing talking with my parts guy, Toyota now offers a "value" line of brake pads as well as the OEM red box pads. Retail on the OEM pads is up over $100 now. He said the value line is closer in quality and price to what you'd get at Autozone or the like.

20160730_110449.webp
 
I filled the boots with the same high temp silicone grease that I used on the caliper slide pins. CRC Silaramic high temp grease.

Have no idea how this will perform long term- but I suspect it should have pretty good resistance to washout.
 
Anti-seize might be worth a try. That's my next move. I get about 8 years on an e-brake rebuild.

While I don't have a 100, the evolution from FJ60 to UZJ100 is really the same problem, with the same parts.

It's really too bad the bellcranks don't have a zerk fitting to keep them continuously lubed. Hmm....
 
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