Brake repair questions (1 Viewer)

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Alright, i was changing the diff fluids the other day and noticed that it was finally time to do a brake rebuild, go figure. So i got the 40 up on jack stands in the rear right now, first i started with emptying the old fluid and replacing it with new. I am having trouble deciding if i should change the brake lines, if they aren't leaking, do they need to be replaced??? They are definatly original from 1979. The rear cylinder have supposably been replaced, so i tryed to remove the drums, how do i do this, do i unbolt the 8 bolts then knock it off? I'm having some trouble bleeding as well, i had no problem bleading the clutch. Now that there is air in the rear brakes, do i need to also bleed the front?? Do i bleed each side of the rear separatly or what?
 
Badass...I remember your post about changing the diff oil. Please don't take this wrong...I mean it with all respect to you & understand you are trying to learn, and you have come to the right place for help....but you really, really, really need to buy a FSM. On your diff post (which is a 10 min. job...and you had about 20 post b-4 you got the oil in there) someone suggested you might consider a automotive class. You shot back that you did not need classes as these were simple machines to work on.

As an example, this post regarding your brake job....why in the world are you bleeding your brakes as the initial step in the rebuild. That is the last step..not the first. And how can you determine that you even need a brake rebuild if you haven't removed the drum & looked @ the shoes ? You might only need to adjust the wheel cyls.

If you get the FSM, it will guide you...in the proper steps... to be able to do a compentent job. Then when you need help & ask questions you won't be all over the board & we can & will offer our assistance. But trying to respond to your brake post is like trying to herd butterflys. Don't know where to start.

And yes, after over 25 years your soft lines most likely are cracked & do need replacing. As a suggestion, go to the FAQ or the Tech links at the top of the page & look up brakes for all you will need to know. After all, these are simple machines. We can help..but we have to know where to start.

John
 
F A Q <---- this is a link
 
dealer, ebay, fellow mudder, bookstore, any of the 5000 aftermarket vendors like MAF, S$R, Downey, Mudracks, JTO, Marks, Marlin Crawler, CCoT, TPI, etc, etc, etc.

IIRC, we live 10 miles or so from each other. PM me and you can take mine to Kinkos.
 
Alright, i was changing the diff fluids the other day and noticed that it was finally time to do a brake rebuild, go figure. So i got the 40 up on jack stands in the rear right now, first i started with emptying the old fluid and replacing it with new. I am having trouble deciding if i should change the brake lines, if they aren't leaking, do they need to be replaced??? They are definatly original from 1979. The rear cylinder have supposably been replaced, so i tryed to remove the drums, how do i do this, do i unbolt the 8 bolts then knock it off? I'm having some trouble bleeding as well, i had no problem bleading the clutch. Now that there is air in the rear brakes, do i need to also bleed the front?? Do i bleed each side of the rear separatly or what?

Personally if you have never done brakes before I would recommend finding someone who has and let them help you. Or even better take it to a brake shop and watch them.Brakes are not something to be screwing around with.
 
i am not saying dont get a fsm but mine sure seems to be lacking info,i wish i had a better manual that covered more than one year(67).i just redid all my hard brake lines and it sucked so bad id rather go to the dentist(sorry ed).
 
badass, the rear brakes were the first job I tackled on my cruiser. I was just as clueless as you are now, although I think I was a little more hesitant to show it. I did what everyone here is telling you to do. I got the FSM, AND I found a buddy to help me. I got my FSM from Cdan, but he suggests now that you get it direct from Toyota publishing. Do a search and you'll find the 800 number. You should get both the Engine and Body and Chassis manuals, but the brakes are in B&C, of course.
 
Ok got the drums apart, do these cylinders look like they need to be replaced? The right cylinders have supposably been replaced.
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Is the axle flange wet because of you spraying something on it?


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You can't tell by looking what needs to be replaced. However, if you replace the cylinders, all the hardware, and put new brake shoes on it, you'll have complete perfect brakes that will last you for 20 years. Do as much right as you can possibly afford.

Looking at the gook inside your drum, that looks like normal mud to me, so IF the adjusters can spin, you can probably redo your rear brakes with a set of shoes and a hardware kit. If the adjusters are frozen, then stop now, and order new wheel cylinders from Cruiserdan. They are surprisingly affordable. I would not waste money/time on rebuild kits or the second rate parts you get from CCoT and a few others.

Brake work is some of the easiest and most satisifying major work. Just remember that there are NO SHORTCUTS in brake work. It's your life and everyone sharing the road with you.

Get the drums turned-I have taken old and nasty drums to the machinist and they come back perfect-no reason to buy new ones, so that saves you $200 right there.

Others will tell you to do rear disks-but at your skill level, I don't think that would be advisable. One step at a time, grasshopper. Drum brakes work just great.
 
Is the axle flange wet because of you spraying something on it?


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No, let me guess, there probably is some seal that needs to be replaced, i did just replace the axle gear oil, i did overfill it a little.
 
No, let me guess, there probably is some seal that needs to be replaced, i did just replace the axle gear oil, i did overfill it a little.

Replacing the axle seal is a much bigger job. It is pretty straight forward, but I would tackle with the help of a friendly local Cruiserhead who has done it before. Hold off on that, there does not seem to be enough oil for that seal to be bad. Were the brake shoes or drum oily?

Here is a pic of where the seal goes, me driving it in, and a blurry pic of what it looks like in place.

By the way, this is an FJ60, but the seal is the same.
RAxle5.jpg
RAxle6.jpg
blurry seal.jpg
 
Replacing the axle seal is a much bigger job. It is pretty straight forward, but I would tackle with the help of a friendly local Cruiserhead who has done it before. Hold off on that, there does not seem to be enough oil for that seal to be bad. Were the brake shoes or drum oily?

Here is a pic of where the seal goes, me driving it in, and a blurry pic of what it looks like in place.

By the way, this is an FJ60, but the seal is the same.

No, neither the brake shoes or drum were oily, it doesn't drip any oli either, seems to be pretty minor.
 
Actually, from my view, it looks like the shoes have a lot of life left in them. They look pretty new.

The adjuster is definately torn up, I doubt that you can adjust that side with the drum on. Adjusting them with the drum on is a capability you want to have. There's a little slot on the backing plate that lets you get the special tool or a screwdriver in there, to tighten them up.

You might want to clean things up with some brake cleaner, adjust them, and call them good for another year.

Most autoparts stores can measure the drums and tell you they need to be turned (I mean - how much life they have left).

Are the drums scored?

I can't comment on the hoses.

Good Luck

Rocky
 
Actually, from my view, it looks like the shoes have a lot of life left in them. They look pretty new.

The adjuster is definately torn up, I doubt that you can adjust that side with the drum on. Adjusting them with the drum on is a capability you want to have. There's a little slot on the backing plate that lets you get the special tool or a screwdriver in there, to tighten them up.

You might want to clean things up with some brake cleaner, adjust them, and call them good for another year.

Most autoparts stores can measure the drums and tell you they need to be turned (I mean - how much life they have left).

Are the drums scored?

I can't comment on the hoses.

Good Luck

Rocky

Is this the adjuster???
Resized_DSC05451.jpg
 
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