Which of the springs?
Chemistry and your parking brake bell cranks
- Thread starter Trunk Monkey
- Start date
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My brake lever won’t budge and the dealer quoted me $2200 in order to fix and pass NYS inspection but they planned on replacing cables and all the parts on both sides. Lucky mavis passed it the next day.
Now, I’ve got the rebuild kit from cruiser parts and plan to replace the bell crank assembly and hope that takes care of my issue! Will report back when finished!
Now, I’ve got the rebuild kit from cruiser parts and plan to replace the bell crank assembly and hope that takes care of my issue! Will report back when finished!
Update: On both sides my bellcranks and brackets were 100% seized with the pins. After replacing bellcranks, bracket, pin, c-clip and all the springs that came in the cruiser parts kit($183 shipped) and 3 adjustments later, I have a working parking brake!!!!
This was difficult for me because it's one of my first diy projects and first ever brake work. Also, it was all done at 15-30 degrees F and my fingers were cold as s***. Especially when re-attaching the shoes into the retaining pins/springs/cups, I had to remove gloves for extra dexterity. Large c-clamp probably would have helped me keep the shoes in place for this part. If you're thinking of doing this in the cold, do yourself a favor and wait till summer or find a heated garage. Best tutorial was OTRAMM's 80 series parking brake video even though it's a little different and harder to fit fingers behind the (hub flange?) in the 100 series, the video was really helpful.
Notes:
-cruiser parts kit does not come with replacement pins for the lever, a lever, strut, shoes, parking brake cable #2(short one connecting bellcrank to lever), nor adjustment hole plug. My lever and strut were in good shape but I would replace the rest of these components next time if I knew, especially the cable, it was pretty rusted. Doing this would cost a little more money, maybe $150 shipped from amayama.
-on a budget, I def could have reused everything but c-clips and bellcrank, boot and bracket. This would have lowered my parts costs to $55 shipped from amayama. Maybe some of the springs, and screwset have been replaced sometime, maybe even recently, since there was colored markers matching the spring colors on the shoes to make re-assembly easier
-my parking shoes must be old, maybe factory from 23 yrs ago because they're starting to crumble. They are currently working, however I suspect adjustment would be easier if I just put in new ones.
-shipping from cruiser parts took a long time, like 3 weeks almost when they quoted 1. Will probably not use them going forward. Craig was helpful finding part numbers however but now I know how to use toyodiy and amayama so I won't need that help anymore.
-seems like packing the boot with high-temp brake grease is the way to avoid the bellcrank seizing. I used Permatex purple ceramic extreme brake lube, and needed most of the 5 oz squeeze bottle, I got overpriced from Advanced Auto Parts. Maybe add this to regular maintenance anytime you replace rear pads/rotors or w/e. With the squeeze bottle you can squeeze this in the back of the bellcrank/bracket assembly by removing the two bolts holding it on, just would need to take the rear shoes so maybe/maybe not worth it.
Sorry no photos, I forgot. Next time I'll remember since it would have been good for me to see the process to see before I embarked on it.
This was difficult for me because it's one of my first diy projects and first ever brake work. Also, it was all done at 15-30 degrees F and my fingers were cold as s***. Especially when re-attaching the shoes into the retaining pins/springs/cups, I had to remove gloves for extra dexterity. Large c-clamp probably would have helped me keep the shoes in place for this part. If you're thinking of doing this in the cold, do yourself a favor and wait till summer or find a heated garage. Best tutorial was OTRAMM's 80 series parking brake video even though it's a little different and harder to fit fingers behind the (hub flange?) in the 100 series, the video was really helpful.
Notes:
-cruiser parts kit does not come with replacement pins for the lever, a lever, strut, shoes, parking brake cable #2(short one connecting bellcrank to lever), nor adjustment hole plug. My lever and strut were in good shape but I would replace the rest of these components next time if I knew, especially the cable, it was pretty rusted. Doing this would cost a little more money, maybe $150 shipped from amayama.
-on a budget, I def could have reused everything but c-clips and bellcrank, boot and bracket. This would have lowered my parts costs to $55 shipped from amayama. Maybe some of the springs, and screwset have been replaced sometime, maybe even recently, since there was colored markers matching the spring colors on the shoes to make re-assembly easier
-my parking shoes must be old, maybe factory from 23 yrs ago because they're starting to crumble. They are currently working, however I suspect adjustment would be easier if I just put in new ones.
-shipping from cruiser parts took a long time, like 3 weeks almost when they quoted 1. Will probably not use them going forward. Craig was helpful finding part numbers however but now I know how to use toyodiy and amayama so I won't need that help anymore.
-seems like packing the boot with high-temp brake grease is the way to avoid the bellcrank seizing. I used Permatex purple ceramic extreme brake lube, and needed most of the 5 oz squeeze bottle, I got overpriced from Advanced Auto Parts. Maybe add this to regular maintenance anytime you replace rear pads/rotors or w/e. With the squeeze bottle you can squeeze this in the back of the bellcrank/bracket assembly by removing the two bolts holding it on, just would need to take the rear shoes so maybe/maybe not worth it.
Sorry no photos, I forgot. Next time I'll remember since it would have been good for me to see the process to see before I embarked on it.
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Also regarding chemistry, why the BLEEP is the bracket made of aluminum not the same as the pin/crank??????
although it has a rubber boot maybe rust mitigation since it’s at the rear end and gets ice with road salt splatter?
I was also thinking about using the POR-15, any problems now that it's been a few years?
Thanks so much for the details on your parking brake bell crank project, especially the reference to amayama. Their prices are less than a third of what I expect to pay at Lexuspartsnow. Even the international shipping is reasonable if one can wait. I'll be doing my project soon and plan to use POR15 as a rust/corrosion inhibitor thus reducing the need to pack the assembly with grease, just use grease at key pivot points.
If you ever have to tackle shoe replacement, the use of a couple feet of velcro straping to hold the shoes together can be very helpful when reattaching them. Covering the brake shoe pads with some blue painter's tape will help keep grease off the pad surface. Assuming you are installing the keepers through the hole in the hub, using a piece of metal tubing, such as from an old gold club, will help you push the keeper and spring while turning the pin from the back side as needed. Hope these ideas can be understood, although pictures would be helpful and I'll post some of my project when I get to it.
Another pro tip: Don't use Lexus Part Snow. They are a broker and awful to work with.
Use Toyotas SE Dealer network, Bell Lexus, Impex, Partsouq, Amayama, Megazip, Motors Head Japan. Literally anyone else is better.
Dragging this back up for a little advice. Recently acquired LX470, parking brake handle would not move when I bought the car. Subsequently found that the passenger bell crank moves freely while they driver was frozen up. I soaked the inside of the boot with PB overnight and then went after it with a hammer and block of wood. It resisted, but I did get it to move. Pried it back out, hammered down, repeat a bunch of times. Eventually had wife come out and pull on the brake handle, alternating with me hammering it back when the handle is released. We are getting three clicks on the handle without crazy effort. The hammering is going easier, but it's still required. Question is, can I keep working on it and hope for it to eventually retract itself, or is it most likely a lost cause? Should I try replacing the backside springs? I'm fairly terrified to tear the whole thing apart but very much not into paying $600 to $1,000 to have a shop fix this.
Recommend that you dig in and replace the bell cranks and related hardware- it’s more fiddly and time consuming than costly- that is if you DIY. I had similar issue when I rescued my truck out of the mid Atlantic area.
If you can get some ebrake friction and can wait for parts sale, build your parts list, and pull the trigger when the next 25%off sale comes up. LX and LC are same parts for this job so you can buy from a Toyota dealer (Serra for example) otherwise pull the trigger and R&R as your time permits.
If you can get some ebrake friction and can wait for parts sale, build your parts list, and pull the trigger when the next 25%off sale comes up. LX and LC are same parts for this job so you can buy from a Toyota dealer (Serra for example) otherwise pull the trigger and R&R as your time permits.