Newby dug a huge hole and cant get out.

[Moneypitfj40]

Ok I am hoping You guys can help me. This is a question concerning my toyota pickup not my FJ40 ... Sorry I am at a loss and have no one to turn to. I was attempting to replace the brakes. I trying to release the rear drum and was having difficuty. So I thought I should losen the brakes with the adjustment wheel. Well I accedently was tightening expanding them. I soon found myself unable to loosen the wheel. So my drum is frozen soilid and I feel like I am striping the wheel trying to loosen it. Its in neutrel WTF.... I have changes brakes before but it has been years. Help me please

 

[dgangle]

I would concentrate on getting that adjustment loosened. Take the other side apart to make sure you understand exactly what things look like inside and what you need to be doing. Is the tool you are using appropriate?

Most Toyota drums I have seen have a threaded hole where you can put in a 8mmX1.25mm bolt to push the drum off from the axle. Do you have this and if so have you tried it?

If that won't work then you are going to have to remove the drum which is going to be very difficult with anything less that the blue-tipped wrench and a BFH.

You could have avoided this by rotating the drum slightly while you were making the adjustment to make sure you were going the right way.

 

[apeterson]

I
Most Toyota drums I have seen have a threaded hole where you can put in a 8mmX1.25mm bolt to push the drum off from the axle. Do you have this and if so have you tried it?

shoot with a liquid wrench of some sort and then do this... they will come off...

 

[amaurer]

If it has s imilar self-adjusting mechanism on it, as do the late model Landcruiser axles, then the adjuster wheel has slanted teeth so that you can only spin it in the "tighten" direction. You're likely not stripping it, but its impossible to turn in the loose direction because a) the self adjuster has a locking pawl on that wheel, and b) the teeth are slanted to the screwdriver can be expected to slip off.

The procedure, for cruisers anyway, is to take two screwdrivers and poke one into the slot and slide is just below the rod the adjuster wheel is on. I forget it you need to do this just in front of, or behind the adjuster wheel, but in one of the positions you'll feel something springy... thats the locking pawl behind the wheel, and if you push and hold it, it will release. Then you can get your other screw driver onto the wheel like you have been doing and loosen it up.

It sucks.

 

[apeterson]

If it has s imilar self-adjusting mechanism on it, as do the late model Landcruiser axles, then the adjuster wheel has slanted teeth so that you can only spin it in the "tighten" direction. You're likely not stripping it, but its impossible to turn in the loose direction because a) the self adjuster has a locking pawl on that wheel, and b) the teeth are slanted to the screwdriver can be expected to slip off.

The procedure, for cruisers anyway, is to take two screwdrivers and poke one into the slot and slide is just below the rod the adjuster wheel is on. I forget it you need to do this just in front of, or behind the adjuster wheel, but in one of the positions you'll feel something springy... thats the locking pawl behind the wheel, and if you push and hold it, it will release. Then you can get your other screw driver onto the wheel like you have been doing and loosen it up.

It sucks.

true.... but just take the drum off and you will be able to do this easy because you can look right at them... here is no way you could turn that screw hard enought that those bolts will not remove that drum.

 

[Trollhole]

true.... but just take the drum off and you will be able to do this easy because you can look right at them... here is no way you could turn that screw hard enought that those bolts will not remove that drum.

Probably hard to impossible to do with the pads tight against the drum.

Undo the 4 bolts holding the brake cylinder on and remove the brake line. Smack it with a brass hammer.

Be prepared to buy some parts. Do both sides.

 

[apeterson]

Probably hard to impossible to do with the pads tight against the drum.

I disagree... the only thing holding the pads to the drum is the clicker thing.... not the cyl. it is and will not be that bad... if the shoes are junk anyway... who cares.

 

[amaurer]

I disagree... the only thing holding the pads to the drum is the clicker thing.... not the cyl. it is and will not be that bad... if the shoes are junk anyway... who cares.

I have had epic trouble getting an over-tightened rear drum off, just because of the pressure of the adjuster.

You are correct, however, that the clicker thing is the only thing holding the shoes out, so pulling the brake line probably won't help.

 

[mdemeglio]

I would try to get the adjuster backed off using a flat-head screwdriver to hold the pawl away from the adjuster star/wheel so that you can turn the wheel the other way - if you push hard enough and the pawl is pushed in and isn't holding the teeth on the pawl, you should be able to spin that wheel the opposite way. Even just a little should help you do what apeterson's talking about - so I'd try a little of both. It's a royal pain trying to work with two screw drivers in that tiny hole but it can be done. They do sell a tool for pushing that pawl in - but I've found a screwdriver is all it takes usually. If you do use bolts to pull the drum off, make sure they're grade 8 or you might just pull the treads off the bolts and not get anywhere.

Good luck - this happens to the best of us.

Mike

 

[apeterson]

it will really suck if your drums are grooved on the end.... just say'in

 

[malcb]

it will really suck if your drums are grooved on the end.... just say'in

?? Thas usally why it is hard to pull an overtightened drum, matching groved in the shoes and drum, as Trollhole posted.

 

[malcb]

You are correct, however, that the clicker thing is the only thing holding the shoes out, so pulling the brake line probably won't help.

I have never done it but Trollhole post said remove the bolts holding the cylinder and the line, I assume hitting the cylinder moves to off the shoe and frees everything up?

 

[My71FJ40]

One thing....Is the E Brake engaged? I did the same manuver with my 85 toyota pickup and for some reason during the process from going to the other side of the vehicle put the brake on! I got a puller and was about the pull the drum off when I decided to double check the brake. Since I was dumb enough to do that there must be another poor soul out there...right Hope all goes well

 

[peiserg]

wow! this brings me waaaay back. 1992 i wasw adjusting my 1975 fj40 drums and did the EXACT same thing...

what I ended up doing (it's been 17 yrs tho....i hope i get this right) was taking out a bolt on the inside of the brake drum... i don't recall which one.. this enabled me to look into the inside of the drum mechanism, and look directly at the "back" wall of the drum... i.e. if you are standing next to the truck, looking at the drum before you pull it off i consider that the "front" or outside facing aspect.

I then used the biggest screwdriver i could fit into the bolt hole, and tapped out the drum with a hammer. it scraped the surface of the drum, but BFD, i was getting them resurfaced anyway.

HTH. I feel your pain! I did the same damn thing!

 

[reddogfj45]

if the drums have a lip on them from wear then using the bolts screwed into the drums will not always work and can also apply enough force to strip the thread in the drum or even crack the drum! you need to check if the breaks have a self adjuster if so this will stop the adjuster going backwards as was stated before you need to push this out of the way to back off the brakes. if all else fails i have had to remove drums with sized adjusters it envolves a brass drift a copper hammer and a lot of hitting, use the drift to start with then you can move to the copper hammer when you have more clearence, work on each side alternatly the idea is to rip the shoes out of their retainers and come off with the drums this method damages the shoes and retainers but the retainers can be repaired but you will need new shoes

 

[jtoro]

Last resort: Get an angle grinder and cut the drum in two....