rear brake virgin

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LoneRanger

LoneRanger

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I have never worked on rear brakes before and thought I'd give it a try.
I recently replaced the brake booster and the renewed pressure in the system promptly blew out the old rear left cylinder.

The manual says to use a brake spring tool? Can this be done without the SST?

Should I go ahead and do the shoes while I'm back there?
anything else that should be replaced at the same time?
any other tips and advice would be appreciated.

thanks
 
you don't need the spring tool. a pair of slip joints and a screwdriver will work just fine.

do one side at a time, because you can use the "correctly put together" side as a reference.

spray everything down with brake cleaner before you start touching stuff

use some lithium grease on the adjuster

spring sets are cheap and worth replacing if things are rusty nasty back there.
check your pad thickness. rear brakes wear slowly so you might still be good.

when adjusting the brakes they should drag a little bit with light resistance when you spin the drum.

use antiseize on your studs and where the wheel contacts the drum.

take your time...and WEAR EYE PROTECTION.
 
If your cylinder was leaking I'm willing to bet your shoes are wet. Replace them.
 
Devilmans Hand said:
you don't need the spring tool. a pair of slip joints and a screwdriver will work just fine.

do one side at a time, because you can use the "correctly put together" side as a reference.

spray everything down with brake cleaner before you start touching stuff

use some lithium grease on the adjuster

spring sets are cheap and worth replacing if things are rusty nasty back there.
check your pad thickness. rear brakes wear slowly so you might still be good.

when adjusting the brakes they should drag a little bit with light resistance when you spin the drum.

use antiseize on your studs and where the wheel contacts the drum.

take your time...and WEAR EYE PROTECTION.
Click to expand...


thanks. this is what I was looking for.
a question: screwdriver, I am familiar with. Slip joints not so much. What are they?
 
It is good practice to replace both wheel cylinders, if one is bad the other is probably not too far from going. If you have not purchased the wheel cylinders yet try and find source the OEM Asian brand, they will more than likely out last the reproduction brand. If your truck has the dreaded Load Sensing Proportional Control Valve (LSPCV) pay attention to what the FSM instructs in regards to brake system bleeding
 
LoneRanger said:
Thanks to all for all the advice. I changed out both rear cylinders today and drove it. Stops fine but the pedal is a little soft still. Going to adjust and maybe bleed again. Could old vacumn lines from the booster affect this?
Click to expand...

Bleeding the brakes on Toyota trucks can be a royal PITA, the FSM will give you the correct procedure, DON'T forget about the LSPCV. As long as vacuum line to the booster does not have any holes then you should be fine. Also make sure the emergency brake cable is adjusted correctly
 
i think to bleed brakes its

1.drivers side rear
2.passenger side rear
3.passenger side front
4.drivers side front
5.LSPCV

in that order
 
LoneRanger said:
I was wondering about that.
Click to expand...

That does sound right, but defiantly look in the FSM, typically you start withy he wheel furthest from the master cylinder, but that stupid LSPCV screws with the normal process as it also connects to the right front brake caliper.
 
The brake pedal is real tight after the engine warms up. First few minutes it feels spongy.

Brake Fluid level is staying constant so no leaks.

Bled three times so no air afaik.

I am thinking vacuum issue somewhere.

Is it common for an older truck to need a few minutes for the brakes to tighten up.?

Once they get solid , they stay that way as long as I driving.
 
If you pump the pedal when it's spongy, does it get stiffer? This usually indicates rear brakes that are out of adjustment (too loose).

Does your e-brake work, and do you use it? This is how the rear brakes stay properly adjusted, each time you yank on the e-brake handle, the little arm spins the star wheel adjuster to keep them tight.
 
KLF said:
If you pump the pedal when it's spongy, does it get stiffer? This usually indicates rear brakes that are out of adjustment (too loose).

Does your e-brake work, and do you use it? This is how the rear brakes stay properly adjusted, each time you yank on the e-brake handle, the little arm spins the star wheel adjuster to keep them tight.
Click to expand...

Didn't know that. I will check.
 
KLF said:
If you pump the pedal when it's spongy, does it get stiffer? This usually indicates rear brakes that are out of adjustment (too loose)..
Click to expand...

It could also mean loose front wheel bearings.
 
If you have never done it before do a YouTube search on doing rear drums. They aren't hard there are just a couple pointers that you should know. Pay attention to which shoe you take off front and back some have holes for specific things. I would also recommend getting a hardware kit as well with new adjusters and the whole shabang the springs might be as old as the truck and worn out. You can get a brake tool set for brakes from craftsman for about $50.00. You can do it without them but it will make your life easier. Having a service manual with you while you're doing the brakes would hurt.
 
When you replaced the booster, was it the same part as what you had on there before? Did you also replace the master cyl at the same time?

Or, did you recently replace the front brake calipers?

If your brakes are bled, I have a hunch you 'upgraded' something in the brake system, installed used parts, or ended up installing the wrong part.
 
GRM said:
When you replaced the booster, was it the same part as what you had on there before? Did you also replace the master cyl at the same time?

Or, did you recently replace the front brake calipers?

If your brakes are bled, I have a hunch you 'upgraded' something in the brake system, installed used parts, or ended up installing the wrong part.
Click to expand...

I don't think so. I purchased OEM grade booster and master cylinder. Everything fits fine. Its just not bleeding properly. Not sure why.
 
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