[dwike]

Hello. I have searched the archives to no avail, and am sure some of you guys have answers, so here's the question. I just bought my 85 4runner two weeks ago and the guy says the rear brake pads are fresh, yet it doesn't matter how many times I roll backwards and pull the e-brake, it won't give me a good strong ebrake that will hold the truck in place. The brake lever feels tight, and I took up some of the slack in the adjustment down near the gas tank, but still nothing. Any suggestions? Thanks, Danny

 

[GaryGreco]

adjust the rear shoes to rub slightly , and then the e-brake should be much tighter. Sounds like your shoes are out of adjustment . Backing up and hitting the brakes helps adjust it some along with pulling the e-brake ,but more often then not the adjuster gets gummed up and needs to be adjusted manually.

gary

 

[4bangr]

I would check the adjustment of the rear shoes by rotating the wheel while adjusting the shoes manually with a brake spoon or screw driver. THEN, work on the E brake cable problem.

 

[YotaRunner]

Try to get under it and just to the left of where the hardline goes into the drum. Take off the the rubber plate and get a brake spoon and adjust it manualy.... see if anything happens. I'd also take the drum off and make sure there is new pads on the drums.... You can also see if anything is disconnected of missing...

 

[Alabamatoy]

I would check the adjustment of the rear shoes by rotating the wheel while adjusting the shoes manually with a brake spoon or screw driver. THEN, work on the E brake cable problem.

Exactly. Some of these rigs that have been in mud or salt will have the adjuster freeze up. I had one that would not adjust even with the tool, and required removing and soaking to get the damn thing loosened up. Removing the drum was a bitch.

Good luck.

 

[TNToy]

It doesn't matter how many times I roll backwards and pull the e-brake, it won't give me a good strong ebrake that will hold the truck in place.

Toy E-Brakes aren't Jeep E-Brakes. Backing up and hitting the brakes doesn't adjust the rear brakes. Pulling the E-brake handle is the ONLY thing that adjusts the brakes automatically.

If you have a sucky E-brake... the best thing you can do is use it constantly. Since he put new shoes on you'll have to maually adjust it:

Pull slowly on the little arm the parking brake cable hooks to inside each rear wheel. Do you hear a "CLICK" as it cycles?

If so, keep pulling until there's no more click, because the adjusters are working, and each click expands the shoes about 1/100th of an inch. Just pull on the parking brake cables (or use the e-brake in the dash) over and over and over until it stops clicking.

If there's no click, you need to pull the drums and take a look inside. Clean out the adjusting mechanism and put it back together. You can learn how to take it all apart here. Once you have the adjuster mechanism cleaned out working freely... you can expand it until it's hard to fit the drums over the shoes, put the wheel back on, and start yanking the parking brake.

Basically, if you pull on the parking-brake-arm on the rear brake assembly and it makes a little TING! or CLICK!... that shoe needs adjusted. Use your parking brake ALL THE TIME and it won't be a problem.

Hope it helps.