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Old January 8th 18, 07:40 PM posted to alt.home.repair,rec.autos.tech
Mad Roger
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Posts: 61
Default Drum brakes - do you disconnect the parking brake cable?

On Mon, 08 Jan 2018 09:16:15 -0500,
slate_leeper wrote:

> The parking brake is adjustable. This was usually done with a threaded
> sleeve over a threaded stud mounted between the two shoes at either
> the top or bottom.


Is this the mechanism you're talking about?
https://s13.postimg.org/senkcelrb/brakes_drum_1.jpg

Here's the bottom, where the parking brake cable connects:
https://s13.postimg.org/5egwznnt3/brakes_drum_2.jpg

> On the threaded sleeve is a toothed "wheel" which
> is used to turn the sleeve from the inside of the brake mount plate
> when the brake drum is on. There is a special tool for this, which
> resembles a small pry bar. You can probably find or make something to
> use.


I picked up at Harbor Freight a bunch of brake tools, one an all purpose
foot-long pliers, the others the special-purpose spring tool so I should be
ok on tools unless there is a Toyota-specific tool required (which I don't
think there is).

> Before putting the drum on, turn the sleeve in to shorten the link
> between the two brake shoes. The brake drum should then slide right
> on.


That makes a lot of sense, so I will do that when I put the new shoes back
on. I probably should have turned the toothed wheel a few clicks even when
I inspected it and put it back on, as it was a bit tight getting the drum
back on. I had to use a mallet.

> Put on the tire and tighten the lugs to hold the drum properly in
> position. From under the car access the slot behind the toothed wheel,
> and using the adjustment tool turn it to lengthen the adjuster until
> the tire can no longer be rotated by hand. Then back the adjuster off
> until the tire can just be rotated easily.


This makes a lot of sense!

It would adjust the brakes to the minimum, where the automatic backing up
in reverse will fine tune it, I guess.

> BTW, make sure that the longer of the new brake shoes is on the BACK
> for each wheel.


Ah. That means that the two shoes are NOT identical!

That negates the idea of "rotating" them every few years like we do tires
every five thousand miles to get more even wear out of them over time.
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