How to Replace the Rear Brake Drum on a 2003 Toyota Tundra

The 2003 Toyota Tundra uses a rear drum brake with shoes instead of pads. The drum can wear over time, especially if the shoes have been allowed to wear down so far that the rivets that hold the brake material to the shoe scrapes the drum. If the drum has ridges or heavy scratches in the brake surface, not changing them will cause abnormal or premature wear to the shoes.

Instructions

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the back wheel of your Tundra with a lug wrench but do not remove them yet. Position a jack under the rear of the truck and raise the wheels off the ground. Position a set of jack stands under the frame to support the truck.

2

Remove the lug nuts that you loosened from the wheel studs and remove the tire and wheel from the truck. The brake drum is directly in front of you and can be removed by grasping the sides of the drum and pulling it straight out.

3

Install the new brake drum on the rear axle by lining up the wheel studs with the holes in the brake drum and pushing it onto the axle and brake shoes. Make sure the drum is seated all the way on the axle and brake assembly.

4

Slide the wheel back onto the wheel studs and install the lug nuts on the wheel studs. Raise the rear of the truck with your jack and remove the jack stands from under the frame rails. Lower the truck to the ground, then use a lug wrench to tighten the lug nuts.

5

Repeat the process for the opposite wheel if needed. The brake shoes will more than likely need to be adjusted as the thickness of the new drum and the old drum will differ.