How to Change Toyota 4Runner Drum Brakes

The Toyota 4Runner is equipped with drum brakes and shoes, in addition to disc brakes and calipers; the drum brakes work with the parking brake. If you need to change the drum brakes, you need to remove the brake discs to access them. Changing drum brakes is a complex and potentially dangerous task due to the multiple spring components involved. Use extreme caution and consult with your mechanic beforehand, if at all possible.

Instructions

Accessing the Drum Brakes

1

Raise the truck's rear end and support it on jack stands, then remove the rear wheels with the vehicle's tire iron.

2

Remove the brake caliper's mounting bolts with a wrench. Lift the caliper off the bracket and suspend it in a secure place with a piece of strong wire, making sure the caliper doesn't hang by the hose.

3

Unbolt and remove the caliper mounting bracket from the disc.

4

Mark the disc's relation to the hub with paint or chalk, then pull the disc off the studs.

Removing the Brake Shoes

5

Remove the two upper return springs and the lower return spring from the drum brake assembly; grasp them with needle-nose pliers to remove them from the anchor and shoes. Pull the adjuster assembly out of the bottom.

6

Press on the spring retainer for the front shoe hold-down spring, using the pliers, and turn it 90 degrees to release it from the pin, then remove the front shoe with the spring, retainer and spring seat.

7

Remove the strut and spring from the rear shoe, then repeat the previous step to remove the rear shoe.

8

Pop off the U-clip from the rear shoe's pivot pin to remove the parking brake lever from the shoe. Make sure you retain the washer underneath the clip without damaging it.

Installation

9

Apply a thin coating of high-temperature grease to the spots where the shoes meet the backing plate and the anchor. Apply a very small amount of grease to the new brake shoe's pivot pin.

10

Connect the parking brake lever to the replacement rear shoe with the pliers and a new U-clip, placing the washer below the clip.

11

Assemble each shoe's hold-down spring and pin onto the backing plate and compress the spring using a slotted tool. Place each shoe into position, lining up each shoe's slot and hole with the pin and the tab in the hold-down spring seat.

12

Spread the upper ends of the shoes apart and install the strut and spring between the shoes. Install the adjuster in the lower end of the brake assembly.

13

Connect the return springs onto the brake shoes and anchor, using the pliers, starting with the lower return spring and then moving on to the rear and front upper springs.

Post-Installation

14

Reconnect the brake disc to the hub and use two lug nuts and washers to temporarily secure it.

15

Turn the star wheel adjuster on the brake shoe assembly, using a small screwdriver in the access hole. Once you've adjusted the wheel so that the brake disc won't turn, reverse the wheel adjuster by about eight notches.

16

Re-install the caliper mounting bracket and then the caliper, using their mounting bolts and the wrench.

17

Install the wheels and lower the truck after changing the brakes on both sides.