RCsGX

....does anyone know where the pad wear indicator goes? I know it faces the rotors but does it matter if it's at the top or bottom retaining clip and or the inner or outer pad? From the diagram it looks like it goes on the bottom retaining clip but it doesn't matter if it's on the inner or outer pad...is that right?

RCsGX

Now more trouble. The f'ing spring and retainer clip on the right side popped off:




I had to tear down the entire parking brake assembly and now I can't get the spring / retainer on the shoes back on. To test fit I did not joint the 2 shoes back together VIA the bottom spring and the parking brake cable is removed from the left shoe too. Even trying to get one shoe on there's not enough room for my finger to compress the spring and make the locating pin fit in the hole? The manual is no good, it says to re-install...yeah no Shh*t HOW is the question!?

Anyone here know how???

RCsGX

Hours later still in the same position. Whoever designed the parking brake for our GX is an idiot that's obviously never worked on them before and the same goes for the manual, here's what it says on how to re-install them:
"(e) Install the 2 pins, 4 cups and 2 shoe hold−down springs."

Almost every youtube video of other cars / trucks / suvs the retainer clips / springs are out in the open not hidden behind the hub flange and parking brake shoe where you can't even get a finger behind to compress the spring let alone any tools to help.

Now I'm stuck taking it to Toyota tomorrow after I get the caliper, rotors and pads on. Word to the wise, have someone replace the rear rotors for you because more than likely the retainer will fall off and you'll be right where I am and in the end will have to pay labor one way or another......

new2005GX

Sorry you had so much trouble. Mine actually came off pretty easy after I backed out the adjustment screws for the parking brakes. I'll be doing these again in the summer so we will see if they are still easy. Big difference from my minivan where I had the whole neighborhood taking turns whacking the rotor with a sledgehammer. It was like a king of the hill episode.

I like working on my own cars because it saves big money and I couldn't afford to drive the cars I do if I didn't. But it can be able extremely frustrating and depressing when you have to give up and submit to taking it to a "pro".

RCsGX

I don't know how the retainer and spring popped off but yeah just swapping the rotors and pads is a very easy job, 10min job if that. My front rotors popped right off but the rears I had to thread 2 bolts into the rotor to press it off.

But good news, I finally got it! All it took was some twine, yes twine. I found several threads about 4Runner / Tundra guys having the same problem and several used picture hanging wire. My wife was asleep and all I had in the garage was some twine. The reason why this was so hard is because there's no way to use a tool or your finger to compress the spring and install the parking brake pad at the same time. To get them back on you need to line up the hole to the retainer (same hole you look through to adjust the parking brake pawl) loop some twine (or picture wire) through it and wrap it around the back end of the retainer, spring, pin. Compress the spring with your fingers then take up the slack from the twine and pull it firm while you slide the parking break pad over the retainer / spring / pin.


Retained clip back in place. You can see the round marks left from the bolt I had to thread through to pop off the rotor.


To adjust the parking break paw align the through hole to the 6 o'clock position. You'll see a paw with notches on it. Use a flathead screw driver to adjust the paw. Up is to tighten the parking brake shoes, down is to loosen them.



I can't lie, after I got it all back together I felt like this. In all of my years working on cars, this was the easiest job but a pain in the azz to figure out. I'm glad it's not just me, seems everyone with a 4Runner had the same problem

RCsGX

Well finally got the rotors. Went to install the passenger the inside rotor drum wont' clean the dam* shoes. I have the shoes all the way contracted IE: loose and it still won't fit. I ended up tearing the parking brake assembly down AGAIN and still the same results. The star adjuster is working because when I turn it up it's expanding the shoes IE: tightening the ebrake. I thought maybe the e brake cable was stuck so I pulled the e brake handle up, it locked the axle , put it down the hub spun freely so it's working properly. I honestly have no clue what the problem is??

Tightening the shoes


Fully contracted. I even tried contracting the shoes by hand thinking something might have been stuck but nope, that's as loose at they'll get.



Sometimes you have to know when to say when and I'm sad to say that today I said when.

470reasons

Throw the shoes away and do a 'brake handle delete'.

chiph9

Is there a lip on the inside of the drum? Or is it a new part? ... perhaps it's an alternate part from original spec that is a little "too" alternate?

Chip H.

RCsGX

Right.


New rotors. Even the old rotor didn't fit back on? 100% user error. I don't care now anyway, it's out of my hands.

burny

Bu bu bu but we need to know for future Reference

RCsGX

Tear it down / rebuild it and do a DIY for us.

RCsGX

A member over on ih8mud pointed out my mistake and the answer was staring at me in the face the entire time. Like I said above, 100% user error. I must've looked over the drawing 20 times and I still didn't catch it....all I needed was a fresh pair of eyes. I knew it was going to be something simple!

The adjuster should've gone in the green circled area not the red area I was putting it in. After looking at my picture, I can see a faint white outline of where the adjuster was and the pink mark was a factory mark to show it was looked over and I still didn't catch it. Oh well live and learn........

burny

thank you for posting it

shkGX470

RCsGX,

Thank you for posting all of these pictures! I have a very loose parking brake. I have to pull the handle as far as I can with a lot of pressure for the car to not move. From what I can tell, by adjusting the "paw" you mention in post 5, picture 3 I can alleviate me having to pull so far on the parking brake handle for the car to actually catch on the parking brake pads. Is this a correct assumption?

RCsGX

Yes you can. Also see if the handle itself is adjusted correctly too.
*See attached PDF*