5th & 6th Generation (2002-2006 & 2007-2011)Toyota Camry Discussion for years: 2002-2006 & 2007-2011
Topics of discussion range from fuel economy, safety, modifications, performance all involving America's favorite family car, the Toyota Camry.
hi all, today i went to a toyota dealer and told me that my rear break needs cleaning and adjustment. i am a do it yourself person. my knowledge about car is average. however i havent work on breaks a lot. can somebody tell me what did he mean when he said the rear break needs adjustment? what do i need to adjust?
You must have a four cylinder then, since V6 has disc on the back, unless they are referring to the parking brakes.
The drum brakes on your car is suppose to be self adjusting whenever you back up, however, it doesn't always work like it is designed. Anyway, over time, the shoes MAY become further and further out of adjustment usually the pedal will feel lower than normal, a little bit more travel when applying. If that is the case, you will need to remove the drums clean out the dust and lube the shoes where they contact with the backing plate and the adjusters, then re-adjusting them to the initial setting. There is a tool for doing that, however, most people will adjust the shoes until the drum barely slides on and back the adjustment off a couple clicks, then put it all back together, take the car out and back it up a few times. Then check how the pedal feel.
Oh, btw, the parking brake handle or pedal may come up or go down a little more too if the drums are out of adjustement.
N.E.O.
Last edited by new echo owner; 10-11-2008 at 03:31 PM.
In addition to the above:
If the drums don't just pull off, there are threaded holes in them that allow you to screw in bolts 8mm course thread (I think) and this pushes the drums away from the hubs. I used 5/16 but the bolts were slightly small. I usually sand the shoes a bit and use old sander belts to rough up the drums and take the ridge off (by hand). Always sand uniformly, just enough to take any glaze off the shoes. On my 04 Le, you can actully adjust the brakes from the front of the drum by removing a rubber plug and lining the hole up with the adjuster wheel. Crank the adjuster until the drum starts to rub on the shoes when you spin it.
NEO: Correct me if I am wrong but I thought using the parking brake adjusted the rear shoes, not backing up like other models?
warpedrotor: honestly I can't say either way. It has been a while since I had look at the drum brakes on a Camry, there is a very good chance you may be correct. I do apologize for my fading memory.
N.E.O.
Last edited by new echo owner; 10-11-2008 at 07:57 PM.
"The drum brakes on your car is suppose to be self adjusting whenever you back up,"
The self adjusters on Toyota's rear drums work off the emergency brake, not when backing up like American cars. However, like you said, they don't seem to work very well. I used to have to manually adjust the rear drums of my 98 Camry 4 cylinder every 5000 to 7,500 miles, to keep the pedal height at what I considered a normal feel. You can actually do it without removing the drum. There is a rubber plug on the outside of the drum. You remove the wheel, then that rubber plug and rotate the exposed hole in the drum to 11:00 or 1:00 o'clock, depending on the side. Peer inside the drum with a light and you will see the self adjusting wheel. Rotate the wheel downward a notch or 2 while rotating the drum, until you feel the proper drag. Reinstall the rubber plug and you are done. Many times however, the rubber plug is not in line with the proper hole as the drum was not installed properly, to line up with the hole, the last time someone took it off and reinstalled it. Many people don't even know Toyota drums have to be reinstalled a certain way to line up with the proper hole.
thank you for your answers. very detail and to the point. new echo owner you mentioned that there is a tool to adjust. what is the name of that tool?
mike,thanks good explanation. by the way, do any of you have or know where online i can see video of someone adjusting the rear break? as i mentioned before, i havent do break too much and would like to see videos of how it is done. of course, i will try what you recommmended. thanks again
Not sure if you really want to buy the tool for adjusting the rear brakes on your car alone. http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kd3377.html, this is the less costly version which will work just fine, or you can go down to your local part store to see if they have tool rental program.
Thanks, I can always count on you for your timing!
BTW, I meant to ask you about your number of posts that you had made, how many of them actually are helpful to the others. So far, for the short time that I had joint, I had only seen about maybe 1 so so useful post from you.
Dxxx it, now I know for sure that my brain is abandoning me!
N.E.O.
If you are asking if Toyota trucks have the same self-adjusting mechanism and the same access hole in the rear brake drum, I can't really say. I have never worked on one. My guess would be they do, since Toyota seems to keep many things the same on their vehicles (probably to lower manufacturing costs), but that is only an educated guess.
Mike
PS: Your brain seems to work just fine, based on the many answers you have given on this forum. Keep up the great work.
Thanks, I can always count on you for your timing!
BTW, I meant to ask you about your number of posts that you had made, how many of them actually are helpful to the others. So far, for the short time that I had joint, I had only seen about maybe 1 so so useful post from you.
N.E.O.
You should talk......
Your posting diarrhea (2,000+ posts in 2 months) consists of mostly wrong answers (like your first one in this thread). You then always backtrack with an excuse for your ineptness.
You don't apparently have a Camry but are an expert in incorrect answers relating to them. If you aren't sure, be quiet.
I didn't try to provide an answer in this thread because I don't have a GEN5. That never stops you.
Your posting diarrhea (2,000+ posts in 2 months) consists of mostly wrong answers (like your first one in this thread). You then always backtrack with an excuse for your ineptness.
You don't apparently have a Camry but are an expert in incorrect answers relating to them. If you aren't sure, be quiet.
I didn't try to provide an answer in this thread because I don't have a GEN5. That never stops you.
Stick to the ECHO.
You just prove my point, so I rest my case!
And my apologies to everyone else for interrupting this thread.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
ToyotaNation.com is an independent Toyota/Lexus enthusiast website. ToyotaNation.com is not sponsored by or in any way affiliated with Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. The Toyota, Lexus and Scion names and logos are trademarks owned by Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.
Linear Mode
