Rear Drum Brake Adjustment

[jkjk15]

I have a 2003 Corolla LE.

I have just finished the front pads and rotors. I have no idea how to tackle the rear drums. Are there certain tools I would need to do the rear brake adjustment (not changing the shoes)? Do I have to disassemble the drum assembly in order to do the adjustment?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[toyotaspeed90]

a lot of imports have self-adjusting drums..... best way to do this (if this is the case with your car) is to go in revers, then pull the e-brake

[diver9000]

For a major adjustment to be made the starwheel adjustment can be used . If you try to do a major adjustment using your e-brake you will pull it like 5000 times to get it adjusted. If its a minor adjustment pulling the e-brake works.

[toyotaspeed90]

Originally Posted by diver9000

For a major adjustment to be made the starwheel adjustment can be used . If you try to do a major adjustment using your e-brake you will pull it like 5000 times to get it adjusted. If its a minor adjustment pulling the e-brake works.

it's a 2003.... unless they've gone through a couple sets of pads already w/o touching the rears, then it shouldn't be a problem

[stubborn1]

When doing rear drums, I've always set the adjusting screw so that the drum makes about one whole turn when you spin it hard by hand after reinstalling. After reassembled, I do the reverse trick to take care of any remaining adjustment.

If it's the first set of replacement front pads, you probably don't even need to bother with the rears.

[ghost_ryder35]

Originally Posted by toyotaspeed90

it's a 2003.... unless they've gone through a couple sets of pads already w/o touching the rears, then it shouldn't be a problem

[jkjk15]

its just that i got the brakes checked at the dealer and they said i needed new front rotors and pads and a rear brake adjustment.

I finished with the fronts and I want to adjust the rears. I have about 88,000 km on the drums.

So I guess reversing and engaging the e-brake will help adjust it a bit?

[retiredat44]

It's always good to pull the rear drums and dump the dust out. If you have shop air, blow it out, but you will be covered with that shit. But it wil cake up if you don't clean it out ever time you chage the front brakes, and also like the other guy said, adjust them...

If you don't know how there is an art to adjusting drum brakes..

you can buy some special tools, but you can get away with using basic hand tools.
Some cars use a tool called a spoon that is used to slip into the back of the rear brake assembly to adjust the brakes. There are also spring pullers. You can buy a spray can of brake cleaner and also buy a bleeder kit.

you adust them with the weird screw nut thingy, until you can barely slip the drum on and off and if it scrapes a little bit when rotating the drum, affter putting it back on, back it off a couple clicks on the adjuster... if it's to tight you will burn up your rear brakes, they wil be too tight and alwasy be on. You have to find the exact point wqhen they are released and allow for expansion when they get hot. Rear drum brakes should last at least 3 front brake pad changes.