Rear Brakes/ Parking Brake

92 Tercel.

I have new shoes and turned drums. No leaks, relatively low fluid. Two
(or three) questions:

The parking brake lever works, and spreads the shoes, but doesn't hold
until about 7 clicks. I think that's too far. The pedal travel is also
what I believe is too much. I think I need to adjust the star adjuster
on my brakes, but I'm just not sure how spread out I should go. Should
I go until the drum can't move with light force, and the slightly back
off???

In other vehicles, I just adjust until very slight drag, and the
auto-adjuster seat the brakes in reverse. The auto-adjusting doesn't
seem to be happening in the Tercel. Is there a different method of
self-adjustment?

TIA,

Fred

Cornerman wrote:[color=blue]
> 92 Tercel.
>[/color]
<snip>

I think I need to adjust the star adjuster[color=blue]
> on my brakes, but I'm just not sure how spread out I should go. Should
> I go until the drum can't move with light force, and the slightly back
> off???
>[/color]
<snip>

That's what I always do. It should take care of your problem. You
should be able to turn the drum by hand without the wheel on the hub
but feel a slight resistance from the shoes.

Nirav
97 Corolla DX - Sold

On Fri, 22 Sep 2006 07:40:00 -0700, Cornerman wrote:
[color=blue]
> 92 Tercel.
>
> I have new shoes and turned drums. No leaks, relatively low fluid. Two
> (or three) questions:
>
> The parking brake lever works, and spreads the shoes, but doesn't hold
> until about 7 clicks. I think that's too far. The pedal travel is also
> what I believe is too much. I think I need to adjust the star adjuster
> on my brakes, but I'm just not sure how spread out I should go. Should
> I go until the drum can't move with light force, and the slightly back
> off???
>
> In other vehicles, I just adjust until very slight drag, and the
> auto-adjuster seat the brakes in reverse. The auto-adjusting doesn't
> seem to be happening in the Tercel. Is there a different method of
> self-adjustment?
>
> TIA,
>
> Fred[/color]


If you assembled everything properly, and DIDN'T put one of the adjusters
on BACKWARDS like I did (Hey...all my other cars were Disc rears!) Then
all you have to do is hold the button on the parking brake handle and move
it up and down a few times.

As for the atcual travel of the handle, there is an adjustment under the
console for that...it means the cable is stretching.

"Cornerman" <ohagnir@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158935999.926531.312000@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> 92 Tercel.
>
> I have new shoes and turned drums. No leaks, relatively low fluid. Two
> (or three) questions:
>
> The parking brake lever works, and spreads the shoes, but doesn't hold
> until about 7 clicks. I think that's too far. The pedal travel is also
> what I believe is too much. I think I need to adjust the star adjuster
> on my brakes, but I'm just not sure how spread out I should go. Should
> I go until the drum can't move with light force, and the slightly back
> off???
>
> In other vehicles, I just adjust until very slight drag, and the
> auto-adjuster seat the brakes in reverse. The auto-adjusting doesn't
> seem to be happening in the Tercel. Is there a different method of
> self-adjustment?
>
> TIA,
>
> Fred
>[/color]

I adjust rear brakes so that with the wheel and tire mounted, it rotates
about 1 to 1 and a half times when you give it a spin by hand.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Ray O wrote:
[color=blue][color=green]
> >
> > Fred
> >[/color]
>
> I adjust rear brakes so that with the wheel and tire mounted, it rotates
> about 1 to 1 and a half times when you give it a spin by hand.
> --[/color]

Thanks Ray. I definitely wasn't that far.

Fred

"Cornerman" <ohagnir@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1159188439.753856.229230@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>
> Ray O wrote:
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>> >
>> > Fred
>> >[/color]
>>
>> I adjust rear brakes so that with the wheel and tire mounted, it rotates
>> about 1 to 1 and a half times when you give it a spin by hand.
>> --[/color]
>
> Thanks Ray. I definitely wasn't that far.
>
> Fred
>[/color]
you're welcome!
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"Cornerman" <ohagnir@gmail.com> wrote in news:1158935999.926531.312000
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
[color=blue]
> 92 Tercel.
>
> I have new shoes and turned drums. No leaks, relatively low fluid. Two
> (or three) questions:
>
> The parking brake lever works, and spreads the shoes, but doesn't hold
> until about 7 clicks. I think that's too far.[/color]




You "think" thatt's too far? What is the basis for your "think"?

According to the Tercel factory workshop manual, the brake lever should be
fully engaged between 5 and 8 clicks.

Adjustment is done by working the parking brake handle up and down
repeatedly until it won't adjust any more.

Keep in mind that new shoes will take a while to wear to the exact diameter
of the drum, so you may find the lever and pedal to be a tad loose for a
few months until they wear in.


--
TeGGeR®

TeGGeR® wrote:[color=blue]
> Keep in mind that new shoes will take a while to wear to the exact diameter
> of the drum, so you may find the lever and pedal to be a tad loose for a
> few months until they wear in.[/color]


To conclude, the brakes did indeed settle in and self-adjust after
about a week (or at least, that's when I noticed how good everything
felt). Parking brake engage and hold at about 5 or 6 clicks.

Thanks everyone,

Fred