RAV4 Rear Drum brakes
I just had to pull my rear drums and thought it might be helpful to pass along a few things I learned along the way. My RAV is a 2002 model, so the drums had been on there for 6 years. The car has 90K mostly highway miles and has been driven up north, where rust is king.
After jacking up the car, loosening the lugs and blocking it up safely, I proceeded to remove the drum. This should be easy, a little penetrating oil, a few well placed raps on the drum and everything should start moving...wrong! After beating the living crap out of it and getting nowhere, I started looking at alternatives. I loosened the brake shoe adjuster. It's behind the rubber plug on the face of the drum. Use two of the thinnest screwdrivers you can find. One to lift the tab and one to turn the wheel. Lots of light helps too to see in the little hole. You know if you turn it the wrong way if the wheel won't turn anymore. If the wheel turns, you may not have to go to the trouble of loosening it anyway. There is no lip on the backside of the drum. You just want to be sure the wheel turns freely. There are two threaded holes on the front of the drum. They are for M8x1.25 screws. I got my screws from Lowes, they come two to a bag. This is the only way to get this damn drum off. Screw them in and bang the drum pops off. No way I would have been able to pound that thing off. Sometimes I've heard the screwholes can strip, so worst case, you may need bigger screws. Mine worked fine. I'm sure after 10 years, they might not. Once the drum is off, the rest is cake..by the way, my shoes have plenty of life left. I'll check them again at 120K. Hope this helps!
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-- Get him, boy....
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