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DIY: GEN 3 Brake Shoe Replacement and Parking Brake Adjustment

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#1 · (Edited)
DIY: 1996 Camry Brake Shoe Replacement and Parking Brake Adjustment 5S-FE (GEN3)

I completed this procedure at 203,000 km on my 1996 Camry 2.2L DX Automatic equipped with rear drum brakes. I decided to change the brake shoes since the parking brake was no longer effective at preventing the car from rolling. The parking brake handle pulled all of the way up (10+ clicks), and the parking brake cable adjuster was at the end of its travel, yet the parking brake was still ineffective. As far as I know, the brake shoes were original ones supplied with the car.

Disclaimer
Use this guide at your own risk! I assume no responsibility for any damage to your vehicle or personal injury as a result of following this guide. Any comments to improve the procedure will be gratefully received.

Time Required
It took me 4 hours from start to finish, including time to take photos and to take the drums to PartSource for machining. If I had to do it again, I think I could reasonably pare this down to about a 2 hours. I would recommend setting aside an afternoon to do this.



Parts:
a) Brake Hardware Kit ($24 CDN – Parts Source)
b) Premium Brake Shoes ($40 CDN – Parts Source)

Shop Supplies:
a) Spray can of Brake Cleaner ($6 CDN – Parts Source)
b) Anti-seize compound
c) High temperature grease

Special Tools:
a) Brake hold down spring removal tool ($12 CDN – Parts Source)

Services:
a) Drum turning ($34 CDN for both drums – Parts Source)

Total = $116 (taxes included)


An exploded view of rear drum brake assembly.


Let's Get Started!

1. Loosen lug nuts on rear wheels. Block front tires. Raise and support rear of car on jack stands. Remove both rear wheels. Release the Emergency (Park ) brake. A lot of rust and brake dust will fall on the driveway during this procedure. It is recommended to place a large sheet of cardboard under each wheel before proceeding.


2. Pry the rubber inspection hole plug out with a slot screwdriver. With a wax pencil, mark a line from the drum to the hub on both sides. This will be used later on to align the hub with the drum.


3. Rotate the left (driver side) brake drum so the inspection hole is approximately at the 1 o-clock position. On the right (passenger side) rotate the inspection hole is at the 11 o-clock position. The remainder of this procedure will focus on the left side. The drum was difficult to turn by hand, so I installed two wheel nuts and used a 2x2 piece of wood to rotate the drum.


4. Try to pull the drum off. If is it difficult to pull off (both of mine were!), you may need to retract the brake shoes. It is not too difficult to do if you know how to do it. I fiddled for 10 minutes on the first one, but after I learned how it works, it was quite easy. Align the inspection hole to the 1 o-clock position, and shine a small flashlight in the hole. You will see the automatic adjusting lever arm and a star wheel. With a narrow slot screw driver, wedge the lever arm upward. This will allow the star wheel to rotate freely. With the another slot screwdriver move the outside diameter of the star wheel upward seven or eight times. This should retract the brake shoes enough to allow the drum to easily slide off.


5. To avoid inhalation of brake dust which is hazardous to your health, it is recommended to put on a dust mask before removing the drum. Remove the drum and mark LHS on it with a wax pencil.


6. I took a close up photo of the adjuster lever (green arrow) and star wheel (red arrow) to make it easier to understand how they work. Insert the screw driver (blue arrow) on the right hand side in order to wedge the lever upward. This will allow room on the left hand side to use a second screwdriver to rotate the star wheel.


7. Once both drums are removed, take them to your local auto parts store to get them machined. My local Parts Source store offers this service for $17/drum. They will measure the inside diameter of the drum using a Vernier calliper and compare this measurement with the maximum allowable drum diameter prior to machining them. In my case the maximum allowable drum diameter is 230.6mm. It is cast right into the drum. My drums measured 229.5mm and they were still able to machine them.


8. Before removing anything, place an old paint tray under the drum assembly and clean the entire brake assembly with a spray can of brake cleaner. Wear a mask as the spray, even though it is wet, will kick up some brake dust. Allow the brake assembly to dry (it evaporates fairly quickly) before proceeding. I found chlorinated (more expensive) and non-chlorinated brake cleaner (cheaper) at the auto parts store. I am not sure what the difference is. I used the non-chlorinated and it seemed to work OK.


9. Remove the brake return spring using a pair of vice grips. Note that I bought a cheap set of brake spring pliers thinking that it might be helpful with this job. I couldn’t figure out how to use them on the Camry, so I tossed them aside. In my opinion, they are not needed for this procedure. Note that both ends of the brake return spring fit into an elongated opening in the brake shoes. The ends of this spring do not fit into any of the numerous round holes in the brake shoes. I got a bit messed up by this when re-assembling the first drum. Thought I’d mention it to save you some grief.


10. Depress the hold down spring on the front shoe and twist to release. I found it necessary to hold the pin from behind the backing plate when doing this. I used a “brake hold down spring removal tool” ($12 CDN – Parts Source). It worked really slick. Highly recommended. They have this tool at Princess Auto for $8 + tax , but they were out of stock when I went to buy it. In a pinch, you can use a needle nose pliers too. I have done this before.



11. Remove the hold down spring, cups and pin.


12. Remove the front shoe from the backing plate and unhook the anchor spring from the end of the shoe.


13. Remove the hold down spring from the rear shoe. Remove the shoe hold down spring, cups and pin.


14. Remove the rear shoe and adjuster assembly from the backing plate.


15. Remove the center console in order to access the parking brake cable tension adjuster. Using a slot screwdriver, pry up on the rear edge of the shift bezel, then move it out of the way.


16. Remove the two Philips screws (circled in red) securing the front of the center console.


17. Remove the two bolts (circled in red) securing the back of the center console (12mm).


18. Set the center console aside.


19. Remove the locking nut (green arrow) and loosen the adjustment nut (red arrow) to the loosest position (10mm deep socket).


20. Use a vice grip to pull the parking brake cable end from the parking brake lever. Set the rear shoe assembly on the ground. With the both shoes removed, clean the backing plate and rear shoe assembly with brake cleaner.


21. In order to check if the parking brake cable was seized, I alternated pulling the cable at the drum with a vice grip pliers and then pulling the parking brake lever up. I repeated this several times. On the left hand side, the cable moved freely back and forth. On the right hand side, the cable was stuck. After doing this a few times, I was able to free up the right hand cable.


22. Remove the automatic adjusting lever spring using a needle nose pliers.


23. Unhook the return spring. Remove the C-clip in order to remove automatic adjusting lever.


24. Pry off the “C-washer” and remove the parking brake lever.


25. Using a hammer, punch the pivot pin out of the old shoe and transfer it to the new shoe.


26. Install the parking brake lever using a new C-washer. Squash the C-washer with a pair of needle nose pliers.


27. Install the automatic adjusting lever using the existing C-clip.


28. Take apart the adjuster. Clean and lubricate the threads and all moving parts with high temperature grease. Slide the new return spring over the adjuster. Note that there is a right hand and left hand return spring. Compare the new spring with the old one to ensure you install the correct one.


29. Rotate the adjuster to its fully closed position. Install the adjuster assembly on the rear shoe. Note that the square pin (red arrow) protruding from the adjuster fits through the hole in the automatic adjuster. If necessary, refer to the to other brake drum assembly to see how this assembly fits together.


30. Install the new adjuster lever spring (red arrow). Note that the return spring hooks onto the opening in the brake shoe (green arrow), not into the round hole.


31. Pull the parking brake cable spring back with a needle nose pliers and place the cable into the hooked end of the parking brake lever.



32. Apply a light coating of antiseize compound to the brake shoe contact areas on the backing plate. Install the rear shoe assembly against the backing plate. Install the pin, cups and hold down spring. Twist the cup to secure the rear shoe assembly against the backing plate. Be careful to ensure that the parking brake cable and spring is routed properly in the guide (red arrow) to prevent rubbing against the axle flange. Mine was not in the right location, so I had to move it into the proper position. See above photo for proper routing.


33. Connect the anchor spring to the bottom of each shoe and mount the front shoe to the backing plate using the pin, cups and hold down spring.


34. Use a narrow slot screwdriver to pry the return spring into the opening on the front shoe. If necessary, use a pliers to push the spring forward until it snaps fully into position.


35. Pry the parking brake lever forward and verify that the return spring hasn’t come unhooked from the rear shoe. Wiggle the brake assembly back and forth to make sure that it is seated properly against the backing plate. Examine the ends of the adjuster to ensure that they are properly seated in the slots in the shoes.


36. Slide the newly machined drum onto the axle flange, noting the white alignment mark between the drum and the hub from Step 2. The drum will rotate freely. Note that I could not get my drum to fit over the shoes on the left side. It was a bit puzzling, until I noticed that the end of the adjuster assembly was not sitting properly in the slot in the front shoe. After I fixed that it fit on easily. You now need to adjust the shoes outward using the star adjuster wheel until there is a slight resistance when the drum is rotated. A bit of trial and error is involved. It only took me a few minutes to get it right. Mount the wheel and tighten the lug nuts.


37. Repeat the above steps for the right brake drum assembly and install the right wheel.


39. Once both wheels are installed, I noticed that the parking brake cable was loose at the cable adjuster inside the car. Snug the adjuster nut to take the slack out of the cable and lock in position with the locking nut. I pulled the parking brake lever up several times and got about 5 clicks on the ratchet mechanism which felt about right. Replace the center console and shift bezel. Once the vehicle is back on the ground, torque the wheel nuts to 80 ft.lbs.


40. Make a number of forward and reverse stops and check the operation of the brakes carefully before driving the car on the road.
 
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#33 ·
Thanks so much for this great post. I stripped my back brakes only to find it was actualy the adjuster at the brake lever which had worked it's way lose. A tip for those with central locking button on the centre console. Once the console is loose as per the above method, placing your hand underneath the console work the switch up and out. You can then easily reach the electrical plug to release the wiring harness to the switch. Without doing this I could not remove the console completely and access the adjuster easily. I think, when I sent it in to the shop the last time, they adjusted it with a socket through the top and that is what caused it to loosen as the adjusment nut and lock nut cannot be properly locked unless you remove the console.
 
#34 ·
Mission Accomplished

I just want to tell you guys in here that I just finished replacing rear drum brakes on my 95 Camry. I am disabled and can't bend or squat so I had to do this job sitting on the ground by the rear wheels. Thanks to you guys, and the excellent photos of the process, I was able to complete the task in one day.

I know you experienced guys are probably going "HOLY SMOKES" all day just for the rear brakes! But given my limitations, I actually completed the job in about 5 hours. Had it not been for the photos and directions/instructions, I would have had to pay someone else which I did about 6 months ago.

I thank you guys a whole bunch and appreciate the forum you have here. I have a couple other tasks to perform on the Camry so I am sure I will be back in a few days seeking advice. The biggest job I have coming up is trying to figure out why the steering wheel is a half round out of sync with the front wheels and how to correct it. I was told it was a two or three day job so I am a bit anxious to begin that job.

What do you good folks in here think? The car was hit on the right front in a hit and run in Atlanta a couple years ago and the previous owner didn't have the steering wheel aligned when he had the damage to the front end repaired. So, do you guys think it is going to take me a couple days to accomplish this task? I was handy with tools and still enjoy the feel of good wrenches and ratchets in my hands but since I can't bend, squat or lift, what are my chances do you guys think I have in doing this job by myself?
 
#35 ·
I just want to tell you guys in here that I just finished replacing rear drum brakes on my 95 Camry. I am disabled and can't bend or squat so I had to do this job sitting on the ground by the rear wheels. Thanks to you guys, and the excellent photos of the process, I was able to complete the task in one day.

I know you experienced guys are probably going "HOLY SMOKES" all day just for the rear brakes! But given my limitations, I actually completed the job in about 5 hours. Had it not been for the photos and directions/instructions, I would have had to pay someone else which I did about 6 months ago.

I thank you guys a whole bunch and appreciate the forum you have here. I have a couple other tasks to perform on the Camry so I am sure I will be back in a few days seeking advice. The biggest job I have coming up is trying to figure out why the steering wheel is a half round out of sync with the front wheels and how to correct it. I was told it was a two or three day job so I am a bit anxious to begin that job.

What do you good folks in here think? The car was hit on the right front in a hit and run in Atlanta a couple years ago and the previous owner didn't have the steering wheel aligned when he had the damage to the front end repaired. So, do you guys think it is going to take me a couple days to accomplish this task? I was handy with tools and still enjoy the feel of good wrenches and ratchets in my hands but since I can't bend, squat or lift, what are my chances do you guys think I have in doing this job by myself?
Glad the procedure helped! No idea about the steering wheel alignment. Sorry, can't help you with that one.
 
#36 ·
First time poster here...

So I followed the Haynes manual instructions for the brake shoe replacement procedure, which more or less mirrors the process documented here (minus the opening of the center console), and I have a question.

Now that the new brake shoes are in place, I'm having to press the brake pedal down much further than I did before I changed them. Is this normal or to be expected? My fear is that they are not adjusting to the proper setting and thus my new brake shoes are not making contact with the drum.

The adjuster was close to all the way in when I put the drums back on, and I did NOT get the drums resurfaced (not sure if that affects anything).

Any insight you guys can provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
 
#37 ·
There are a couple reasons for a "low" brake pedal. There is either air in the system or excessive movement between the surface of the brake shoe and the drum. In your case, I suspect that the excessive movement is the problem. It is likely due to a lack of proper adjustment of the shoes. A seized star-wheel adjuster screw may be the culprit.

If you did not thoroughly clean the adjusters and wire brush the threads, when you had it apart, then I recommend that you take the adjusters out and thoroughly clean them. Then apply a light coating of high temperature brake lube to the adjuster threads and shaft before buttoning everything back up. You can get this lubricant in a small tube at any auto parts supply store. Here is one for example.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-20353-Ultra-Caliper-Nozzle/dp/B000HBM85C/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1335827872&sr=1-1[/ame]

After everything the drums are back on, adjust the shoes outward using the star adjuster wheel as described in the above procedure, until there is a just a slight amount of resistance when the drum is rotated. A bit of trial and error is involved. Alternatively, slowly pull up the parking brake lever all of the way, repeatedly, until you hear no more audible "clicks" each time the parking brake lever is pulled up. If the adjusters are clean and lubricated, and you listen carefully, you will hear them click when the brake lever is pulled upward.

Good Luck. Let us know if this works.
 
#40 ·
Update: So I got my anti-seize compound all ready to go and was ready to go in and take apart the brakes again to lubricate the adjusters and to try to adjust the parking brake tension. When I pulled into home and put it in park, out of habit I pulled up in the parking brake, but this time I felt just the slightest resistance that I hadn't felt before, so I thought maybe the brakes were starting to adjust. I pulled the parking brake all the way up about 20-30 more times, hearing a soft clicking sound coming from the rear each time as the lever gradually gave me more and more resistance.

Now the pedal no longer feels loose and it brakes stronger than ever! Glad I didn't have to go back in there. Brake drums are an absolute pain the first time you do them, but now that I've taken them apart and put them back together a couple of times, I'm confident that I can maintenance them without too much trouble. Just takes one or two trial runs to see how everything works. Definitely worth the time spent to save the money!!
 
#42 ·
I would have gladly looked up the part number for the brake hardware kit, but I have since sold my 1996 Camry and gave all of my receipts to the new owner. At the time, I just called the local Parts Source auto parts store and asked them for a brake hardware kit that included the return springs and this is what they gave me. Perhaps you can do the same?
 
#45 ·
As mentioned in several replies in this thread, the threaded holes in the brake drum can be used to help remove the brake drum if it has rusted to the hub. I had to use screws in these two threaded holes to remove the brake drum on my 94 Camry. I wanted to mention that the screws I used were 8M x 1.25 and about 2" long. I didn't see the screw size listed in any of the replies (if it was, my apologies for the duplicate info).
 
#47 ·
Why not let the self adjuster process do most of the adjusting? Most guides say to keep rotating the star wheel until slight restiance is felt when turning the drum then put it all back together. Why not install the wheel with the pads loose to make it easier then use the self adjusting process to snug it up properly? This would also prevent making the pads too tight and having them drag. Is there a reason to do most of the adjusting by hand first?

Some guides say you need to brake from reverse to get them to adjust. This one says you need to use the parking brake lever others show the normal brake pedal being able to activate the self adjuster. Which one of these is right?
\
Is the adjuster on a 92 Camry on the top or bottom? This one shows it at the top others on the bottom.
 
#48 ·
It causes problems when the shoes are too loose, when the wheel cylinder pistons extend too far, the shoes don't make good contact with the drum, problems with the parking brake cable adjustment, etc.

It is much better to get it fairly snug as instructed previously, THEN let the self-adjuster do its work.
 
#50 ·
Anyone knows the thickness of the new OEM brake shoes and drums? And according to Toyota, at what thickness level should we replace them? Thanks!
 
#54 ·
Let me answer my question. I took the wheels and drums off today and measured the shoes. Both shoes have slightly more than 4mm left. This is after 18 years and 135k miles. I have no access to OEM shoes. However, I bought a set of Wagner in a sale many years ago. This is one of the premium class shoes on RockAuto and it is THE most popular one as marked by a red heart on RA. Guess what is the thickness of the brand new Wagner shoes? Slightly less than 5mm. WTF!
 
#51 ·
My parking brake works properly as if now. I have read all the above comments. Just want to confirm 2 points.

1 there is no need to take the center console apart and adjust the parking cable there, right?

I can see OP did that trying to solve the malfunction of his parking cable. But that effort failed. He in the end replaced the whole cable. So he really should have edited out all these steps. They're just unnecessary and confusing here.

2 how exactly does self-adjuster work?

If the self-adjuster is tied to the parking cable, it has to be adjusted via pulling up parking lever. If it is connected to one of the brake shoes, it is activated by braking, forward or reverse. I guess it is pretty easy to tell for someone who has been there.

Then the easiest way to adjust the brake is indeed as someone mentioned before. Just use the starwheel to get it reasonably close. Then use the self adjuster to get it perfect.

I appreciate OP work. Just hope we can simplify and perfect the steps as our experience accumulates. Thanks!

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 
#52 ·
The parking brake cable will stretch with time. If the drum star wheel is properly adjusted and the hand lever clicks are between specs then you don’t need to open up the center console. Can’t remember at the moment if it’s 5-8 or 6-9. If the handle needs to be pulled beyond that or is pointing at the rear passengers ? then you need to adjust it or get new cables if you run out of adjustment.
 
#53 ·
Cool, thanks! Those are steel cables. Can't imagine them to stretch that much. But I really have to try and see. Then the OP's explanation is not really unnecessary.

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