[Onslow]

I've struggled with this before but it's been 5-6 years. How the heck do you get enough slack in the cable end to remove it from the arm? I can push it back with pliers but that doesn't allow me to push the cable towards the arm to release the fitting.
I'm (temporarily) gutting the parking brake as the vehicle needs new backing plates which means I am going to do the hubs at the same time just not now. As in probably not until the warm weather rolls around again. I've owned the new backing plates for a long time but now the ones on the car are too rotted to hold the shoe retaining pins. Grrr.

 

[ronthehammer1966]

Look at this video (12:40 mark) to remove the cable end from the arm.
Toyota Parking Brake Disassembly and Reassembly - Bing video


Before you reinstall the new backing plates, I would suggest repainting them with a 2K paint and/or a 2K sealer. The backing plates are expensive and are a pain to do. I replaced mine this fall and repainted them with the hope it would help keep them from rotting. I will pay attention to this part of the car when I was the undercarriage.

 

[Onslow]

Look at this video (12:40 mark) to remove the cable end from the arm.
Toyota Parking Brake Disassembly and Reassembly - Bing video


Before you reinstall the new backing plates, I would suggest repainting them with a 2K paint and/or a 2K sealer. The backing plates are expensive and are a pain to do. I replaced mine this fall and repainted them with the hope it would help keep them from rotting. I will pay attention to this part of the car when I was the undercarriage.

Thanks to Eric O of South Main Auto I'm starting to think about film seal for everything! I'm also starting to think of a tank filled with EvapoRust that I can lift up to dunk whole areas of the undercarriage.
This Highlander was acquired used as an insurance replacement for an older but better-maintained one that was totaled by somebody whose text was more important than my safety. I strongly suspect that it had been driven on the beach a few times but, of course, we didn't know that when we bought it. Sob.

 

[dcjamies]

I replaced my rear driver side hub last August. I replaced the backing plate while I was in there. My parking brake cables are/were completely rust frozen at the plate. I plan to replace my cables before my next state inspection (October). In order to replace the backing plate, I wound up having to cut the existing cable and tucking the excess away under the car. I'll have to replace the passenger side backing plate to replace the cables. I guess I'll go ahead and do the hub while I'm there.
I'm in Texas, but I inherited my HL from my mother-in-law who had it in Michigan for 16 years. Plenty of rust, despite her diligence in having it washed regularly and maintained at the Toyota dealer.

 

[Onslow]

I'm in Texas, but I inherited my HL from my mother-in-law who had it in Michigan for 16 years. Plenty of rust, despite her diligence in having it washed regularly and maintained at the Toyota dealer.

I've gutted the parking brake completely, tied the springy cable ends into the backing plate inside out of the way and soaked everything in PB Blaster and Nano. New rotors and pads and will revisit the parking brake if and when I decide to do the hubs. It's possible I'll just leave it alone.

 

[Oveur Engineer]

My rear backing plates are still there, but are in pretty poor rusty shape. Where are you guys getting new replacements? Dealer part only?

Sorry for the thread-jack.

 

[dcjamies]

Backing plates for the 04-07 are different than the 01-03 and are more easily found. I got mine (04) from Auto Zone. I understand the 01-03 plates are nigh impossible to find. 😬

 

[Oveur Engineer]

Thanks much. Yeah, I guess I should have included that little tidbit of info. I've got a 2002 with AWD.

So it sounds like I'm SOL. Great...

 

[ronthehammer1966]

The dealer has the 01-03 rear backing plates in stock. They are costly. I ordered mine online (McGeorge Toyota online parts).

 

[TheLowlander]

I chose the nuclear option and just converted my 2002 to 2004-2007 rear suspension. This requires knuckles, brakes, CV axles, ABS sensors, rear control arms, rear toe adjustment bolts, and some other bits I may be forgetting (It's written down on here somewhere). My car had bluetooth backing plates, one seized piston on one of the rear calipers, seized parking brake hardware, seized rear toe adjustment bolts, snapped parking brake cable, bad trailing arm bushings, seized abs sensors, etc...

The car rides a little better but handling is the same, probably because of the new bushings. It is a little beefier than the 01-03 stuff.

 

[Oveur Engineer]

Thanks again guys. Here's hoping my old backplates last a little while longer!