Parking brake adjustment?

I have a 2006 4cyl Std Cab. When I go to use the parking brake it only moves about 3 clicks and dosent seem to grab very good. Its a stick shift so I need the brake to hold the truck on a hill. I did a search and it seems that they are self adjusting. I will try the driving backwards tonight and pulling the handle to see if it helps. Most of the information online talks about the e brake handel pulling to far out without grabing so that why I think there might be another issue. I just got the truck and am going threw it trying to fix any problems.

thanks

 

pop out your cup holder, the adjustment is under there. loosen then jam nut and turn it (make it longer) and check. Make small adjustments and check it. If I remember right you should have somewhere around 8-12 clicks. It's easy.

 

I will try this. When I get the cable to have around 8 clicks should I still try driving in reverse and pulling the handle?

 

How I adjust the rear brakes (and parking brake) is to jack up the rear end of the truck and place jack stands on both sides of the rear axle housing. With the e-brake off, I spin the wheel. If it rotates more than 1 complete revolution, then I tighten the star wheel in the drum. To tighten the star wheel, you remove the rubber cover and insert a small flat head screw driver and push the star wheel until you hear an audible click (getting tighter). Repeat the wheel spin test as said above, and adjust the star wheel as necessary until you spin the wheel and only rotates one time.

Repeat this procedure for the opposite drum and you'll have completed the rear brake drum adjust procedure.

The star wheel is behind the oval shaped rubber dust plug in the picture below
.



Here, this is the angle you want to have the screw driver at to push the star wheel. It's kind of a pain at first until you get the hang of the angle required to move the wheel.


If you've never done it, it's a good idea to pull the drum cover and clean out all the brake dust. I did this with 55K miles and there was lots. Just spray away with brake cleaner and it gets sparkling clean. Don't breath the dust though, it will kill you. Heh

 

^^^ this with the e brake adjustment you should be good to go.

 

As per the Toyota Service Manual:

The correct way to adjust the brake shoes on the rear is to tighten the star adjuster until the wheel locks. Then back it off 18 clicks. Do this on both sides and they will be balanced.

 

Jimmy, Thanks for your post. I referenced the 2009 FSM. The procedure there is actually 15 notches.

2. ADJUST REAR DRUM BRAKE SHOE CLEARANCE
(a) Provisionally install the hub nuts.
(b) Remove the hole plug, and turn the adjuster to expand the shoe until the drum locks.
(c) Using a screwdriver, release the adjuster 15 notches.
(d) Install the hole plug.
​

 

Looks like my little rubber plugs are gone, can't seem to find the spot with the screw driver. Is it a screw or a lever of some sort?

 

You don't know how long I have been looking for how to take some of the alack out of my emergency break cable on the 2nd gen! I will try this on mine. It Klicks about 20 times and holds at the boat ramp about half the time.. Adjusting the star wheel does not help the e break

 

When I went to adjust the cable i found two cables bu only one hooked up.
When I went to adjust the drum I found the plug missing and am not able to locate the adjustment screw in there

Thanks for all the help

 

Thanks you are correct I miss read the manual 15 clicks is correct not 18 as I had posted.

 

It is not a screw it is a wheel with notches:

 

Does anyone know why there are two cables under my cup holder and only one hooked up? I dont see a spot for a second cable. Broke down and brought it to a shop near my house to look at the parking brake and they said one cable is broken and one is completly seized up. $600 to replace both and there not sure if the cable up front is good. Seems wierd that both cables arent working when the e brake does grab some just not as good as i think it should.

 

Can you describe how you took your cup holders off to look?

 

Well I had the seat out so all I had to do is pull up the carpet. I have a single cab bench seat and I read that you have to remove the cup holders to reach the adjuster. i assume this is on trucks with buckets.

 

Yes I a AC and would like to get to those cables at a place that I could possibly adjust, but I can't find a how to anywhere..

 

Reason there's two cables in there, is it's a Brake equalizer. So when you pull the parking brake the equalizer equalizes tension on two cables, one cable goes to the left drum, and the right cable goes to the right drum.

Edit: the parking brake configuration is different between all models of Tacoma and body types. So you really need a manual to understand what's right for your truck.

 

But how do you get to them?