Which brake pads can I hear squeaking?

Just reinserting this query as I may have not clicked on 'Start Conversation' the first time.

My '09 2WD regular cab w/shell has 59,300 miles of gentle combined mileage and finally after a 1,200 mile road trip I'm noticing a squeak that sounds more like it's coming from my rear axle with its stock drum brake assembly.
It's time to DYI. Any suggestions, tricks, helpful hints? Years ago I managed to as a non mechanic type replace on a 1991 Nissan pickup of the same 2WD regular cab w/shell but with virtually all the miles driven in the wee hours after dark/12:30 AM. I operated as a courier on a regular fixed run and I put near 100K miles on this pickup on the first set of pads. I had managed to replace the front disc pads alone without anyone assisting, yet with rear drum pads I feel trepidation on doing this by myself.
Besides going online and searching for DYI videos I plan on doing the job one side at a time so that I'll have an easy reference as to where the bits fit back in place once dismantled.

 

Your rear brakes shouldn't be worn yet. My truck has 130k and the rear shoes are still serviceable. Try pulling the drums and cleaning first.

If by some crazy chance the rears are worn, I highly recommend getting the specialized tools for doing rear brakes. For something you'll likely use very few times, this is a great call for the .

 

Should still have plenty of life on them. My truck has 163k on the body, original brake shoes. Still have at least another couple months on em, but will be replacing soon. Have you actually seen how much is left on them?
Oh, and just so you know, drum brakes aren't as bad as everyone thinks. They're a little more involved than the pads for disc brakes, but still easy.

 

Thanks Maticuno (PS) and also; Is it Fenny, as wanna taco suggests?

Hey seriously though, thanks guys for your replies with the insight and experience you've shared here I feel I may not be quite ready for pads on the rear and to reply truthfully to Sir Fenwick's* query; honestly I'm ashamed to say yes your correct in asking if I have even yet "actually seen the pads".... Yes, all this is moot since I haven't even taken the time to do the simplest of visual inspections as of yet.

Of course I have to admit freely there's no excuses here that work other than I've been procrastinating through sheer neglect due to the false sense of security Toys can lull one into. Then again I could fall on the every procrastinator's best excuse; you know, the ..."well I've been too preoccupied, yeah that's it... What can be at a higher priority than auto safety when during my day I have an hour free to be looking at, ...media on this screen browsing the sundry of sites that keep me planted on my soft backside. (sorry TMI) Certainly it's more important that I attend to my dependable Taco (Taco, I've never heard or seen that slang nickname before)... that keeps me safe when I need to move about the county.

I'll be updating you Fenwick and Maticuno as soon as this nasty weather passes; our temps here in northwestern Arizona will be 20 degrees warmer in a couple days. I much like many others of you that member here have to do my work sans an enclosed garage.... Errrr. or BRRRR!

As a 'newbie' or whatever I'm labeled here, I want to say I look forward to browsing this site more just for the entertainment value let alone the valuable expertise found here in 'cyber-chanicsland'** ....

* Fenwick, or Fenny, your name really sounds good with the 'Sir' part ...well at least I tend to like it, can't say why, so I hope you don't take offense
**(sigh-bur-can-icks-lan)

 

Maticuno, I love the John Muir quote, he is my favorite naturalist as an author. "...go to the mountains, go to anyplace wild ....lean against a big tree, feel its peace and its strength, at night look up into the stars and imagine the wonder of the universe and world in which you live in..."

 

No offense taken!
I've been guilty of the "I've been to busy" excuse too, I think we all have. Also guilty of being lulled into a sense of security because of driving a Yota. Used to having nothing to worry about! Chances are, they don't need to be changed, but it's simple to check them, if it'll make you feel a little better. Just jack up that corner of the truck, pull the wheel off, and then you'll see the drum. Sometimes you can just pull the drum off, but oftentimes you may want to have a hammer and a couple tools for prying available. Once the drum is off, you can inspect the brake shoes, which just in case you are unfamiliar with them, should look like this:

Any sort of glazing, chips, or cracking could also lead to the sound you're hearing. If you see anything like that, I would go ahead and change them. At least where I live, they will fail you on inspection if your pads/shoes are cracked.
Also, this forum is pretty great for lots of things. There's always good info up here- may have to sift through a little bit of BS to find it sometimes, but it's always there. And this site has great entertainment value as well!
It's generally a good bunch of guys up here, and many are always willing to help folks out. It's definitely worth it to stick around.
Hope this helps, and good luck! Don't be a stranger!

 

Great ...Thanks Fenny, errr' 'Sir Fenny'
Your uploaded drum pad pics sure don't much likely resemble mine after driving out in the snow and slush today but that's a nice looking set of 'REAR' pads, hopefully I won't actually need them all too soon, but I appreciate that you invoke a sense of ..."You Too Can Do This" attitude...
The dealer (Phew! That left a bad taste my virtual-mouth) had been maintaining my Taco with prepaid maintenance and the pad reports had shown last I recall decent thickness all 'round, but the last check may have been near 10K miles back.
...Rubber side down 'lest wise your monster jamming! (or mega-truckin'...!)

 

I did forget to mention that I'll be not just checking for thickness on those pads, but maybe more importantly the glazing effect, possible chips and cracks ...these things I might not have thought were a concern so much but as soon as I get that hammer and the corner of the truck up in the air, knock the drum off the axle I'll be checking for those abnormalities or would that be just normal wear and tear?

....I already feel confident that I can tackle this .... thanks again.

 

No need to knock the drum off the hub with a hammer. Get a couple of M8X40 bolts. The drums have threaded holes that allow a bolt to thread in and push against the hub, which pulls the drum off without resorting to physical violence.

 

Nice Advice.... I imagine the pads are snugged up against the drums and that is why the drum doesn't just simply slide right off the hub. Where except at any hardware store could I expect to find these bolts? Hey, if I'm out to get the pads and such I may as well be sure to pop in at ACE and get the bolts, M8X40 that you suggest keeps me from resorting to the physical bang and hit method. It's a dang shame that one may need special bits and tools that won't likely be used again for miles and years to come , ergo said special bits and tools get mislaid and or lost over time.

 

The cracking and whatnot will happen over time. With your mileage, it may not be an issue, but it's worth checking.

True, definitely an option. If you don't have a local nuts and bolts store or an Ace Hardware, a Lowes or Home Depot should have them. I know that the Lowes in my area has a giant nuts and bolts section, so yours probably would, too.

 

I've got about 500 of them. If you are in the SoCal area I'll give you a couple.

 

I appreciate the offer ...I won't ask you to elaborate on how you came to have, "...about 500 of them..." I'll check at the Depot and or Ace Hardware