Rear drums locking up in the cold

I have had this happen to mine at least 3-4 times and stopped using my e brake. And I’m a firm believer in using my e brake and it bothers me I can’t. So my question is do you think it might be the compound of the shoe that is the problem? And is it worth replacing them with a different brand?

 

Legit question and one worthy of investigating, like trying to get in contact with engineering dept of a reputable brake specialty or mfgr see what their thoughts are.

 

Yah, that's definitely not the sticking I experience. Something is definitely wrong on your truck. Good luck. Hopefully the engineers can figure that one out!

 

How were you driving hundreds of feet with your rear brakes locked up? Are you sure that was the issue? Just curious. I haven't really heard of someone's brakes freezing up that badly

 

Update: the dealer replaced the emergency brake cable housings (left and right) about a week ago. The locking up in the cold hasn't reappeared since then, though I haven't driven it much at all.

But now there's a new problem: the rear brakes lock up HARD (both sides!!!) randomly while driving at slow speeds e.g. in a parking lot. Scared the hell out of me the first time it happened. Back to the dealer for the third time for issues related to the rear drum brakes.

 

Ever heard of 4LO?

 

They tightened the brake cables too much. Should take 7 clicks of the handle to seat the parking brake as per Toyota. If the cables are too tight, Suspension articulation of any sort will actuate them.

If you don’t get this fixed it will bend your wheel studs.

 

Metallic shoes do not have steel in them and will not "rust to the drum".

 

Mine do.

 

The funny thing is, with this new "random locking" problem, I drove on some BLM dirt roads earlier that day (very bumpy) without any problem, then drove on pavement for about an hour before the rear brakes locked up in a perfectly flat, paved parking lot at low speeds. Happened again today on the way to the dealer to drop off the truck.

I have noticed that the last couple of "fixes" from the dealer on my freezing brakes issue has resulted in a parking brake handle that only pulls up about a third of the way that it used to. I can barely pull up the handle as it currently stands.

 

I had this same problem. The handle is too tight. Must be 7 clicks. The Toyota mechanic who resolved my dilemma showed me that in the factory manual and explained why it causes the brakes to lock up. It’s important that handle not be too tight. You may even be dragging a shoe as you drive around town.

 

I was reading the owner’s manual of my 2021 Tacoma last night and on the top of page 324 under winter driving tips, it stated:

“Park the vehicle and move the shift lever to P (automatic transmission) or 1 or R (manual transmission) without setting the parking brake. The parking brake may freeze up, preventing it from being released.”

So not only is Toyota aware of the problem, but they advise against using the parking brake in the winter. I am surprised that there are dealerships trying to service the problem when it is part of the design.

 

Maybe they stick, but it's not rust unless you don't drive much and your drums rust. Shoes don't rust.
Ceramic is the way to go.

 

It only happens after water crossings and truck sitting directly afterward. Have removed wheels to confirm shoes fused to drums with rust.

 

That’s a “winter driving” tip. They don’t tell you not to use the parking brake in temperate weather.

Even that was likely written as a CYA for a known fault.

 

That’s the point, isn’t it? They know they get stuck in cold weather so they tell you not to use it during the winter. That relieves them of any responsibility of it being a warranty issue. So yes, it is a CYA for a known fault, which at this point they have not redesigned to eliminate.

 

Ok, so I see what's happening. The tolerance between the drums and shoes is tight and the space is taken up by the rust on the drums. Makes sense to me.

 

Sort of. It happens when you set your parking brake with wet drums. The parking brake won’t release as the rusting of the drums locks the shoes in place.

I’ve been through this rodeo many times. Now I know to ride my brakes to dry them, or not set the parking brake. A few of our favourite camp spots are along River bottoms that require a crossing right before setting up camp, so this has been something I had to learn.

I still screw up through muscle memory and set my parking brake when I shouldn’t. I end up with fused brakes in the morning.

 

The 3rd gen tacoma is not the only vehicle to experience frozen parking brakes. This can happen on more vehicles than not probably.

 

Funny enough, I have heard of 4LO. My question was more "why would your drag your wheels two hundred feet when they were locked up for the first hundred?"