How often do you change the rear brake shoes?

I think I currently have about 130k on my current shows... honestly Wonder what others have.

 

I'm over 182'000 KM's and my shoes look pretty fresh still. I also usually adjust them at tire rotations/ oil changes

 

140K on the stockers

 

I have 230K miles on stock shoes and drums. Still had lots of lining when I last inspected at 175k. E-brake still holds rock solid.

 

They last forever if they never touch the drum.

 

Inspect it...

 

Bottom line is once you pull the drums off and inspect, plus age is a factor, easier to just change all out and be done for another 10 years.
Rusted pivots on parking brake areas, glazing of drums/shoes, rust/thrown weights/springs/etc, accumulated crap in there, old wheel cylinders, all can affect performance.

 

I should probably check the DIY. Want to know if removing the drum with a bolt through the thread hole will unsettle the ebrake adjustment

and need adjustment after putting the drum back on

or if it’s simple remove and re install inspect
to Check status

Either way I’m expecting need to do cylinders, pads, drums, maybe that’s it.

disc brake conversion would be awesome but I don’t know of any reasonably priced kits atm.

 

I just inspected mine this weekend after doing new pads in the front. They are wearing a bit uneven, but even at their thinnest I still have 2.5mm left. Toyota spec is just 1mm. 120k miles on my truck.

I do my best to keep them adjusted. I think the vast majority of people don't have them adjusted properly, which leads to the really high mileage intervals you read about on here

 

Sounds like my truck. 205k on original rear brake equipment.

 

I did the ones on my 08 at 160k.
Didn’t need them but was there any way due to an axle seal.
Had a 2012 and at 170k didn’t do them no issues, frame had more rust than I liked. Have a 2018 w/60k so no worries here yet.

 

Annual clean, inspect, adjust here. No salt, only 5k a yr.

If I was an offroader or lived in salt world, it would be 2x a year minimum.

As far as replacment, my average over similar vehicles (disc/drum) is about every 2nd front change of pads gets rear shoes. So roughly 150k on the rear.

 

I have +220,000 on mine and they have only been adjusted once. I should probably replace everything in there including the wheel cylinder just as preventative maintenance.

 

Is there a thread on inspecting/changing the rear brake shoes and drum?

 

If you're just inspecting them, that's easy. Take wheel off, take drum off, measure remaining pad thickness in various locations. A little compressed air gets rid of mud / dust buildup. Check the adjuster isnt obviously frozen.

 

Wait, there’s brake shoes on the back??? Only 83k on my 2015. They are still good.

 

My shoes were only worn halfway down at about 150k miles. I replaced them since i was in there to replace the rusted up springs.

 

I'm an idiot so... How do you take the drum off?

 

Break lug nuts free on rear wheels, do not remove.

Raise vehicle, support on Jack stands.

Chock front tires to prevent vehicle rolling off Jack stands.

Release parking brake.

Go through back of drum and ease tension of off star wheel

Remove lug nuts on rear wheels, remove wheels

Firmly grasp rear drum and pull off (ensure parking brake is released!)

If (read likely) the drum won't come off, replace lug nuts on studs to prevent thread damage.

Get BFH, tap with increasing force on drum until drum comes free.

If required you can buy some bolts (don't recall the thread pitch) that will thread into the drum and help you back them off.

 

If you use bolts to pull the drums off (usually needed) and you have not done so in a long while, there will be a lip on the outer edge of the drum that catches the shoes and you will likely break the little outer metal tabs off the wheel cylinders metal plungers as the shoes flex out - unless you first back off the adjuster. If you are changing the wheel cylinders who cares. You will hear and feel a pop as the drum releases off the axle/lugs.