Left Rear Wheel Seized

I've had the parking brake stick on various vehicles. Behaves just like this. I'm not sure how the parking brakes are designed on 3rd gen Tacomas but if they're similar to many other vehicles than they are much stronger going in reverse than forward (ie, it's easier to overcome the brake driving forward than in reverse). Reversing with it engaged basically makes it tighter.

If it got wet while engaged then sat a long time a little rust could have formed somewhere, just enough to keep it from disengaging all the way. Possible that it didn't provide any friction going forward but tightened itself up going in reverse and stuck.

 

I need to inspect the cable ends on my Taco .... but where the cable emerges from the sheathing - I'm thinking a rubber bellows may be useful ?? MAy need to split and re glue it to add on easily ..... but just a thought....

 

Yes, both of these.

I had it happen on my second gen after I had taken it in for service at a dealer, they washed it, I drove it home and parked it and apparently they checked the brakes for wear as part of the service and when they put the rear drums back on they did it too tight, dealer sent a flatbed to pick it up and unlike yours, they dragged the truck onto and off the flatbed at the dealer and had to back off the star adjuster screw and never had the problem again. the star adjuster screw was too tight. and it happened after a wash which is what seems to cause it to happen.

 

No Offense intended .... but I just cannot understand how a wash can get water into the drum. I would think you would have to put the hose behind the drum and get water between the backup plate and the drum .... JMO

 

Agree ^

 

Also, I think the normal brakes are the parking brakes.

 

There is a small gap between the drum edge and the backing plate. When spray washing the wheels from the side water finds that gap and drips inside. Have a look, spray the wheel down with a pressure washer and then take the drum off.

 

When you say clicks, do you mean clicks pulling the parking brake handle or adjustment at the drum?

The only thing the dealer found was the parking brake was set too tight. Which is how the truck has been since day one. Now the parking brake engages much later than before. It still holds the truck on a hill, but needs to be pulled almost all the way up. Hopefully that’s what the problem was.

Its no longer making any noise when backing and applying the brakes. I’m going back in a week or so to have the seal on rear diff replaced. Hopefully if it’s going to happen again it will be that appointment.

 

He means clicks on the adjustment inside the drum. Have them check the drum when they do the seal. I bet someone will post the spec for the Freeplay in the parking brake handle from the manual. That way u can take it do the dealer and yell at them for taking the easy way out.

 

I gave my truck a "normal" wash i.e. I did not spray the wheel wells or underbody - just the exterior surfaces. After the wash, I pulled the drums and they were wet inside.

I don't know exactly how the water gets in but it does and it doesn't take an aggressive spraying for it to happen.

 

I wonder if that's why Toyota puts those dumb paper gaskets on the rear drum / wheel interface. Help mitigate any water through the lug holes in the drum.

 

Free play, if it was only that easy - spec on the parking brake handle is 5 to 7 clicks / notches when pulled with a force of 45 lbf. More practically, mine new at 2 clicks on the handle can hold the the truck in place, 2WD forward and reverse, on a flat surface.

 

They adjusted free play because they were too lazy to pull the wheels and adjust the star behind the wheel. That's my assumption anyway.

 

Water getting into a drum is normal and is not an issue. What do you think happens when you drive in the rain?

 

I think water is flung out from the the centrifugal force and mostly dried when brakes are applied.

 

Quite possibly, I would think it easier to pull the wheels than the center console though.

For OPs reference, the proper protocol:

• Pull center console and fully loosen the parking brake cable adjustment
• Remove wheels and turn the shoe adjusters / star until it locks the drum, then loosen the adjuster 15 notches (supposedly that's 180 degrees)
• Adjust parking brake for 5 to 7 clicks at 45 lbf of pull on the lever

 

It's not water being in there that's the problem. It's water getting in, then setting the parking brake, which then cause the brake pads to stick to the drum. Even driving through a river and then immediately parking won't cause an issue. Do that and then set the parking brake overnight and there's a good chance you'll wake up to frozen pads.

 

I partly assumed there was another adjuster underneath the truck where the cable splits. But you're honestly probably right. Bad assumption on my part.

 

...and you have to do the drum adjustment before the parking brake adjustment.