Drum Brakes - Pad replacement issues

Hi - Excuse the slight off forum topic... but I do not have anyone else to chat with at this time...

My issue is fairly generic on drum brakes and might be resolved by a handy trick by someone with more experience with drums... so please bear with me...

So I went to check the rear Drum Brakes on a Series 100 Land Cruiser. (This is the slight off topic part - but drums are drums, yes? )

The LC has a Disc rear Brake, but inside the 'hub' of the massive disk there is a Drum brake (bigger than the Tacomas Drum!). Typically addressed as the 'e-brake'. Other than that structural detail - the issue is fully Drum related...

Here it is: I took the caliper and the drum apart (the drum that happens to have a big disk appended to it...) and inspected / cleaned things-up (this is now my folks' vehicle, so I was inpecting the brakes for them.).

I spun the adjusting wheel a couple needed clicks letting the shoes out a bit... I went to put the drum back and it went in easily - no resistance...

However, I was not quite done and when I went to pull the drum out again, the shoes seem to be snug against the drum and will not let me pull the drum out... I can feel the shoes/assembly move out as I pull on the drum.

It seems that the shoes are a bit too far out and are catching on the drum edge - maybe the slight bump left by the worn surface...

I would like to compress (pull the shoes in a bit) t release, but I cannot get to the adjustor wheel via the holes in the drum - this drum has tiny holes (Compared to others I saw online -and it also happens that the holes' alignment does not allow me to reach the adjusting wheel...

I have re done these and other brakes previously, but I've never gotten myself in this 'bind' before... I am by no means a brake expert... perhaps some of you may have some handy tips on how to get myself out of this 'Jam'... (puns intended - albeit weakly...)

I have tried engaging and releasing the e-brake - with no change... still stuck.
I may try lifting both rear wheels and seeing if I can get the drum to spin... the tiny access holes are not so inspiring though...

Thanks in advance for any insight you may have!

 

Now I'm not saying this is the "right" Way to do this, but I've done it before in a pinch and it hasn't had any ill effects yet. If you know where the adjusting screw is, and you've got a drill bit and a drill... see where I'm going with this?

You can drill yourself an access hole to reach the adjusters, and usually you can stuff a rubber grommet plug in the hole you just drilled when you're done. Obviously you'd want to clean all the shavings out thoroughly once you get the drum off.

 

Spinning the wheel can sometimes help, also make sure the handbrake cable is fully slack. But that hole is usually designed for access to the wheel adjuster so I’me surprised you can’t access it, maybe get an old screwdriver and bend it to gain access.

Edit. you should be able to do it with a screwdriver.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/parking-brake-adjustment.53746/#post-12541106

 

Maybe this will help you?
It’s the best I can find.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/parking-brake-adjustment.53746/#post-12541106

 

I always adjust shoes through the little slot with the drum and wheel installed. That way you can spin the wheel by hand and "listen" for the shoe/drum contact.

If you really need to get the drum off again you have to loosen the adjuster through the slot. I use a flat screwdriver to turn the adjuster teeth and a pick or pocket screw driver to hold the actuator lever away from the teeth so i can spin it backwards.

You'll need light and a line of sight to see in the slot and see what you're doing. Just a couple pushes in the loose direction and you should be able to slide the drum off

In the meantime don't try to force the drum off. If the shoes get pulled away from the backing plate too much it will stretch/damage the springs and hardware. You'll have hardware rubbing on the inside of the drum where it shouldn't be touching

 

You can’t adjust them with the wheel on.
The LC uses a weird adjustment hole on the FRONT of the rotor.
Crazy setup, but I guess it works?

 

true, thats how camrys and corollas are set up.

No matter, just put a lugnut or two on it so the drum is squared up to the hub. You'll get a better adjustment if the drum is flush when spinning and adjusting

 

Here is a picture of the rotor style on the LC.
The access hole need to be in the DOWN in the 6 O’clock position to access the adjuster wheel.
Here is video on the adjustment. OP needs to get it to the rotor to turn.
https://youtu.be/BVMvXoQZKJI

 

Thank you everyone for the input!
I will try to spin the wheel to try to get access to the adjustor. The drums on there have a tiny access hole unfortunately. This males the task a bit difficult.
- I hope to avoid drilling!

 

Sorted!

I picked-up the whole rear-end and was able to turn the wheel to a point where I managed to reach the adjustor and release the pressure. I used a thin pick type tool to get in there.

Thanks for the help Gents!

I improved the parking brake adjustment a bit - not perfect, but better!

IH8MUD is a great site as a resource for LCs - (not nearly as good as TW though!)

 

Congrats, glad to hear you got it sorted!

 

The common name here is 'hat in rotor'.

So your shoe adjustment makes the ebrake better. There is usually a cable adjustment available too. If it's a hand brake, that can reduce the amount of travel needed to engage the shoes as well.