Parking brake nightmare

So i got this 2006 Tacoma preRunner. That at some point they changed the rear differential. But never connected back the parking brake cables.

Well i checked and turns out they actually cut the old cables. So i bought new cables.

Installed them and for some reason they don't want to hold tight the see drums.

When i have the wheels off and activate the parking brake. The drums lock but when it has the tires seems like they barely lock at all.

With the parking brake activated and put it on drive the truck moves like nothing. I took off the drums again and had someone press on parking brake and it barely opens up.

I have already adjusted underneath the center console and still won't hold tight.

Any ideas?

 

They need adjustment. Usually you never need to adjust the cables, you adjust the drums. However you may need to adjust the cables.

 

The adjustment for the cable is under the front console (shifter)

See here for details on adjustment
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-parking-brake-questions.503818/#post-15747037

 

Yes. I did adjust it from the drums first.

Because i installed new brake shoes and all new springs. And cleaned everything from rust and dust .

Adjusted the drums until they were a little hard to get in.

After that i adjusted the cables under the front console. But still they do not grab enough to stop if moving with iddle power only.

 

That must be the part im missing. I will definitely try it tomorrow.
Thank you

 

Did you buy oe cables?

 

You don't have to adjust from the rear. Keep adjusting from the front until you feel a drag. Then step on the brakes to center them and readjust if needed to feel the drag. You will only have an issue removing the drums if they have a wear groove. The shoe will catch on the groove. If the drums are new, or resurfaced, this is not an issue.

 

That's what i do. Its not my first set of drum brakes. I usually do Chevy rear drums pretty quick with no issues. And they are very similar.

I adjust until i feel the drum go in not too loose but not too easily either.
When i feel drag that's when i know it will lock up nicely.

Then that should be it. But no.

I used AC Delco cables.
Exactly same length as the original ones.

I have adjusted. Many times.
Seems like it doesn't want to work

 

What i did noticed. Is that if i have both drums off and have someone press the parking brake. I see that the shoe only moves like half inch and i feel that it is not enough

 

Yes that was my first mistake. I ordered the wrong cables they were about a Foot longer than the original ones

Then i reordered the correct ones. That are the same size. And for the right truck.

So cables are not it

 

Do you have the brake shoes in the correct positions? The primary shoe - which has less friction material - goes in front. The secondary shoe - which has more friction material - goes in back on each side.

 

Try backing up & slamming on the parking brake a few times. Might work, won't hurt.

 

Well from what i can see both shoes have the same amount of friction material

 

Maybe Tacoma drum brakes are different, but every other manufacturer's drum brakes I've worked on always had a leading and trailing shoe. And it was always easy to put two leading shoes on one side and two trailing shoes on the other if you weren't careful.

Do all four shoes on both sides have the same amount of friction material?

 

Would that even be possible? I do not see how you could install them wrong with the holes and mounts laid out differently on each one.

This is a good example though of how @Too Stroked noted the different in the compound of each side but how the shoe is laid out it would be hard to put them on the wrong side.

 

How does the E-brake foot pedal position feel? Is it about the same position as before?

That leaves the shoes themselves. Are they good quality shoes? I noticed my current shoes, which I replaced a few months ago, do not bite as hard as my prior set. I attribute it to low quality Raybestos aftermarket shoes. I’m hoping with usage they will bite better as they wear in.

 

Well i have never felt pedal because i bought it like that and never even noticed it didn't have the parking break connected. But now that i think about it.

Is there a chance that they changed the whole rear end from a different model vehicle.?
Would that even be possible?

I have matched the old shoes with the new ones and they seem exactly the same

 

Place rear of truck on Jack stands.
Leave the wheels ON the truck.
Put the truck into neutral.
Adjust the drums through the back of the backing plate until you hear/feel a SLIGHT drag.
Get in truck, press brakes a few times.
Apply parking brake.
Release parking brake.

Return to rear of truck.
Check wheel spin. Readjust to a SLIGHT drag if necessary.

 

Thank you. I will do this weekend

 

Here is from the shop manual for the Tacoma: