Need advice on drum brakes

Hear me out. I got my 2001 Taco with about 115 K miles on it in 2021. Generally clean but not sure if the rear drum brakes were replaced at 100K or not. Now it has 140 K miles and I thought about replacing the rear brakes. I have disk brake jobs before but never drums. Have watched a couple of YT videos and have the 3 volume factory service manual and bought OEM drums and shoes, so I set out to do it. When I removed the drum it seems like the brakes have about 5.5 mm pad left so I don't know if I should do it.
Should I wait to about 200K miles? That will take me almost 10 years as I drive this truck about 6-7,000 miles per year. Why not go and drop in the OEMs? At the same time the voice of sanity says I should leave it well alone and not create a project when one is not needed. What do y'all recommend?

 

Leave it or maybe change just the drum?

 

Are you bored? Do you have any other pressing projects on this truck or on another vehicle, or on your home?

Those shoes have lots of life left. Thats the beauty of drums is they last forever. I'd leave them be for now, unless you need an excuse to get out and wrench and enjoy some cold snacks in the garage

 

I like this idea. Once I put the new drums on, do I need to adjust the pads?

 

that depends. Spin the drum and go from there. if adjustment is needed, might be minimal

 

Shoes look good. Just clean them up and re-grease the friction points before putting the drums back on.

 

Yeah cold snacks sound great but can enjoy them during other other projects, there is never a lack of them ;-)
How about replacing the drums only, as suggested -- is that reasonable?

 

I'd save the new drums for whenever you put the new shoes on (probably 10+ years down the road). I've personally always considered rotors & pads, or drums & shoes a package deal, and not wanted to replace just one or the other.

Also your drums looks totally fine. Does your parking brake work fine? Will it hold the truck on a decent incline?

 

Leave it alone, don’t replace. You’re wasting your money. If you want something to occupy your time, you could clean up the outside of the drum and paint them so you don’t see rusty drums through your wheels.

 

Fair enough. Will clean real well, inspect, and reinstall. Will keep the new set for the next round in, like, a decade (wish I hadn't bought them). Not worried about the looks of the rust TBH and have so many half finished projects that am happy to make this one a short one.

 

If it isn’t too late to just return the parts, I’d do that. Keeps unused parts from piling up AND you don’t have to worry about surface rust building up on them over the next 10+ years…

 

Thanks to all for advising restraint

 

Sooner or later one or both of your axle seals will give up the ghost. By the time you notice it, your brakes will be soaked with grease. After you have the seals replaced, that would be a really good time to install your new drums and shoes.

 

The only problem with rear drums on 1st gen Tacomas that I have seen is a tendency for some trucks to over-adjust the rear shoes on one side to the point where that wheel is almost locked up. The fix is simple, replace all the brake spring hardware with factory parts. I have a theory but it is impossible to prove given my limited number of trucks that I have worked on that have this issue. My theory is the bushing on the rear axle that the parking brake cable pivots on, is worn out and allows for slop in the cable. Does that slop induce an over adjustment, dunno, like I said, it is a theory based on an observation.