Adjusting Rear Brakes-How tight

This is my first post on this forum so hello to everyone out there.

I changed my shoes and drums on my 2003 Tacoma 4x4 last week and I've been trying to get the adjustment dialed in. I adjusted them out with the star wheel to where they were barely touching the drums but I'm not sure I have them quite tight enough b/c my park brake does not seem to be holding as well as it did before I changed the shoes/drums. I get about 20 clicks when I pull the park brake and it seems to be engaging and holding ok, however I can move the truck fairly easily if I apply power. I'm worried about it holding when I launch and recover my boat.

My question is, how freely should your tire spin if the brakes are adjusted properly? Right now if I have it jacked up I can spin the tire and it will make about one rotation before it stops. I'm thinking I need to go out another couple of clicks with the star wheel, but I don't want to make the brakes too tight for obvious reasons.
Thanks

 

I was always told and what I do to this day is, it should have just a slight sprag. It should be enough that you hear it and can turn the drum, but not a completely free spin. Hope that helps.

 

Also, not sure how to adjust the parking brake on the 1st Gens but that may need to be done also.

 

What they both said above. I always adjust out that with the tire on, when I give it a spin it told about 1 and half times around then stops.
If you are pulling out 20 clicks on the brake lever, then I would adjust the e brake out too. There is a sticky at the top of the forum there that has a link of how to adjust it.
Id go get it for you but copy and paste from my phone just sucks a$$.

 

I think you have them adjusted properly. Just adjust your parking brake.

 

Thanks everyone, sounds like I've got it right or pretty close. I'll adjust the parking brake and go from there.

 

Each time you pull on the parking brake, it adjusts a little bit. So I think that pulling and releasing the handle will eventually get the shoes adjusted.

Then, after that, there is an adjustment on the back side of each brake backing plate. (see page 9-15 of the Haynes manual).

Then you can adjust the amount of clicks, from under the middle of the truck using a 10mm wrench.

 

Adjusting a parking brake is easy. Also, while you're messing around with it, make sure your equalizer on the rear axle moves freely. Mine was sticking causing the drivers side drum to drag.

 

This is a follow up to my original post. I changed my drums and shoes and drove my truck for a few hundred miles and then pulled my drums off just to make sure everything looked ok. I noticed that the shoes looked like some spots had signs of wear (where they were touching the drums) and some spots didn't look like they had any wear. I'd say about 50% of each shoe had signs of wear. Is this a normal part of the breaking in process? Does it take them a little time for the shoe to fully "mate" to the drum?