2002 rear brake backing plates

The stinking road salt is eating up the rear brake backing plates on my 02 Taco. Looks like a huge job to replace them. Has anyone done it?

 

I'm in the same situation. I was thinking about just going to a muffler shop and seeing if they could weld some new material to whats left. I think you are right about it being a huge job to replace.

 

Thanks for your reply. It is a big job and one I'm too "chicken" to do myself because the axles/bearings/seals all have to be pulled and from what I've seen those seals don't necessarily go back in easily or properly. My Toyota dealer quoted me $750 per side to do it. Shoot, I can get a whole rear end from a recycler for $800. It's a big concern to me but at least they told me that they've never seen a situation where the brake hardware started falling off! I've never seen or heard of a vehicle with a problem like this and it's odd since everything else on the Taco is so well designed. Gratefully, Toyota went way out of the box and replaced my frame, A-arms, leaf springs and brake lines (at 14 years old and 150k miles) under their "enhancement" program (when they discovered frames were perforating) but I think they should have included those plates. I think I might give them a call!! One more thing - take a good look at your differential case and axle housings. I was told that on these older Tacos exposed to road salt that it's common for those to rust through as well and start leaking.

 

Here in Arizona we only use salt for our margarita's.

 

Obviously a much more thoughtful use of the stuff!

 

What did u end up doing? - I’m in the same boat and thinking of pulling it all apart but take to a shop to press the bearing out of the old and into the new one

 

Just upgrade the axles to chromos while your at it. I have 79-84 backing plates and axles in mine.

 

Didn’t think of that - good idea! Makes it more worth doing all this

 

Sorry. Forgot to mention the chromos are for NON ABS housings only.

Trail gear has the axles, bearing kit and bearing pockets.
Or you can get the bearings and pockets (backing plate) thru an auto parts franchise.

Needs to be 79-84 Hilix 4x4.

 

4340 chromoly axles.
130 deg twist rate and like some crazy 8000hp

 

Lol, they are cheap insurance. I've tweaked out both flanges on the stock axles and I don't even know how.

 

? The flange on the axle shaft was tweaked.

 

The part the studs go thru.

 

side note for east coasters...don't put road salt on your margaritas

 

No clue man. Had a string of us on the hiway headed towards a wheeling spot. Someone behind me noticed my driver rear just barely fluttering around 40mph.

Said it looked like an optical illusion.
So I took the rim and tire off, cleaned the hub/flange real good and went wheeling.

Got it home, put the rear on stands and started it up. Both driver and passenger both had flutter.

I initially thought some airhead backed into my tire/rim somehow. The passenger wasn't quite as bad, but flutter nonetheless.

Trail gear had a sale on chromos a couple yrs ago and I got a set shipped for like $225.

Have since bought a spare set.

 

Bearings were fine, no noise.
Tires balanced out great.

 

As for chromos, I think I'd rather snap an axle, rather than a diff, which would be the next weak link I think...

The only axles I hear Toyota dudes breaking with any regularity are the front ones (CVs).

 

8.4 is pretty beefy. Even beefier if your gears are cryo'd.
So the next weak link are u joints. $12-$24.

 

East coast gear does them. Pretty cost effective from what I've heard.

There were some issues with 2nd gen rings cracking early on and some guys chose to have east coast gear Cryo them.

Interesting article on the subject.


http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/transmission-drivetrain/129-0705-cryogenic-gear-treatment/