Drum brake time

You had to fidget with the handle cause driver side Ebrake been stuck on for who knows how long.

 

I keep that area (bellcrank) sprayed with fluid film as well as the parts in front of rear diff and Ebrake adjuster under back of cab driver side too.

 

You are welcome. Good work. Here to help if ya need it just ask

 

I think there's something else going on with that bellcrank. There's a braided steel cable connected to it. The other end of that cable is attached to a pivot over near the other drum. There is no slack in that cable. Beating on the bellcrank won't change that:

 

Usually it's that pivot that gets stiff/seized. If it isn't *very* free moving it will always apply more pressure to the driver's side parking brake, thus overcoming the return spring on that side.

When you pull the parking brake handle the force of the cable goes to the passenger side first, and only when the passenger side is mechanically compressed does the 'extra' force then get transmitted to the driver's side, pulling the pivot over towards the passenger side and thus pulling the driver's side brake lever closed. So if the pivot is stiff, the mechanical force of you pulling the parking brake handle will always pull that pivot to the passenger side, when you release it the pivot will stay stuck to the passenger side and 'drag' the driver's side.

I said 'thus' twice in one post. That means I win, right?

 

That's normal as long as the Ebrake cable allows the pivots to return to the adjusting screw stops on both sides. If not check the Ebrake adjuster on driver side frame by the fuel and brake lines

 

^^^This too. The adjuster should allow enough cable slack to allow both levers to sit at rest against the stops. If you manually push the center pivot to the driver's side to allow that lever to come back, and the passenger side gets activated at the same time, main cable is too tight and needs to be adjusted longer.

 

The Ebrake cable will not have slack when the pivots return to stops.If the adjuster is too tight driver side pivot will not return to it's stop. Ebrake adjusting is done left side of frame under rear of cab

 

Both pivots need to operate freely. Gob of grease under rubber pivot boot and work the pivot until free. Hammer it closed lever it open repeatedly will free it up.

 

http://www.lieblweb.com/ebrakeadjustment.html

 

Jaysus Fuck! DO NOT air hose that dust out. IF it really bothers you vacuum it up with a HEPA rated vacuum cleaner (read: not shop-vac), but that shit is VERY bad for your lungs. How bad you might ask? Per EPA guidelines, it's actually illegal to air hose brake dust, and should be 'captured' in an approved container for Hazmat disposal.

 

i was not aware of that!
how does the Toyota shop usually do it behind them closed curtains they have?
they are the only ones that have ever cleaned them for me in 22 years
clean and adjust brakes they call it

 

because i did not do it 'today' .... pic-n-post deleted
i have never dogshit on your truck

 

Well...

There's the right way, and the real way. When you're on the clock for a brake job, and looking to save time in the real world, many "bad" things are done. I don't plan on dying from lung cancer and wear a respirator while I vacuum drum brake dust. No-one else in *any* of the shops I've ever worked at do that. I rolled my box out of a shop because the tech next to me would blow gun the backing plates. If it's not that built up, sleeping dogs. This is not a problem on disc brakes because the dust floats free all over wherever you drive as you use the brakes.

I'm also hyper-vigilant about this as I work on a lot of vintage cars, and many times those drums still have asbestos in the shoes. I'm often putting New Old Stock period correct parts back on too, that come in cool old boxes with stuff like this printed on the side.

 

i once uncovered a brand new unopened box of asbestos floor tiles in a post office crawl space i just left that box and crawled the other way

 

Posts like this make me look for a "don't like" button. That sucks man, I am so sorry. People don't think about the fact that mechanics are exposed to cancer-causing chemicals 40 hours a week and are LITERALLY getting paid crap wages to kill themselves. A little bit every day. And I'm not talking about the 'slowly getting older' part.

 

Heat activated cash register tape is a known carcinogen. No "dont like button" for the millions of cashiers being affected either. Condolences accepted and appreciated.

 

us 'older' people are in the big minority for 1st gens, see the topic of 1st gen age range i did during the spring (if you haven't already)
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/poll-1st-gen-owners-age-range.605202/
with age comes more deserved respect that a 'younger' person cannot comprehend with not having the full life experience yet

apologies for getting way off the topic... it happens

 

“Usually it's that pivot that gets stiff/seized. If it isn't *very* free moving-”
Hit it with a shot of penetrant, even loosen it up a bit to make sure all is functioning and the bell cranks are returning to its resting on the backing plates.
Once that is freely moving, move to the adjustments on the arm underneath drivers side door.
As part of maintenance, I spray some FF on these areas at every oil change for good measure, like was mentioned. Proper parking brake function reflects good maintenance

 

Ok, the job is done. It wasn't too bad. I am left with some envy for rust-free trucks.

One problem, though. I've now got a shudder under moderate braking. Since all I did was shoes and drums I have to believe I've got something wrong in the back brakes. Any ideas?