Mushy Brakes

Changed front brake pads and rear shoes. Brakes still feel mushy! I adjusted the back brakes according to the videos I could find, although I didn't understand very clearly. Drove in reverse braking frequently and still didn't help.
I read that it could be the master cylinder. Also, my brake fluid is BLACK! Should I even bleed the brakes or do you think I need to replace that master cylinder?

 

I'd start with a full bleed and see what happens.

I mean it needs new fluid anyway.....

 

Will do!

 

Adjust the rear brakes until they drag.
Not just a slight noise, but an actually drag. (Obviously not too much)
The parking brake adjusts the shoes, but only as the brakes wear. Don’t rely on it to get the initial adjustment.

If you didn’t adjust the drums until they were actually dragging some, you didn’t get a good adjustment.

Also, the parking brake on mine took a bit before it actually “held” good.
Still haven’t figured out why, but it eventually started hood better.

 

From what I understand, it adjusts automatically with time. (or something)
I bled my brakes multiple times after the first bleeding didn't seem to help and I gotta tell ya, these brakes are better than they have ever been! I really appreciate your help! It was your diagram of front and rear brakes that made it all make sense in my hazy brain. Same with the stinky axle seal. Man, my garage is a mess! Grease and bodies everywhere! But, everything works well now! I changed rear diff juice, now I have to do front and transfer case. Other than that, I think I'm done.... for now. Thanks again!

 

The parking brake adjusts when stoping with them going backwards. I find an office building or commercial parking lot that is empty on the weekend and do the adjustment there. Just back-up at idle speed and depress the parking brake to full stop. Usually by 4-5 times I start to feel the difference and continue for 10 or more times or until it "feels" tighter. You look a little silly but it works and your fronts will feel tighter. I tried to get into the habit of stopping with the parking brake when reversing most of the time but it just doesn't seem right.

 

The drain bolt for the front diff can be a PITA.
Get a GOOD 10mm Allen that fits tight.
I use an impact screw driver with 3/8 adapter.

Put the Allen socket in the plug, smack the socket a few times pretty hard to seat the Allen all the way in. This also help “shock” the plug loose.
Then, take the impact driver and smack the shit out of it.
It will either come loose, or it’ll strip out.

If it strips out, it was going to anyways.

Feel free to soak the drain plug with penetrating oil a day or two before.
It can’t hurt, but I’m my experience it doesn’t help “a lot”.

Impact Screwdriver - You don’t have to get this one. It just an examples of the one I have.

TEKTON 3/8" Drive Impact Screwdriver Set (7-Piece) | 2905

https://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-2905-...ekton+3+8+impact+screw+drive,tools,132&sr=1-4

 

I'm going after it right now!

 

Make sure to break the fill plug loose first.
You can not get fluid back in, with put the fill plug “stuck”.

 

I guess I was lucky. No issues with anything being stuck. First thing that went smooth as silk!

 

I have a “theory” what causes this. If you have the drums cut and installed new shoes. The radius of the new shoes perfectly fits a new drum. When the drum is cut now it’s bigger. So the shoes don’t make full contact against the drum until they wear down a bit.

 

As post #4 said the Tacoma rear adjuster is moved by using the parking brake as it has a lever that attaches to parking brake lever to shoe to adjuster arm.
Backing up will not adjust the shoes. Assumes you correctly installed the rears and made such the pivot points of the levers move (cleaned and greased) as rust freezes them up.

 

I put on brand new drums.
I don’t fool with cutting drums or rotors.
Sure, you can save a bit of money.
But it takes more time to have them cut.

Plus, I’d have to borrow a vehicle just to take them to get turned.
Not really worth it to me, I just spend the extra money and have the stuff on hand for the job.

 

Theory debunked. At least in your situation.