Ok, 86 4runner, 4x4, auto.

Incredibly loud screeching when brakes were hit.... like so loud that everyone within a thousand feet stared at me anytime i even tapped the brakes, then a scraping noise for 50 to 100 feet after hitting the brakes.

Front brake pads had 90-95% life left, and rotors looked perfect.

Ebrake pulled all the way out - really no resistance

lever on back right (passenger) drum would pull out all the way, no clicking noise.

lever on back left (driver) wouldn't budge.

brakes seemed to stop somewhat tolerably, and under the 2 panik stops I have tried, stopped within a reasonable distance.



When I finnaly got the truck up in the air and pulled apart the rear drums, i found drivers side was clean... dusty and rusty, but clean. passenger side had a half inch of crud.


While putting new shoes in the passenger side (after 4 cans of brake cleaner to clean the crud out) I found that the wheel cylinder (piston device at top of drum) was pissing brake fluid all over, which mixed with the brake dust, and created the nasty crud/sludge.

Put new wheel cylinder in (VERY simple, easy, and cheap - 30 bucks at nappa, and if kragen has it in stock... its 16 bucks). 2 bolts, and a pipe fitting (for the brake line). put the brakes back together.


Used a '1 man brake bleeder', didnt seem to work, used the old fashioned method of 1 person push the brake, other open/close the valve. Didnt seem to work. brakes were still horribly bad.

Tried pulling the ebrake for an hour, same issue... tried reverse/brake/repeat for 10 minutes... nothing. Apparently the self adjusters werent self adjusting.

At this point I had assumed that an insane amount of air got into the system, was gonna bring it to pep boys for the blake fluid flush (60 bucks), but the wife refused, since its 22 miles away, on a highway.

Finnally crawled underneath the truck, and manuelly adjust the brakes with a short stubby screw driver. Theres a little oval hole on the back of the rear drums, inside is a little toothed gear, use the screw driver to roll it up.

reapeated on the other side, tried it out.. pedal fealt perfect, took it for a spin, perfect!

E brake now pulls out about 5/6 inches only, and has a LOT of resistance on it.


So before you just assume theres air in the lines, and that you didn't bleed it properly.... manuelly adjust the rear brakes, itll save yourself some time.... and save yourself the trouble of writting an email to abe begging for advice.

 

which way did you turn the adjuster?? my trail rig i just put the drums from my old dd on and they sound like they are dragging!

 

Adjuster up, so put the screwdriver is angled down, and spin it up untill you start to feel resistance when you spin it.


Side note: just went to the DMV int he truck, they are PERFECT!.. and my truck is now fully done paperwork wise.... now to sit back and wait for the title in the mail...

 

Any idea why it didnt adjust automatically?

Would think that would mean they wont adjust as the brake pads wear down....

 

Not sure if it wasnt adjusting, or wasnt adjusting as fast as I would expect... but either way, I pulled that ebrake many many many times with no effect. Did it manuelly, and it worked like a charm.

When I had it apart, eeverything seemed to be in working order.