ayoung101

i've had problems with squishy brakes for about 3-4 years now. i've bled and bled and bled the brakes to no avail. about a year or 2 ago i noticed for the first time that i was losing fluid (due to the low brake fluid light coming on), but could never locate the leak. at that point, i had to add fluid about once every 3 months. i knew the leak was in my rear brakes due to how my truck responded when i hit the brakes. since then, it has gotten worse and worse and worse, and just this weekend it moved from like adding fluid every 2 weeks to every other day. and for the first time, i was able to find the leak, cuz there was a freakin puddle at my right rear wheel. sure enough, i rolled underneath the truck and the entire inside of the drum and wheel/tire is soaked. it has never leaked bad enough to show visible fluid before. so here is my dilemma. this is my daily driver and my only vehicle i can drive in the winter (motorcycles don't work well in snow). i've done tons of brake jobs on disc brakes, but NEVER on drum brakes. i don't even know where to start, other than taking the wheel off. i need help, and i need it fast. oh, and of course i don't have a garage to work in, and it just snowed 6 inches last night and the forecast is for at least 6 more inches today.

1. does anyone have a diagram of the entire brake system on the 1st gen 4runners?
2. anyone have a detailed drawing of the drum brake system for this truck?
3. if i dig into it and find a crack, can i JB weld it (temporarily) until i find new parts to replace the existing with? does JB weld mix with brake fluid?
4. i don't know if this is a good idea, but since i have disc in front, and drums with a leak in the back, and i'm probably running like 95%/5% brake power front/rear anyways, can i unscrew the rear brake line at the master cylinder (or elsewhere) and cap it off ahead of the leak and just use my fronts temporarily, so that i'll stop losing fluid?

i need a VERY quick temporary solution, and once i find the issue, i can come back and give you more details so i can look into a permanent decision. i really, REALLY, don't want to bring this to a shop.

Dublin

I wouldn't recommend capping it off except perhaps as a last resort to get it home carefully. Especially in snowy conditions you'll lockup one rear wheel and if you cap off both even though the front does most of the braking you'll notice a greatly reduced stopping time. You should be able to pickup a brake line or rear brake cylinder at your local part store and either should be a simple process to replace. Mind you you may need to soak in PB or heat the connections up "carefully".

Onebadmudder

Probably a wheel cylinder. The necessary brake tools make the job alot easier.Local auto store has parts for fairly reasonable price. Would NOT recommend capping off brake line.

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

If you need a quick solution...take your brakes to be fixed by a professional. Driving around knowingly altering the brakes by capping the rear brakes could get your in a legal hole should you cause an accident or be involved in one.

Targetnut

There are two things a vehicle has to do ,steer you to where you want to go, and stop when you get there.

I'm all for DIY repairs but without some understanding of brake function you have no business messing with them.

It would be one thing if yours was the only hide being risked. But when you are traveling on a public highway there are other lives at stake.

How will you feel if you flatten someones kids if the brakes fail after you hack them?

nate V

replace the wheel brake cylinder. its not to difficult to do after you get the brakes apart there are two 10 mm bolts holding it in, it doesn't even matter if you snap them off if they are rusty because there should be two new bolts included when you get a new cylinder. Haynes or Chilton's manuals help a lot too.

but like stated above if you are not confident in doing the job yourself don't bother and take it somewhere to get done professionally. Could be a safer option.

ayoung101

i'm quite confident in myself, this is just a new job for me. i'm an chassis automotive engineer for the dodge viper, i'm quite certain i've got the skills to do it, i'm just not familiar with drum brakes cuz all i've ever dealt with are disc brakes.

4runnerchevy

Do not cap the rear line. There is a reason they proportion the fluid front to rear ! Get the cylinder, get a chilton or haynes, a good jack and stands. Its not a hard job. Or get a pro!