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Interesting on the difference in the wear/appearance with less miles. I too just did the upper and lower BJs on my 95 Tacoma @ 192K....preventative maintenance I figure at that mileage. The LBJs I pulled out looked to be worn about like your '96s. No LBJ failures for us.
Fer giggles I took the boots off. On the truck the left was obviously troubled, with grease getting past the shaft to the castle nut and the ball joint was wiggling back and forth on the control arm as if the nut weren't tight. It did still have the cotter pin in it. The ball on the left is a little scored and the grease contaminated, the right smooth and shiny.
left, right
left, right
right
left
Just me being curious.
May have to replace the parking brake cable itself, it doesn't like to release when it gets cold and wet. A quick inspection showed only these cables to be compromised. If this doesn't do the trick I guess I'll have to replace the cable outside the drum. Seems like these little guys wouldn't make much difference with the torn up sheathing other than maybe getting hung up on the guide?
Very easy to do, hardest part is getting the drum off.
For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure....I keep 2 bolts set aside just for that purpose, when the drum doesn't want to pop off I just grab those and evenly screw them into the provided holes on the drum. Tada! Wish I could remember what thread and pitch they are. Y'all will have to go into your own box o' bolts. Everyone has one of these, right?
May have to replace the parking brake cable itself, it doesn't like to release when it gets cold.
Y'all will have to go into your own box o' bolts. Everyone has one of these, right?
Certainly do! I have a plastic container with a pair of the brake drum, crank pulley, and crank timing gear bolts used specifically for pulling those things off. Other containers with the hodge podge of bolts and screws separated metric and standard.
Originally Posted by habanero
May have to replace the parking brake cable itself, it doesn't like to release when it gets cold.
Is the parking brake cable adjuster/springs under the frame moving freely? Could the issue be with the cable under the dash like grease that binds up when cold?
Ok, now you have my curiosity up on the LBJs I pulled....going to rip those boots off and take a look later today.
Is the parking brake cable adjuster/springs under the frame moving freely? Could the issue be with the cable under the dash like grease that binds up when cold?
Ok, now you have my curiosity up on the LBJs I pulled....going to rip those boots off and take a look later today.
It happens when wet and cold enough to freeze....water getting in somewhere maybe. I need to get under there and do some harder investigating when it happens. Ugh, cold wet ground or donate hair to the creeper?
LBJ pictures if you have the time/inclination. The ones that came off the 96 looked like the right side off the 99 which makes one think wasted money but considering the consequences of failure....
BTW, what sparked your interest in doing your own work? Grow up in a family of mechanics? Just curious.
I don't know. Prolly same as anyone who does their own work and likes it. My dad is a mechanic but neither of my sisters like doing the things I do. I guess (hope) I just happen to be more like him, he's someone I really look up to. All I know is that no toy was safe if I had tools about. I do all the maintenance in and on my homes past and present as well as my truck. Don't always know what I'm doing and I most certainly don't always do it right the first time(s) but I kinda like it that way. I'd rather tackle something, not like how it went, mull it over and come up with a possibly even better idea. I like to make things better, fix them.
Everything 'cept my husband, of course.
I find when it gets cold/wet what is binding is the levers on the back of the drum assemblies where they slide back and forth in that 'fork' guideway.
What you do is crawl under and with the brake in the cab off pull on the cable/lever and exercise it back and forth and also grease the lever arm/guideway. In winter maybe once every other week exercise it and lube as needed... rest of year do as needed.
I have'nt had to do mine for a year or more [since the rear cable is broken] I really must fix that soon...
Thanks for reminding me about those lever thingies. When I pulled the right axle to replace a leaking seal those were dry little bones full of St. Joe dust. So, check cable, clean and grease lever thingies.
I don't know. Prolly same as anyone who does their own work and likes it. My dad is a mechanic but neither of my sisters like doing the things I do. I guess (hope) I just happen to be more like him, he's someone I really look up to. All I know is that no toy was safe if I had tools about. I do all the maintenance in and on my homes past and present as well as my truck. Don't always know what I'm doing and I most certainly don't always do it right the first time(s) but I kinda like it that way. I'd rather tackle something, not like how it went, mull it over and come up with a possibly even better idea. I like to make things better, fix them.
Everything 'cept my husband, of course.
You remind me of my niece with toys especially if they run on batteries, she has a way to improve them. My dad was a high pressure steam engineer, so I was in boiler rooms from the earliest time I can remember. He was not into car repair so that became a hobby in my teens/college days to save a few $$. I'm still learning several decades later.....
Your son looks like he will keep your repairing tradition going into the next generation.
BTW, both the LBJs from my rig were bright and shiny with no scoring....probably could have gone longer, but I was not willing to take the risk. One side did have a bit of dirt in the boot, but I could not find a crack.
that reminds me hab crawling under and greasing the levers is a perfect job for the stoker... as long as the truck is in park or chocked and has'nt been run yet that day there is nothing under there to hurt him [aside from a bump on the noodle... maybe lol] and it [fresh grease] is a safe fun way to get messy and learn about mechanical stuff...
start him now and who knows by next spring he'll be keeping all the family bike chains all nice and pristine...
I agree! He helped take the wheels off and put the cable actuators on. He got to see and mess with the pawl and the adjuster, then how to get to the adjuster from the back. Anything that doesn't put him in too much danger and lets him put a little 2 and 2 together.
We both have strep throat now but for once it was me that gave it to him!
Bwahahaha!!!
We're planning on going and maybe hiking and camping at Berryman the day before. That's the part that'll depend on how the kid and I feel. That reminds me, I need to pick up a new mic for the husbandio's cb.
Mmmm, Earl Grey with honey...thank you everyone for the well wishes!
I feels better now and so does my kid. Prolly would've never caught what it was if his fever hadn't spiked to 104.5 and earned himself a trip to the doctor. So that's what strep throat is? Pretty sure I don't want it again!!!
Dec 2, 2011 | 06:23 PM
Drive lots better?
