🔧 Tacoma - Rear Brake Shoes and Drums Replacement

Your Tacoma uses rear drum brakes, not rear brake rotors. This repair replaces the brake shoes inside each drum and the drums themselves, then adjusts the shoes so the parking brake and service brakes work correctly.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-5 hours

Assumption: This procedure applies to the stock U.S.-market rear drum-brake system.

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and a NIOSH-approved P100 respirator. Never blow brake dust away with compressed air.
• ⚠️ Support your Tacoma on properly rated jack stands. Never work under a vehicle supported only by a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Release the parking brake before removing the drums. Chock both front wheels securely.
• ⚠️ Work on only one side at a time. The assembled side provides a reference for spring and shoe placement.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal while either drum is removed. This can push the wheel-cylinder pistons out and release brake fluid.
• ⚠️ Keep grease, oil, and brake fluid away from the shoe linings and drum friction surfaces.
• Battery disconnection is not required.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Hydraulic floor jack rated 2-ton minimum
• Jack stands rated 2-ton minimum
• Wheel chocks
• 21mm deep socket
• 12mm socket
• 3/8-inch-drive ratchet
• 1/2-inch-drive breaker bar
• 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench rated to 150 ft-lbs
• M8 x 1.25 extraction bolts, 40mm minimum length
• Brake spring pliers (specialty)
• Brake shoe hold-down spring tool (specialty)
• Brake adjusting spoon (specialty)
• Needle-nose locking pliers
• Small flat-blade screwdriver
• Digital caliper with 300mm capacity
• Small nylon cleaning brush
• Drain pan
• Mechanic gloves
• Safety glasses
• NIOSH-approved P100 respirator

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Rear brake shoe set - Qty: 1 set, replace both sides
• Rear brake drums - Qty: 2, replace in pairs
• Rear drum-brake hardware kit - Qty: 1 set
• High-temperature ceramic brake lubricant - Qty: 1
• Non-chlorinated brake cleaner - Qty: 2 cans

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Tacoma on firm, level ground. Put the transmission in Park, switch off the engine, and release the parking brake.
• Chock the front wheels on both sides so the truck cannot roll.
• Lay out the new shoes and hardware by side. Compare every new component with the original before installation.
• Take clear photographs of the springs, adjuster, parking-brake lever, and shoe positions before disassembly.
• Do one rear wheel at a time. Spring positions are easy to confuse on a first drum-brake job.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Loosen the rear wheel nuts

• Use a 21mm deep socket and 1/2-inch-drive breaker bar to loosen each rear wheel nut about one-half turn.
• Do not remove the nuts while your Tacoma is still on the ground.

Step 2: Raise and support the rear axle

• Use the hydraulic floor jack under the center of the rear axle housing. Do not place the jack beneath the differential cover.
• Raise the rear wheels and position the jack stands beneath the axle tubes, clear of brake lines and brackets.
• Lower the axle onto the stands. Gently push the truck to verify that it is stable.

Step 3: Remove one rear wheel

• Use the 21mm deep socket and 3/8-inch-drive ratchet to remove the wheel nuts.
• Remove the wheel and place it flat away from the work area.

Step 4: Back off the brake adjustment if necessary

• Confirm that the parking brake is fully released.
• If the drum will not slide off, remove the rubber access plug from the rear of the backing plate with a small flat-blade screwdriver.
• The star-wheel adjuster is a small toothed wheel that controls the distance between the shoes. Use the brake adjusting spoon and small flat-blade screwdriver to lift the locking lever and retract the adjuster.
• If resistance increases, move the star wheel in the opposite direction. The drum should begin turning more freely.

Step 5: Remove the brake drum

• Pull the drum straight off the wheel studs by hand.
• If rust holds it in place, thread two M8 x 1.25 extraction bolts evenly into the drum’s threaded removal holes.
• Use a 12mm socket and 3/8-inch-drive ratchet to turn each extraction bolt a few turns at a time. Alternate between bolts until the drum releases.
• Do not pry against the backing plate or strike the wheel studs.

Step 6: Inspect the brake assembly

• Use the small nylon cleaning brush, drain pan, and non-chlorinated brake cleaner to wet and remove brake dust.
• Inspect the wheel cylinder at the top of the assembly. Peel back each rubber boot slightly with a small flat-blade screwdriver. Replace the wheel cylinder and bleed the brakes if liquid brake fluid is present.
• Check the axle seal area for gear oil. An oily backing plate or shoes must be repaired before installing new brakes.
• Use the digital caliper to measure the old drum’s inside diameter. Never reuse a drum beyond the maximum diameter cast or stamped into it.
• Take a photograph before removing any springs. One assembled side is your best diagram.

Step 7: Remove the return springs

• Use the brake spring pliers to disconnect the upper and lower return springs carefully.
• Springs are under tension. Keep your face and hands out of their release path.
• Note each spring’s color, length, and mounting hole before removing it.

Step 8: Remove the hold-down hardware

• Use the brake shoe hold-down spring tool to press and rotate each retaining cup approximately one-quarter turn.
• Remove the cups, springs, and retaining pins while supporting each pin from behind the backing plate.
• Pull the bottoms of the shoes outward enough to remove the star-wheel adjuster and lower spring.

Step 9: Disconnect the parking-brake cable

• Pull the rear shoe away from the backing plate carefully.
• Use the needle-nose locking pliers to compress the parking-brake cable spring, then unhook the cable end from the parking-brake lever.
• Transfer the parking-brake lever and its retaining clip to the matching new shoe when required by the replacement shoe set. Use the needle-nose locking pliers to secure the clip.
• Keep left-side and right-side adjuster components separated because they are side-specific.

Step 10: Clean and lubricate the backing plate

• Use the small nylon cleaning brush, drain pan, and non-chlorinated brake cleaner to clean the backing plate and reusable adjuster components.
• Locate the raised pads where the shoe edges touch the backing plate.
• Using a gloved fingertip, apply a very thin film of high-temperature ceramic brake lubricant to those contact pads and the adjuster threads.
• Do not place lubricant on the shoe linings, wheel-cylinder boots, or drum friction surface.

Step 11: Install the new shoes

• Connect the parking-brake cable to the rear shoe using the needle-nose locking pliers.
• Position both shoes against the backing plate and seat their upper ends against the wheel-cylinder piston slots.
• Install the new retaining pins, springs, and cups with the brake shoe hold-down spring tool.
• Install the cleaned and lightly lubricated star-wheel adjuster in the same orientation as the original.
• Make sure the automatic-adjuster lever rests correctly against the star wheel.

Step 12: Install the new springs

• Use the brake spring pliers to install the lower and upper springs in their original holes.
• Compare the finished assembly with your photograph and with the untouched opposite side.
• Verify that every spring is fully seated and that both shoes rest on all backing-plate pads.

Step 13: Prepare and fit the new drum

• Place the drum over the drain pan. Use non-chlorinated brake cleaner and the small nylon cleaning brush to remove the protective coating from its inner braking surface.
• Turn the star wheel a few clicks at a time with the brake adjusting spoon until the drum slides over the shoes with slight resistance.
• Rotate the installed drum by hand. A light, even scraping sound is correct; binding or heavy drag means the shoes are adjusted too tightly or installed incorrectly.

Step 14: Repeat on the opposite side

• Repeat Steps 3-13 using the same listed tools.
• Use the completed first side only as a general reference. Confirm that each side’s adjuster remains in its original orientation.

Step 15: Install the wheels

• Install both wheels and thread every wheel nut by hand to prevent crossed threads.
• Use the 21mm deep socket and 3/8-inch-drive ratchet to snug the nuts in a crisscross pattern.
• Use the hydraulic floor jack to raise the rear axle, remove the jack stands, and lower your Tacoma until the tires touch the ground.
• Use the 21mm deep socket and 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench to tighten the wheel nuts in a crisscross pattern: Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

Step 16: Seat and adjust the brakes

• With the transmission in Park and the engine off, press the brake pedal slowly several times until it feels firm.
• Apply and release the parking brake repeatedly to help operate the automatic adjusters.
• If the pedal remains low or the parking-brake travel is excessive, use the brake adjusting spoon through each backing-plate access opening to expand the shoes evenly.
• Reinstall both rubber access plugs by hand after adjustment.

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✅ After Repair

• ✅ Check the brake-fluid level and inspect both rear brakes for fluid or axle-oil leaks.
• Start the engine and verify that the brake pedal remains firm. Do not drive if it sinks or feels unusually soft.
• Test the parking brake on level ground before relying on it on a slope.
• Drive slowly in a safe area. Confirm that your Tacoma stops straight and that no rear wheel locks or drags.
• For the first 200 miles, avoid hard stops unless needed for safety. This allows the new shoes to conform to the drums.
• After the road test, carefully check near each drum for unusual heat. One much hotter drum indicates excessive adjustment or incorrect assembly.
• Recheck the wheel-nut torque after approximately 50 miles: Torque to 113 Nm (83 ft-lbs).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹35,000-₹65,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹14,000-₹30,000 (parts only)

You Save: ₹21,000-₹35,000 by doing it yourself!

Local labor rates and imported-part prices vary. This repair takes a shop approximately 2.5-4 hours.

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