Drum brake locked

[tercle]

Got the new 85 4wd automatic almost ready.

Something was dragging on test drives.

The right rear brake is locked up. I can't turn it at all by hand.

I tried to back the adjuster off, but I can't find it.
I used a flashlight and a mirror and poked around.

From what I have read, it is possible the drum and shoes are so worn that the star wheel is out of reach.
I can't see it on the left side either, so I guess both drums are worn out of spec.

So, how can I get this locked-up brake apart?

[ARCHINSTL]

If the drum won't pull off by hand - there are two small threaded holes in the "flat" part. Insert two correctly-threaded bolts and alternately screw them in; they will act as extractors, drawing the drums away from the hubs.
I think the bolts should be M8x1.25. See https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... al+#p20952 - and read BOTH of my posts therein.

Do the whole kit, including springs and cylinders - yours probably leak by now, anyway.
Also see https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... +rear+axle+
Tom M.

[xirdneh]

Heating the drum around the center with a torch can help break it free from the axle (if it is stuck)
Using the two screw holes works ok sometimes but sometimes it helps to smack the drum with a brass or copper hammer every time you tighten the screws a few turns. The brake shoes want to come off with the drum and that will knock them free.
also check the E brake cables, one may be seized up

[Petros]

if the car has been sitting a long time with the parking brake on, it is possible the shoes rusted to the drums. No way to solve that except to force the drum off with the two bolts or a drum puller. You could try soaking it in oil, which means the shoes will need to be replaced at least. If that does not work, forcing the drum off will likely warp the drum and damage the internal brake parts, so be prepared to replace the hardware, drum and shoes.

[Ace]

I once had a rear drum brake dragging heavy after driving on an extremely rough road. When I coasted up to a stop sign on pavement I noticed the car wasn't rolling freely. I drove it a short distance to get home and noticed a rear drum was hot. I think I was able to back off the brake adjuster through the slot in the brake backing plate, then used a couple bolts to pull the drum off the wheel hub using the special threaded holes in the drum. I found one of the springs for the self-adjusting slack adjuster had broken, and replaced it. I had replaced the rear brake shoes some time previously and honed the wheel cylinders but otherwise reusing the springs etc.

Anyway that was my experience. Your repair will be more difficult if you can't back off the brake adjuster. It may be difficult to figure out how to turn the adjuster through the slot, but it should be in there. You might want to pull the other rear drum off to see how things fit in there and how to work an adjusting tool through the slot to turn the star wheel for the screw adjustment.

[tercle]

Wow! It came off just using the two bolts.
I thought I would have to somehow back off the shoes first.
It was dark when I pulled it, so I don't know if one of the springs are broken.
That's the first thing I will check Saturday morning.
I will need to pull the driver side drum so that I can compare them, because I don't know what it's supposed to look like.

Is the self adjuster lever a dealer-only item?
None of the parts stores I called carry any self-adjuster hardware for 4wd Tercel wagons (which I find really weird, since most of the Tercels I see on the road are 4wd wagons).

[TURTCEL]

Eventhough most of the Tercs you see are 4wd they were never popular enough in the sales market to make the aftermarket auto parts industry go bonkers with making replacement parts for these and many other cool cars that are still out there.

It is not common for an adjuster of this type to go bad. Definitely make sure you take it all the way apart and put high temp grease on all the contact and thread parts of the adjuster before reassembly. You can download the FSM from the repair guide forum which has a step by step brake repair section with really nice pics. I would replace all the hardware while you are in there. I just did my brakes and I got a complete hardware kit for $8.

Good Luck.

Peace

[Petros]

You can still buy hardware kits for the rear brakes, these brakes were used on the back of the RWD corolla, and possibly other models as well. Usually you can clean the rust off the parts, lube them up and they will work fine. check Rockauto.com and other on-line parts sellers for rear brake hardware kits, these should give you all new parts for the brakes short of shoes, and wheel cylinders. I do not remember that they cost much, if your parts are worn out or badly corroded, the kit is the way to go.

[tercle]

I thought the adjuster hardware usually wasn't included in brake hardware kits.
I have a kit on order, and I will soon find out.
Hoping the 4wd will be my Daily Driver after this weekend.

[ARCHINSTL]

The threaded adjuster is not usually included, as you believe.
One of mine was locked up nearly solid; I just kept working penetrating oil into it and it gradually came free. I meticulously cleaned it and it's worked fine for nearly seven years now. You should have no prob.
Rom M.