Camry Forums - Toyota Camry Forum

Toyota Camry 1997-2001: How to Clean/Adjust Rear Brakes

If you live in a hilly environment and if upon exiting your car you're not sure whether that parking brake will keep your Camry from rolling down the street, it's time to adjust the brake shoes on your rear brakes.

By Thomas Parry - September 14, 2015

This article applies to the Toyota Camry (1997-2001).

It's quite important to use your parking brake when parking on a steep hill, but many of us don't, especially those of us with automatic transmissions. Using a parking brake on occasion will help it adjust, but regardless of how often you use it, if it gets out of whack, it needs to be adjusted.

If the parking brake requires more than seven clicks to lock the wheel, it is deemed unsafe by the DMV. Though you can adjust your brakes without removing the drum, it is recommended you go the longer route because this will allow you to clean out the mechanism and improve your braking ability. Because of the greater surface area of the drums, compared to the front discs, the rear brake shoes rarely require replacement. However, since the front brakes take the lion's share braking, having a set of ineffective rear brakes will only wear the fronts out faster.

Materials Needed

  • 12mm socket wrench
  • Aerosol brake cleaner solvent
  • Wire brush
  • Flat head screwdriver
  • High-temperature grease
  • Jack and jack stands
  • Fine sandpaper (optional)

We are starting this tutorial with the wheel removed and the car on jack stands. If you require a tutorial for safe jack and stand usage, please see the link below.

(Related Article: How to Jack Up Your Car - CamryForums.com)

Step 1 – Remove the drum

First the brake drum must be removed. With the wheel off and the car jacked up, the brake drum comes off easily with the removal of two 12mm bolts. The brake drum requires a bit of effort to remove. If it's proving very difficult to remove, see if your friend can assist you. Oh, don't forget to take the emergency brake off.

Figure 1. Remove the two bolts and pull.

Step 2 – Clean and remove debris within the drum

Over time, dust and rust can accumulate within the brake drum. This is normal, but can interfere with optimal braking performance. Use a can of brake cleaner and spray down the inside of the drum once removed. Following this, clean the entire surface and remove any dust or debris. Finally, take a wire brush and clean the area around the center hole and the stud holes. Assuming there's no brake fluid leaking, you're ready to move on to adjusting the brakes.

Figure 2. Clean and wire brush until the inner surface is without debris or rust.

Step 3 – Inspect the shoes and adjust them

Taking the left and right shoes in your hands, apply some force to determine whether they will move freely on the backing plate. If they do not, apply some grease to the backing plate. Following this, the brake shoes ought to be investigated. If they're glazed, buff them lightly with a bit of fine sandpaper.

Inspect the brake adjustment wheel and, using a screwdriver, turn the wheel five clicks. Spin the wheel counterclockwise to do this. Mount the drum and spin it along the hub, inspecting it for light friction. Some friction is normal, and the shoes will re-center themselves after some normal driving. Make sure that the wheel doesn't spin too freely; if it seems to, remove the drum and tighten the wheel another five clicks. When spinning the drum, listen to see if one shoe is dragging more than the other. If it is, hit the drum with a mallet several times. This should help center the shoes.

Figure 3. Adjusting the drum.

Step 4 – Add grease

Add grease where the brake drum meets the wheel hub. This will prevent rust from forming and allow the drum to be removed more easily next time. All that remains is some basic reassembly.

  • Reassemble the drum and hub.
  • Mount the wheel and tighten lug nuts to 85 ft./lbs
  • Lower the car down.

Related Discussions