Drum Brake Leak (I think?) - Need help

This morning I was driving home and about 5 mins away from my house, I got this notification on my dash and the truck started beeping (picture attached), it said "check brake system" and a bunch of other notifications about ABS not working and such.

I got home and took a look and saw a bunch of brake fluid (I think) thats been flung around the wheel well and dripping onto the ground.

Side note... I have had issues with the past 14 months or so with that brake in freezing conditions. It'll lock up if it's sitting in below 32 degree weather over night, and sometimes so badly that i'll have to put it in 4wd to brake it free. I used to think it was the e-brake, but it still happens even when I don't use the e-brake.

Anyway, now I'm here and unsure what to do. I can't find any posts on this issue exactly, but a lot of the posts seem like the conclusion is an axle gasket failure and it's gear oil not brake fluid.

The leak does appear to be coming from the brake line at the top of the drum brake. There is still brake fluid in the reservoir, but its right around the minimum level.

Thoughts?

 

I bet one or both push rods came out of the wheel cylinder….. when your brakes locked up the shoes probably shifted and the rods didn’t have anything to push against

 

The brake cylinder leaked. Unfortunately it happened for a few folks. Gasket won't set alarms.

 

Agree!

Looks like a pretty straight-forward rear brake job. Two wheel cylinders, two sets of shoes, two spring kits, and a couple of cans of brake cleaner and and an hour or two of your afternoon. Remember to do one side at a time so that you have a reference. Easy job!

 

Exactly what is said here. Fairly cheap fix. If you feel REALLY froggy, you can wire wheel and high temp paint your drums while they are off. All in, you are looking at about $80 for everything from rockauto using raybestos parts. Be sure to soak the steel brake line on the axle until the parts come in or it will twist off. Not the end of the world but frustrating when you want to get the job done.

 

I appreciate it. Should I be buying this stuff from toyota?

 

I would probably buy the wheel cylinders from Toyota; you don't want Dorman or some other Chinesium-quality crap. The shoes & springs? Any good name, Raybestos, AC-Delco, will be fine.

 

I wouldn't. I'd would go in this order depending on time and funds available:
1-RockAuto
2-Autozone/Oreillys
3-Rent a Tacoma from Enterprise and swap the brake parts (this is joke to make 4 lower)
4-Buy from dealer

Just so you know, wheel cylinders from Toyota MSRP for $61 each.

 

Haha - good one.

I was thinking of getting some parts from Autzone and just doing it today. I have these three things in my cart. Is this all I need?

https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and...r/p/brakeware-wheel-cylinder-30178/350263_0_0
https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and...ast-brake-drum-all-in-one-kit-17432/73396_0_0
https://www.autozone.com/brakes-and...oes-rear/p/duralast-brake-shoes-871/24955_0_0

 

That's everything you need. Grab a couple cans of house brand or CRC brake cleaner and a "line wrench" if you don't have one. They help in not rounding off the flange nut on the steel brake line.

Oh, and might as well get a couple bottles of brake fluid and a syringe. Suck out all the old fluid in the reservoir and fill it with clean fluid. This will flush most of the system. Bleed the right rear first, then left rear, right front and left front last to mostly flush the fluid since you are due for that.

 

Maybe I’m a hack, but all you should need is a wheel cylinder , brake parts cleaner and brake fluid.

I would cleans the shoes with brake cleaner, and throw them back on.
I wouldn’t even replace the hardware unless yours is rusted?