When to Service or Replace Drum Brakes

2017 SR5 with 105,000mi. I've changed the front discs and pads but never touched the drum brakes in the rear. What am I supposed to do with them? When do they need to be replaced?

 

I would pull the drums and check them. If nothing else, clean them with brake clean. Or you can change the shoes, get new drums and never have to worry about brakes for a long time.

 

Drums and drum brake pads have wear tolerances just like discs and disc brake pads. I don’t know the specs off-hand, but I think they are on the sheet the dealer gives you when you get your “free” inspection (if you got one). Otherwise the specs should be in the service manual.

Where did you find the specs for your disc brakes? Hopefully you didn’t replace them based on mileage. Brake pads are not like oil. It’s easy to inspect them for wear. Discs and drums are a bit harder to inspect, but they tend to give visceral feedback when they are bad.

Personally, I’ve rarely replaced disc brake pads before the wear limit indicator thingy starts screeching at me and drum brake pads maybe once in my life.

 

265,000 hard miles on a 2018 Sport 4wd on the ranch that has never needed rear brakes. Vehicle does go thru front rotors and pads about every 80k miles.

 

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10207602-0001.pdf
If runout is less than 0.015-inch (0.381 mm): Keep the drum in its new position. Remove the nuts, reassemble the wheel, and return the vehicle to service. NOTE: If runout exceeds 0.015-inch (0.381 mm): Replace the drum. If Damage is Found--Replace the necessary components.Jan 31, 2022

https://www.beefedupbrakes.com/when-will-tacoma-rear-drums-need-new-shoes/

The Most Common Signs That Your Drum Brake Shoes Have Gone Bad
Here are the most common signs that your drum brakes need new shoes:

• Vibration or pulsation in the brake pedal when the brakes are applied
• Reduced brake response
• Loose parking brake (a good way to test this is to park your truck on an incline or hill and then apply the parking brake; if the truck starts to roll down the hill, then there’s not enough pad life left on the shoes)
• Scraping noise coming from the rear tires

Inspecting the Drum Brake Shoes
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of failing drum brake shoes, you can visually inspect the shoes to confirm that they need to be replaced. To do this:

1. Chock the front wheels.
2. Make sure the parking brake is off.
3. Lift the rear of the truck.
4. Remove the tires.
5. Remove the drums.
6. Inspect the shoes
   1. Check the pad thickness (if it’s below 3mm, then the shoes need to be replaced ASAP)
   2. Look for cracks or hot spots

If you have a 2005-2018 Tacoma and you need to replace your drum brake shoes, look no further than our high-quality drum brake shoes!