2000 Tundra Brake Problems

Bought my first vehicle in April. 2000 Tundra SR5. Runs amazing, drives great, but when I bought it the brakes were(and still are) pretty terrible. The brakes start to work just about before your foot hits the floor. ABS does not work, cannot get the brakes to lock even when brake pedal is pressed hard. Noticed it didn’t have any ABS fuses in the fuse box a couple weeks ago so I put the two in but didn’t change anything. Also, parking brake does not work. It won’t push down at all so that adds to all of it haha. Saw a video on YouTube saying it could possibly be the brake proportioning valve, but I have Very minimal knowledge on brakes, especially drums. Anyone else have/had this problem?

 

Welcome.

The tundra rear brakes are a somewhat complicated, often misunderstood system that many people have problems with. I've been through a lot of this myself and eventually got it figured out (for me, your milage may very)

The first thing you have to understand is that there are two brake circuits on your truck, arranged so that the front LEFT and rear RIGHT brake are paired, and vis versa, so an issue with the rear brakes, also effects the front brakes.

The second thing to understand is that the rear brakes only work properly if adjusted so that the brake shoes are a tiny fraction of an inch away the drums. The brakes have an automatic adjuster which normally maintains this clearance as the brakes wear down....

BUT

....that automatic adjustment is only works if your PARKING BRAKE is adjusted properly, which it usually isn't on older trucks. This is simply because the system has a little ratchet gear that will tighten the rear brakes as needed every time you apply the parking brake, but it only works if there is no slack in the parking brake system.

So I am not at all surprised that if your parking brake is not working, that your entire brake system is compromised. If your rear shoes are too far away from the drums as you step on the pedal you end up wasting your piston travel closing this distance instead of applying pressure to the drums and discs. This is a problem because even though its hydraulic, your brake system is essentially a lever, where you move one end with a little resistance, the pedal, a long distance, and the other end, your brake pistons, moves a very very small distance, but at great force.

There are two places for you start actually fixing these things:

Get your parking brake system working. Start tracing the cables and levers from the foot pedal backwards and replace or repair as needed.

Bleed your brake system at each wheel and at the proportioning valve.

You CAN manually adjust your rear brakes by trial and error, there is an little access port covered by a rubber plug in your brake backing plates where you can use a screw driver to turn the adjustment star, but this is tedious and the wrong way to do it as you will still have no parking brake and you will have to keep making the adjustment as the shoes wear down.

And finally, don't get depressed as even though it can be a PITA to get everything working, its not really that hard or expensive to do so, you just have to be methodical about it.

 

The parking brake operation is what keeps the rear drum brakes in proper adjustment so it is critical that it is in proper working order and adjustment. It is also critical to have the rear brake shoes adjusted properly for your brakes to work and have a good pedal feel. Since you are not well versed on brakes I would suggest you take your truck to a shop or have a knowledgeable friend help you.

 

I haven't adjusted mine yet, but I thought the correct process was to get it close by adjusting the star wheel with the drum off, then make fine adjustments through the access port with the drum installed. No?

 

Take it to the stealership and put in all new parts. Might cost you a few grand for everything, but your brakes will work nicely when finished.

Otherwise, start chasing gremlins all over the place.

 

Thats how I do mine, by adjusting the star through the access port (peep hole). My parking brake works ok even with all the adjustments I’ve tried per the Toy specs.

The reason I do my star adjustment is because my OEM drums have a groove worn in them from being almost 20 years old. When the drum is reinstalled over the shoes the parking brake can not seem to close the shoe/drum gap as it should. The peep hole lets me do this task a click or two at a time. It gets the shoes as close to the drum without rubbing. Makes my parking brake work a bit better, too.

It works for me. I realize this isn’t the ‘correct’ way to adjust, but its what works in my case probs due to needing new drums due to the shoe slot groove run out from 20 years of braking.

My brakes work well by the way. They stop quickly even with WE ‘weak’ calipers up front. The pedal is slightly soft (compared to other vehicles) but the truck stops with depression. When its turn on the priority list comes up, I’ll re-do the rear with new Toy cylinders and all new components with new drums.

Technically, we should change cylinders when we can our brake shoes but its not done due to cost. The old cylinders still work. My point is these are old trucks and everything should be replaced in stages.

 

I think the over looked issue is he said the parking brake doesn't move at all. Sounds like your cable assy is frozen/rusted out. Can you get under there and snap some pics?

 

I will try and take some pics today/sometime this week

 

The star is technically just for backing the shoes off so you can remove a drum with a groove worn it it. All the tightening adjustments are supposed to be made automatically with the parking brake, but this only works properly if there is no slack in your parking brake system.

 

A lot of people, for whatever reason, don't use the parking brake. Using the parking brake, keeps it working properly & helps keep it adjusted. If the previous owner didn't use it, there are parts that can seize up and as stated above, keep your front brakes from working correctly.

 

These are the two places where your problem with the parking brake most likely lies. The Bellcranks, the small springloaded levers on the back of each rear brake housing, and or the lever mounted on the rear axle that splits the cable between both sides. Either or both of these levers can rust and seize up.

 

Isn't there a turnbuckle or something under the drivers side? Some kind of adjustment?

 

Yes, there is. Although probably not the OP's problem if he can't move the parking brake pedal at all like he says, but using the turnbuckle to remove all the slack from the cable is part of getting the parking brake working properly as the total movement of the cable is actually very small and you need to use all of it to build pressure rather than just use up the slack before actually starting to brake.

 

Haven’t gotten around to getting any pictures yet, but it does seem quite rusty by the brakes/etc. I live in MN and I didn’t think about seeing if there was a recall on this, but it says that Toyota has a recall for frame rust causing problems with things in the brakes failing such as the proportioning valve. Gonna call and see if I can take it in and have them fix it

 

2004 tundra sr5 v8 having same issue with my Parking brake .. my parking brake over the last 2 years has got to the point the it no longer holds and trying to get it fixed to pass vehicle inspection in Jan 2020 i live in Galveston Co tx been working on it for over 3 weeks front parking brake cable replaced the rear cable has been replaced drums & brake shoes new going to replace the 2 bushings on the rear parking brake actuator where the cable splits and goes to the Rt & Lt only thing i haven't replaces is both bell cranks got the truck in 2015 ... dont know what else to do ?

 

Well, this is what you have to do.

You have to take all the slack out of your parking brake first, this is just an adjustment of the turn buckle on the parking brake cable. Tighten it until there is light tension on the cable but not so tight that its actually moving the shoes.

Make sure the bell cranks are not stuck and that rear splitter lever moves freely.

If those all work then fully engage the parking brake or pull the cable manually (HARD) until the adjusters inside the brake drums stop clicking. That is all there is to it. Without those adjusters properly tightened the parking brake will not work at all and you will have poor overall braking.

If you need I can screenshot the relevant factory service manual pages but that is really all there is to it. Slack out of the cable, make sure everything moves, use the brake to set the auto adjusters. I went through all this myself, I had the same problems as everybody else, its just a matter of fixing anything that is stuck and making the adjustments. For me I didn't replace the bell cranks, I just took them off, scraped the rust off them, greased and put them back in. (only one side was actually stuck.)

As mentioned you CAN manually adjust the brakes through the access ports on the back of the backing plate but if your parking brake system is properly adjusted, you don't need to. It will do it for you.

 

ok i have another question everything i have replaced was put on when built 2004 .but how do i know if my bell cranks should be replace was thinking of doing that they seam very hard to move by hand .i can buy a new set both sides for 45$

 

I would add that you also need to first remove the slack from the short cable inside of the rear brakes. This is done by adjusting the bolt on the bell crank. With the drums removed, you can easily adjust the bell crank bolt to remove any slack from this short cable. Then move to the turnbuckle along the driver's side frame to remove slack from parking brake cable.

 

They should be pretty easy to move. FWIW I used this kit on mine and then packed the rubber boots with brake grease. Going on 3 winters and they still move well.

$40 Dorman 924-752 Parking Brake Bell Crank Compatible with Select Toyota Models

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-924-752-Parking-Brake-Crank/dp/B00C0UAABW

 

The bellcranks are basically just a pivot point. Unless they are rusted solid or damaged someway they generally don't need replacing. Make sure your star wheel assembly is cleaned, lubed and turns freely. That the rest of the self adjuster parts are not bent and move freely. The pads where the shoes ride on the backing plate are clean and lubed and if it hasn't been done recently replace the springs.

 

I left the rubber boots off of my replacement bell cranks.

They seem to trap moisture and contribute to corrosion rather than preventing it.

My originals were solid rust inside of the rubber boots.

A liberal coat of grease on everything has worked well since.

 

This was a fantastic read, and i just happened to stumble across this thread. I learned a lot, and will probably order the Dorman kit. My passenger bell crank is seized outward, and I have been struggling with it in my mind as to what to do.

Definitely helped encourage tackling this while I'm tackling my upcoming suspension work.

 

I would add that the turnbuckle adjuster under the driver's door is for removing slack caused by cable stretch over time. It's not meant to be used for adjusting the parking brake at all. If your parking brake isn't working, take off the wheels and drums and inspect, adjust, repair or replace the parts at fault. Then work your way back towards the cab. If you have zero movement in your parking brake, then a cable replacement may be in order. I have done the brake work on my truck and have several repeating problems.
The front calipers (I have upgraded to the 03 larger calipers) have 4 pistons and one of the lower pistons seems to get stuck in place due to corrosion. I have replaced it twice under warranty.
The rear drums do not like to adjust themselves. I have rebuilt them and have a perfectly functioning parking brake. The star wheel adjuster inside apparently has been upgraded due to poor functionality from a 27 tooth to a 30 tooth I believe. Need to put the new star wheel in.
The load proportioning valve can get out of proper alignment with lift and leveling kits and can be adjusted.
Also, don't underestimate the power of a good brake system fluid flush. These truck are really old now and brake fluid is very hydroscopic, meaning it loves to absorb moisture. Bleed the entire system with fresh fluid including the load proportioning valve. Does wonders for pedal feel and overall system life.
Brakes are a very important safety feature on your vehicle, don't scrimp on them! Take them to a reputable shop if your not savvy with them and get them overhauled.