Parking Brake cables

Hi All,

Anyone attempt to replace their parking brake cables on their 2nd Gen Tundra? How difficult was it if so? I got a quote from the dealer and they wanted around $800 bucks to replace the entire cable set and assembly. From what I can see the rear wheel cables don't look too bad to replace. They said the whole thing is rusted out/stuck hence why it's not working. I initially had another shop look at them and they said they adjusted the rear shoes.

Thanks in advance.

 

Definitely not an $800 job.
I think the worst part would be finding the right cables.

 

This doesn't go thru how to install the parking brake cable, but it does tell you all about adjusting it correctly. May want to give it a watch and actually verify yours needs to be replaced. Most people adjust it under the drivers door which doesn't properly adjust the brakes. Even with that adjuster maxed out the parking brake absolutely sucks from the factory. After watching this video and adjusting mine correctly, it will hold my truck even in gear when engaged. Before mine would roll in neutral even with the brake fully engaged.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p19-geSIkq4

 

The e-brake cable can be a real pain to set correctly. Tried to do it on my '07 and gave up when I couldn't get the parking brake to full disengage. Good luck.

 

I haven't done the parking brake on my second gen but I have dealt with it on my first get and other Toyota trucks. Looking at diagrams it's a very similar set up. If you're having issues it's usually the arms (I think Toyota calls it a bellcrank) the cable attaches to. The older trucks the bracket is steel but the housing it pivoted in was aluminum. They may have changed it since then but it's the weak link. There's a pin that it pivots on that can rust and seize up. If you're handy I would remove the end of the cable fron the arm and see if it moves freely. The arm should have a bolt on it that acts as a stop and a spring to make it return. The cable should have a rubber boot on it so nothing can get into it.

 

Any chance the 2014+ is similar enough for me to follow this?

 

Yes its the exact same. I have a 3rd gen and used this to correct my brake.

 

This is exactly the video i watched when i had to adjust my parking brake in order to pass inspection, worked great, and has been working fine ever since i adjusted it 2.5 years ago

i wish people would stop referring to the '14+ year models as "3rd gen". there's no such thing until the actual 3rd gen comes in in 2022. i do know what you mean by this, but it's not a 3rd gen...it's a "2nd gen refresh", or just " '14+".

this would be like saying that the 1998 - 2002 F-Body cars were "5th gen", but they're not...they did get a body style refresh from the 93 - 97 years, and even an engine upgrade from the LT1 to the LS1...but they're all still 4th gen. the '14+ Tundras didn't even get an engine upgrade, it's still basically the same engine they've had in there since 2007, as far as the 5.7L goes.

 

Ok but do you know for sure the body is the only thing they changed (aside from some of the electronics)?

 

i'm not entirely sure of what all they changed, on an item-by-item basis, nor do i care to go into such minutiae.

but i do know one thing for sure....14+ is still based on the same platform/chassis as the 07-13 models. you can change a few body panels, a few interior features, and some other little odds & ends, but at the end of the day, the bones of the truck are still the same. there's a reason people are able do body panel conversions from the 07-13 to 14+, because with a few minor tweaks, everything bolts up...exactly the same way 93-97 year model F-Bodies were able to do body panel swaps to 98-02.

the 2022 Tundra will be all-new, from the chassis up...i.e., Gen 3

 

I apologize for offending you by mistakenly saying "3rd Gen".

 

Bought my truck certified used in Jan. I'm the 2nd owner and the parking brake doesn't hold at all. Just got it back from first check up and they must of forgot to look at it, as I had a list of small things to look at.

I did use it on first day back and felt like it might be holding on slight incline. The next morning I put in gear and went about 4 feet before remembering to take PB off !! Ha, maybe they did fix it and this loosened it again ? Ugg never have used a parking brake much but will get it fixed eventually.

 

I watched the video in post #3...... I recently adjusted my parking brake (after 14 years) by adjusting the threaded rod beneath the drivers door....a little PB Blaster on the nuts and bell crank assembly, moved the adjusting nut about 3/4" and my parking brake is functioning again. The parking brake was never "great", but it works better now.

 

The rear brakes dont auto adjust on the Tundra like typical shoes. They dont have an autoadjuster on the star wheel.

 

No reason to feel like an idiot (or old)! They operate exactly like a drum; only cable driven and no auto adjuster. Toyota just did an extremely shitty job on them. No clue why they send them out so loose. Most Tundras can tighten the cable all the way with minimal change in the brake. Adjusting the start adjusters THEN the cable is the correct way and makes a TREMENDOUS difference in them.

 

Reviving this thread.

Has anyone actually replaced the cables yet? I need to replace both. I started the removal process but when I got underneath the driver side doors I didn’t feel comfortable enough to take that section apart. I’ve learned that sometimes if you take too many parts off it becomes harder to put back together