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How to Adjust Toyota Echo Rear Brakes On Toyota Echo models equipped with drum type rear brakes, it's occasionally necessary for owners to adjust the brake shoes. The system consists of a complex series of springs and levers that automatically adjust the brakes as you drive the car, but sometimes the brakes fall too far out of adjustment for the self-adjusting feature to work properly. An example might be if you replace the shoes entirely. Afterwards, you will need to set the initial adjustment. Fortunately this is a fairly easy task. Things You'll Need Automotive jack 2 jack stands Flat blade screwdriver Instructions Raise the rear of the car using the automotive jack. Securely support both sides of the car with jack stands. Ensure the parking brake is released. Locate the inspection port on the inside of the brake drum and wheel assembly. The drum is protected by a backing plate, and the inspection hole is located towards the bottom of the plate. Spin t...

How to Adjust Ford Drum Brakes Many times restoring proper brake pedal height and parking brake function is just a matter of adjusting the rear drum brakes on your Ford vehicle. As the brake shoes wear, the distance between the shoe and the drum increases. This causes the brake pedal or parking brake lever/pedal to move farther before the shoes make contact with the drum. Adjustment of the Ford drum brake system is well within the average home mechanic's ability. Things You'll Need Floor jack Jack stands Wheel chocks Lug wrench Drum brake adjusting tool Instructions Place wheel chocks behind the front wheels to prevent vehicle movement when the rear wheels are off. Raise the rear of the vehicle with the floor jack, and place jack stand under the frame. Lower the vehicle onto the jack stands to support the weight of the vehicle. Never rely on the floor jack alone to support the vehicle. Remove the rear wheels and place them, along with the lug nuts, out of the wo...

How to Adjust the Rear Brakes on a Taurus The Ford Taurus' rear brakes are comprised of two main components. There are the brake shoes within the drum assembly that work with the parking brake and then there is the parking brake itself. If the parking brake lever in the car becomes easier to pull, the rear brakes likely need adjusting. You need to adjust both the shoes and the parking brake, but you won't need to disassemble the whole rear brake assembly to do it. Things You'll Need Lug wrench Jack Jack stand Narrow screwdriver Pliers Flare-nut or similar wrench Instructions Raise the rear end of the Taurus and support it on jack stands. Block the front wheels and make sure the parking brake is applied. Loosen the lug nuts on each wheel prior to raising the car. Remove both the rear wheels. Remove the lug nuts for the wheels in a five-star pattern, moving to the nut on the opposite end of the one you previously removed. Take out the rubber inspection...

Brake drums play a very important role in the overall performance of your vehicles entire braking system. In this article we will explain what a brake drum is, what it does and hopefully everything else you will need to know about them. Brake drums are usually found on the rear of vehicles, but prior to the late 60’s and early 70’s they were standard equipment as the front brakes as well. Brake drums are the friction point where the brake shoes contact to slow a vehicle. They vary in size depending on the application: large work trucks will use a larger drum brake, while passenger cars use a much smaller brake. Brake drums can be made of different materials such as cast iron, on some vehicles they have used aluminum to save weight and improve the cooling of the brakes. Drum brakes are part of the overall car braking system which includes the brake pedal, master cylinder and front disc brakes. When the brake pedal is pressed, brake fluid under pressure flows through the brake lines an...