The FJ also failed on low & uneven rear brakes - lets take a look.
Ok - first up, you need a special puller to remove the rear drums on FX/FJ models. There are generic pullers that can be attached to the wheel studs, but these can distort the drum if it takes a lot of pressure to break the taper. Also, there is the old-fashioned "bush mechanic" way, where you simply loosen the axle nuts and take the car for a short drive (with a few good swerves thrown in). This can work, but is very hard on the keyway - damaging the key or the groove so you end up on the side of the road with no drive to the wheels. Others use two big lump hammers, one either side of the drum spigot and just smack it until the taper loosens.
I'm not going to do any of that, just letting you know that I know there are alternatives but, as always, none of them really measures up to using the correct tool.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said of the threaded spigots on the drums themselves. Both sides were damaged - the left side had obviously been smacked in error by someone using the Big Hammer method of removal. It took a bit of work with a wire brush and a thread file to restore them to the point where I could screw the Coxhead tool on.
This is how it cleaned up (left). Still not pristine, but I was able to wind the tool on carefully after spragging the drum with a crowbar (right)
Best to wind the drum off with the centre bolt if possible rather than smacking the end with a hammer. You may need to resort to force (hammer and/or heat), but it is much gentler on the old components if it can be separated by simply screwing in the centre bolt. Big tools help here. Note the cushioning on the workshop floor - there in case the whole plot pops off unexpectedly and falls to the deck.
Okay - so that's another 5 minute job that ended up taking an hour and a half. Still - it'll make it a lot easier next time around. And that's kind of my philosophy with these vehicles - I try to do a proper job and make sure that components are maintained while I'm at it because the poor fool who pulls it apart next time will most likely be me.
Wheel cylinders were seized - but came apart easily enough with a little "persuasion". Although you can see muck & dirty fluid inside the cylinder, they actually cleaned up very well with some fine emery. While the aluminium pistons are quite corroded, they are still reusable and the cups are still pliant and have a good sealing edge.
Shoes were unevenly worn and some were quite glazed - I was considering treating them with cleaning fluid and a bit of a rough-up with emery, but then noticed that the lining material on some of the shoes appeared to be delaminating and coming away from the shoes ...
A *very* slight tweak with a screwdriver and this was the result.
Some of the others were even worse - the adhesive has completely broken down and the shoes are rusty underneath the linings. This can (obviously) be very dangerous because if a lining shears off the shoe you can end up with the brakes jamming - or, worse, having no brakes at all.
The flexible brake hoses on the back and front left were perished and worn - still available from BNT, so I'll swap those out (front right had previously been done).
So - the FJ sits on stands while the brakes are away at BNT getting shoes relined. They also have the drums because relined shoes usually need to be radiused to keep them concentric with the drum. The drums themselves are in good shape and should not need machining.
Those red springs bother me ;) They are lower than standard and this car also had lowering blocks in the rear (which are already removed). I'm going to try and source some original springs, or maybe some standard height aftermarket ones. With other vehicles, I have found the aftermarket "uprated" springs give a harsh ride and I would prefer originals if I can get a good set. Any in the back of your shed? Leave a comment with your email or number.
On to the brakes themselves ....
Wheel cylinders were seized - but came apart easily enough with a little "persuasion". Although you can see muck & dirty fluid inside the cylinder, they actually cleaned up very well with some fine emery. While the aluminium pistons are quite corroded, they are still reusable and the cups are still pliant and have a good sealing edge.
Shoes were unevenly worn and some were quite glazed - I was considering treating them with cleaning fluid and a bit of a rough-up with emery, but then noticed that the lining material on some of the shoes appeared to be delaminating and coming away from the shoes ...
A *very* slight tweak with a screwdriver and this was the result.
Some of the others were even worse - the adhesive has completely broken down and the shoes are rusty underneath the linings. This can (obviously) be very dangerous because if a lining shears off the shoe you can end up with the brakes jamming - or, worse, having no brakes at all.
The flexible brake hoses on the back and front left were perished and worn - still available from BNT, so I'll swap those out (front right had previously been done).
So - the FJ sits on stands while the brakes are away at BNT getting shoes relined. They also have the drums because relined shoes usually need to be radiused to keep them concentric with the drum. The drums themselves are in good shape and should not need machining.
Those red springs bother me ;) They are lower than standard and this car also had lowering blocks in the rear (which are already removed). I'm going to try and source some original springs, or maybe some standard height aftermarket ones. With other vehicles, I have found the aftermarket "uprated" springs give a harsh ride and I would prefer originals if I can get a good set. Any in the back of your shed? Leave a comment with your email or number.
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