2004 DC Rear Brakes

[RCraig]

I've got a 2004 DC 4X2. What kind of wear are you guys getting on the rear drum brakes?

The dealership said that something was wrong if I didn't get close to 100,000 miles on the rear shoes. He said it was normally a 2:1 ratio with the front. I got about 48,000 on the front. He said to expect about 96,000 on the rear. I'm at 64,000 miles now. I've never gotten close to 100,000 on rear brakes.

[kknight]

Actually, unless your willing to go the extra effort of a scheduled rear brake maintenance, you could probably get 150K miles or better. However, this is not by design, it's by fault. There are a couple of problems with the rear brakes, one is the auto-adjuster and the other is the limited pressure controlled by the weight proportional valve. To overcome the adjuster problem, you have to manually adjust them on a preset schedule, like every oil change or something. There are ways to compensate for the WPV too, but unless you know exactly what you're doing, don't touch it.

Here is a write up I did last month on a full brake job for a 2003 AC:
2003 Tundra - First Brake Job @ 78000

[RCraig]

At about 13,000 miles, the dealership told me that I would have to bring the truck in every 10,000 miles for them to manually adjust the rear brakes. I never took the vehicle back. I have been adjusting the brakes myself every 10,000 miles (just a few clicks). I did take the drums off at 45,000 miles to clean and inspect.

I would really like to convert to rear discs.

Thanks for the info. in your article.

[MEvang]

Why rear discs? If the drum brakes do very little work, which they do by desighn unless you carry a load, what makes you think rear disc will be any better? I'm not trying to confront you, I'm just curious why people think rear disc brake will be better.
Mike

[Picasso]

Originally Posted by MEvang

Why rear discs? If the drum brakes do very little work, which they do by desighn unless you carry a load, what makes you think rear disc will be any better? I'm not trying to confront you, I'm just curious why people think rear disc brake will be better.
Mike

Performance wise, you are absolutely correct. The improvement would be in maintenance and function.

Rear discs would have the benefit of not having the faulty auto adjust mechanism that is part of the rear drum braking system. As a result, a rear disc brake system appears to be more likely to function properly thus eliminating some if not most of the front brake problems that many have experienced.


Paul

[RCraig]

I'd rather work on disc brakes than drum brakes. I get tired of adjusting these brakes. I never thought that I would have to adjust my rear brakes every 10,000 miles when I bought the truck.

However, I love my Tundra. I've done the Ford and GMC thing long enough to know that I'd rather drive a Tundra.

[MEvang]

This is the one benefit that disc have over drums, no need for adjusting, a big advantage on the Tundra I will admit. I never considered that many feel discs are easier to work on.
Here's the disadvantages. Many rear disc brake trucks that see little heavy work have serious problem with rotor rust up, caliper failures and rapid pad wear because of this. Parking brake problem are also more common.
Now my experience is here in Ohio, in the middle of the rust belt so these problems are surely less likely in other climates and more in others.
Also consider the expense at this point of switching and is it really worth it. It's one thing if a vehicle comes equipped with it it's another to bear the expense of changing since the drum brakes last so long.
Mike