Toyota pickup trucks are equipped with self-adjusting drum brakes. As you press on the brake pedal, the brake shoes will wear down and create a space between the drum and the shoes. To ensure that your Toyota's brakes are operating optimally, you should manually adjust them, especially if you feel the brake pedal is too low to sufficiently stop the truck.
Disengage the parking brake and put one wheel chock behind each of the truck's front wheels. This will keep the truck from moving as you work on it.
Position a floor jack under the rear of the truck and lift it up until the wheels are off the ground.
Slip two jack stands under the control arms located next to each wheel. Lower the jack until the car is resting on the jack stands.
Remove the lug nuts with the lug wrench. Take off the wheel and set it aside.
Twist off the brake drums, striking them with a hammer, if necessary, to make them come loose.
Wear a respirator or face mask and wash the brake shoes with soapy water after removing the drums.
Locate the star-shaped self-adjuster under the wheel cylinder and turn it clockwise. This will spread open the shoes a bit. Slip the drums back onto the shoes. If the drum goes on very easily, then you know you have adjusted the brakes correctly.
Reinstall the wheels on the pickup and tighten the lug nuts by hand. Lift the truck with the floor jack and move the jack stands out of the way. Lower the truck to the ground and put on the parking brake.
Tighten the lug nuts with the lug wrench and remove the wheel chocks from behind the tires.
