Drum brakes slow to work, choppy, need bleeding?

Asked by GuruNHJ7D Nov 02, 2019 at 08:25 PM about the 2007 Toyota Yaris Sedan

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I was replacing a rear wheel bolt on my 2007 Yaris
when my dad pressed the brakes to lock the wheel
in place.  Later when putting things back together
he had to turn some little gear in the brakes as we
couldn't get the wheel disc/rotor back on because
the drum brakes were too tight.

Now the brakes have to be pushed far in before
they work well, and it's almost a little choppy when
braking.

Is there a way to fix this?

Thanks,
Michael

1 Answer

157,625

Hi Michael, the little gear is the adjustment for the brake shoes. It's called a star wheel. To properly adjust the shoes spin the tire as if the vehicle was going in reverse. Turn the star wheel, using a flat blade screwdriver or similar tool, until a heavy drag is felt on the wheel. Then turn the star wheel the opposite direction until the tire just spins freely. Repeat this at the other wheel. There's an access hole on the back of the wheel assembly to get to the star wheel. It may be covered by a rubber plug. Simply remove the rubber plug. Put the rubber plug back on when you're done. Hope that helps! Jim

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Charlsie Riley
    Reputation
    730
  • #2
    Jerry VanSickle Jr.
    Reputation
    310
  • #3
    Sharon Tombari
    Reputation
    300
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Toyota Corolla
108 Great Deals out of 2,035 listings starting at $2,795
Used Honda Civic
180 Great Deals out of 3,705 listings starting at $1,995
Used Honda Fit
16 Great Deals out of 227 listings starting at $1,995
Used Toyota Camry
52 Great Deals out of 985 listings starting at $2,212
Used Toyota RAV4
108 Great Deals out of 2,083 listings starting at $3,888
Used Toyota Matrix
5 Great Deals out of 132 listings starting at $3,995
Used Toyota Prius
4 Great Deals out of 138 listings starting at $3,499
Used Honda Accord
40 Great Deals out of 910 listings starting at $1,599
Used Mazda MAZDA3
74 Great Deals out of 1,510 listings starting at $2,495
Used Honda CR-V
103 Great Deals out of 3,896 listings starting at $1,795
Used Nissan Versa
13 Great Deals out of 463 listings starting at $4,499
Used Toyota 4Runner
10 Great Deals out of 304 listings starting at $9,700
Used Toyota Tacoma
55 Great Deals out of 1,071 listings starting at $8,708

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.