The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[pilotwilson]

following the help and friendly advice received in the past, i'd like to poke a little into the experience of all those of you who've probably done what i'm about to do.
generally there is no probs with braking. however, recently the rear brakes have got very hot with a whiff of 'ferodo burning' but only noticed while towing a trailer.
brief history - it was highlighted when other people were driving (maybe i'm just a very light braker) this has also only become an issue since replacing rear brake pads.
could it just be a case of spending a bit more on decent pads (they were the cheap ones), could there be an issue with rear compensator or do i need to strip it all out and fully inspect?
your thoughts?
_________________
1998 95J vx 3.0 d auto
work, hobby & family vehicle - loving the heated seats in winter 290,000 m service approaching.

[Google]

[DaveWall]

Check for sagging rear springs/adjust the compensator, perhaps your getting too much rear braking when there is weight on the towbar....


Also double check all the handbrake mech - this is usually where excess heat comes from - usually the cable pivot or the main cranks into the back of the drums are sized in the back plate.... they dont let off enough and generate a LOT of heat!

[pilotwilson]

this seems the most likely as both times we had 3 passengers in rear which presumably would enhance the situation
_________________
1998 95J vx 3.0 d auto
work, hobby & family vehicle - loving the heated seats in winter 290,000 m service approaching.

[pilotwilson]

Q - how would i tell if the rear springs were becoming weak? is there a measurement when empty i could refer to?
_________________
1998 95J vx 3.0 d auto
work, hobby & family vehicle - loving the heated seats in winter 290,000 m service approaching.

[DaveWall]

If you still have bump stops on the truck (a lot go missing) you'll see where they have been contacting the axle more than they should be, but yes you need to compare height of truck with someone else with standard springs (assuming you haven't changed them)

I have slightly lifted mine, so cant help, but i expect measurements are on here somewhere if you do a bit of searching... Go from top edge of wheel (standard 16" alloy)  to edge of wheel arch vertically up to eliminate tyre/pressure difference..... (and easier to measure then center of the wheel....  


But saying that, if you still have the original rear springs on a 98 truck, I would put a fiver on them needing replacing!!

[pilotwilson]

whilst the other systems/settings are still very important, this seems to be making sense. a friend also has a 90 and we'd commented on how his seems to be a fraction higher at the back than mine. (tyre size, wheel etc the same) if there was an issue with the brakes and/or handbrake, it would surely happen during general motoring too.
_________________
1998 95J vx 3.0 d auto
work, hobby & family vehicle - loving the heated seats in winter 290,000 m service approaching.

[drew m]

When you replaced rear brake pads were the rubber boots that keep the crud out of the pistons intact, if not, when pushing the piston back their may be a corroded surface on the piston catching the seal therefore the brake would not release properly, I've had this often on older vehicles.

[drew m]

When you replaced rear brake pads were the rubber boots that keep the crud out of the pistons intact, if not, when pushing the piston back their may be a corroded surface on the piston catching the seal therefore the brake would not release properly, I've had this often on older vehicles.

[drew m]

Oops, double post.

[pilotwilson]

 just a quick note to finish this thread. having spent 11 years in a past life on spanners (mostly plant & tool hire) i should have known better and i'm embarrassed to admit to being lazy. it comes to light that the issue was fed by me not tidying up the rim of the discs when i replaced the pads recently   a coarse warning! it goes to prove that doing something the right way, is usually cheaper and quicker in the long run. i have had a word with myself and will learn from this!
_________________
1998 95J vx 3.0 d auto
work, hobby & family vehicle - loving the heated seats in winter 290,000 m service approaching.

[DaveWall]

Doh.... well easy fix in the end....  I always attack the disks with the 4" wire brush mounted in my battery angle grinder... and sand any lip off the edge.


I also clean and sometimes slightly thin the backing plate on the new pads to make sure they dont seize in the caliper.