Gen 2 Rear Drum Brake - star wheel is loosening itself instead of tightening

That is weird I don't think you can mix them up side to side and then when you lift up or push the parking brake doesn't that lift the adjuster up and then it drops down on the star wheel when you let it up or vice versa so there's something supposed to be resting against that star wheel when the brakes for parking are not applied right so it seems to me that little piece of metal on the adjuster maybe is not seating properly or something I'll have to go look on a car that I have the drums off but the brakes still intact and see but something like that is going on The star shouldn't be able to just move when the parking break is not applied and the car is ready to roll so it seems like something is not assembled correctly take a picture of it

 

Apparently, the star is turning the wrong way. Either the lever is on the wrong side, the star assembly is flipped180 degrees, or it was manufactured incorrectly.

I've never done rear brakes on a Gen 2 yet, but most self adjusters have a L or R marked on them. Something to check.

 

Yes, you can mix them up left-for-right, and if you do, they will be self-loosening.

 

You now understand the "learn as you go" motto:

We do it right, because we do it twice!

Bet you never make THAT mistake again.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Don't feel bad. I just replaced the rear shoes, hardware, and self-adjusters on my 2004 Prius. The bottom line is that the adjusters I bought from Advance Auto Parts (12562 and 12563) were mis-labeled for right and left. Another reviewer at Advance Auto said the same thing. I researched at Rock Auto and their 6 brands were basically all mis-labeled also. I know that sounds crazy, but I am convinced that my interpretation is correct. The absolute fact is that when I first removed the right rear drum, the self-adjuster was GOLD colored and the star wheel had a REVERSE thread. The left rear drum had a SILVER colored self-adjuster, and the star wheel had a NORMAL thread. The direction of the threads is the critical point, not the color of the part. I use my emergency brake every time I stop, and it was working fine. I have described my findings in more detail in the attached file.

 

Best thing to do is just clean your adjusters with brake clean lube the threads and put them back on the side you took them off of and if you're getting new ones in your kit leaving the parts off the side you're working on make sure that the two pieces no matter what color they are thread the direction as the parts laying on the ground on the side that you're working on hopefully that's one side at a time until you get good at it.

 

You can also just reassemble and work the mechanism by hand a few times before putting the drums on, watch that the adjuster lengthens rather than shortening.