Toyota Tacoma
E-Brake Adjustment
|
Vehicle Information:
1996 Toyota Tacoma, manual
transmission, 4WD 3.4L V6, 74,000 miles Troubleshooting: The emergency brake cable on a Toyota Tacoma truck can often get loose over time for unknown reasons. According to Toyota specifications, the emergency brake handle should click no less than 12 and no more than 18. If your emergency brake is not within this range - it should be adjusted for proper brake use. Tools Needed: You will need TWO 12mm open-end wrenches. |
| Cable Adjustment Location |
The
e-brake is operated by a group of cables. One cable is attached
to your e-brake handle in the cab and ends up at the adjustment
area. From there, there is another cable that goes back to your
rear wheels. On a 96 Toyota Tacoma Extended cab truck, the e-brake
adjustment is located just inside the frame under the drivers
side door area. It should look something like this:
|
| Cable Adjustment Assembly |  |
|
Safety!! |
Put the truck in Gear!!
Before making any adjustments to your e-brake, make sure your truck is IN GEAR or IN PARK. You will not be able to use your e-brake or engage it while making this adjustment. For Safety – please use something to block the front and/or rear wheels. You’ll be crawling underneath the truck and you should have safety precautions in place in case the truck pops out of gear and starts rolling. When you have finished with these safety recommendations, disengage the e-brake. |
| Test Your E-brake! |
It is important to test your e-brake
before you make any adjustments. Take the time to pull the e-brake
handle out several times and count the amount of clicks you are
getting until the handle stops. The recommended amount of clicks
is 12-18. If you are getting more than 18 clicks, you will need
to “Tighten” your e-brake cable. If you are getting
less than 12 clicks, you will need to “Losen” your e-brake
cable.
|
| Locating Adjustment Nuts: | As seen in the picture, you will see the Adjustment Stud. On both sides of the arm, there is a nut located on each side of the arm – as seen below: |
| Adjustment
Nuts Diagram |
 |
|
Loosen Adjustment Nuts:
|
Take
each 12mm wrench and place it on each of the adjustment nuts at
the same time. You’ll want to loosen them just enough to
crack them both loose. When both nuts are loose, you’re ready
to make your adjustment.
|
|
Making the Adjustment:
|
Before starting,
make only small adjustments – Test the E-brake – and
make other adjustment if needed. Never make a drastic adjustment.
If you need to ‘Tighten’ your cable, you’ll want to unscrew Adjustment Nut #2 in the direction of the rear of the truck – as seen in the picture above. If you want to loosen the cable, you’ll need to loosen Adjustment Nut #1 a bit. Then you’ll need to screw (tighten) the Adjustment Nut #2 in the direction towards the front of the truck. If you can’t go any further with Adjustment Nut #2, you’ll need to go back to Adjustment Nut #1 and loosen it further. The adjustment you make will always depend on the placement of Adjustment Nut #2. |
| Testing & Finishing Up: |
When you are done making an adjustment and ready
to TEST the e-brake (12-18 clicks), you’ll need to keep Adjustment
Nut #2 in place and hand tighten Adjustment Nut #1 up against
#2. You’ll want to take both 12mm wrenches and tighten (lock
down) Adjustment Nut #1 and #2 together.
|
| Final
Testing: You may want to jack the rear of the truck up off the ground and test the e-brake by spinning the rear wheels. Disengage the e-brake and try spinning the tires again. Basically, you’ll want to check to make sure the brakes are not dragging when disengaged. |
That's It!!
Please - Be Safe - Be Patient - and Good Luck!