How To: Rear Drum Brake Servicing on the First Gen Nissan Xterra

[@Jimmy83Gomez]

I was having a difficult time with the spring and pin that hold the breaks 😂. Thank you for reminding me to but some balls in the effort 😂😂.

[@carrytrainer.editor3321]

Thanks a bunch! I used your detailed guide to replace my brake drums this week... I noticed when I was finished the emergency brake wasn't engaging on my drivers side. I lucked out though. The emergency brake cable just came off of a chassis cable bracket. I put it back on and it works normally now.

[@XterraRob]

Awesome! Glad I was able to help! Hey if you get a few minutes check out my video a few weeks back on my starter replacement. I wanted your opinion on the oil leak (rear main vs. Oil pan) based on what I show in the video of the old starter and oil trail.

[@linuxhowto3562]

Thank you! Getting ready to service the rear brakes on my '04 xterra, very descriptive!

[@XterraRob]

Happy to help! Thanks for watching and let me know if you run into any questions.

[@d.rosenswag7552]

Super helpful video! A couple of things I did to make it easier is I wrapped a bungee cord around the brakes when reinstalling to help keep them in place. And for the retaining springs, I used a 3/4 socket to push them over the pin since my thumbs wouldn't quite fit where it was positioned I did have trouble with the auto adjusters. Everything was snug in place, but pumping the brakes didn't turn the star gear

[@XterraRob]

Yeah my conclusion was it's a poor design that doesn't reliably turn the star gear. Best to manually adjust them to the longest setting possible that can still be assembled. Other than that, there is the port in the back side under a rubber plug you can use a couple flat blade screw drivers to adjust. Push one forward to push the little finger off the star gear. Use another to spin the star gear up or down to loosen or tighten.

[@NissanPodcast]

Great stuff as always man

[@XterraRob]

Thanks for the comment!

[@andresluzunaris1084]

Awesome video and very helpful. Unfortunately, you positioned the camera towards the sunlight, and I can barely see 😢

[@XterraRob]

Sorry man ..just a dude in my garage. Don't have a studio to adjust such things. Hope you were able to get what you needed...otherwise comment to ask questions and I'll help if able!

[@andresluzunaris1084]

@XterraRob Oh no, all good Rod. I put my phone in the maximum brightness 🌞 and work out. Lol

[@XterraRob]

Awesome my dude glad you got it all sorted out!!!! Happy to help!

[@papaalan1765]

Hi Rob, I know it's been a while but do you have any video on perhaps adjusting the emergency brake 04 xterra 3.3L ?

[@XterraRob]

No video but this is the best video that references it. Technically the brake is “self adjusting”. The star gear should ratchet when able and add length to the threaded bar which spreads the brake shoes apart. If that threaded bar is crusty and dirty though, it may not actuate correctly, so clean and lube up those threads. Otherwise you want that threaded bar to be as long as possible while still just barely able to slip the drum over the shoes. The way to think about it is you want the smallest gap possible between the drum and the shoes so most of the E brake actuation is applying braking force and not lost to a large gap. The longer the threaded bar is adjusted to, the closer the brake shoes sit to the drum. If you go too far, the drum won’t fit. Hope this all makes sense. I know the wall of text can be tough to understand.

[@papaalan1765]

@@XterraRob Thanks much Rob!

[@XterraRob]

Happy to help!

[@danielfluet7487]

Hi rob, the shoe with the leaver that pulls the hand brake was on the opposite side as yours , my car is a 2000 xterra would the assembly be different or its the last person who did it wrong ?

[@eduardomontes6463]

Nice video

[@XterraRob]

Thanks for watching and for the comment.

[@carrytrainer.editor3321]

FYI for everybody else - Although my brake hardware was cleaned and looked like it was in decent shape, the auto-calibration feature on my brake drums didn't work. I had to manually tighten them with a flat blade screwdriver.

[@XterraRob]

Great comment and thanks for sharing. Its not the most reliable setup. It took mine a couple weeks before it felt any tighter. Doesn't seem to ratchet consistently.

[@jesusspartan8951]

Cool.i took mine apart on my frontier, turns out they were new. How long they usually last? I could smell them on a steep hill when I was towing lol

[@XterraRob]

40k is common for brake shoes. Thanks for watching.

[@TheFlyerBill]

Do you have RFI with your CB radio? Fuel pump RFI?

[@XterraRob]

Not really. Works well if you tune thr antenna with an SWR meter. Bigger antenna = better performance. I have my radio wired directly to battery too so it is isolated from vehicle wiring.

[@TheFlyerBill]

Xterra Rob is the fuel pump the original? My pump isn’t. I have done everything by the book for proper install. The only thing I can trace it down to is my after market fuel pump.

[@XterraRob]

Yes original fuel pump. Is it a known good radio? IE remove from vehicle and jump direct to 12 volt battery with battery disconnected from truck. Still get RF? Or if you have it wired direct to battery, you only get RF when engine is running but not when engine / key is off?

[@TheFlyerBill]

Xterra Rob I only get RF when the pump primes or is running. The radio is a good unit, it’s a President MC. I have also used a portable cb in testing and the same thing happens. When the pump is off both work great. When the pump is on they both scream. I had a shop install a new sending unit and pump when the original failed. I’m thinking they put some cheap aftermarket parts in. I don’t know many Xterra folks with my same issues and it seems I’m the only one with aftermarket parts that’s struggling. I may look into dealer parts.

[@XterraRob]

@@TheFlyerBill sounds like you got it pretty well figured out. Factory fuel pump is what I would do.