How To Remove & Replace Rear Brake Shoes & Drums On Toyota | Prius Gen II Yaris Matrix Corolla Camry

In this video, young mechanic Aiman will give you ideas and show you how to remove, replace and install rear brake shoes & drums on Toyota Prius Gen II, which is about the same process for Toyota Yaris, Matrix, Corolla, Camry and many other older vehicles.
Second generation Toyota Prius Hybrid Synergy Drive I4 1.5L model years are 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009.
The brake drums are located with the rear wheels on many cars & vehicles equipped with this type of braking system. These drums conceal the brake shoe assemblies, which work primarily with the parking brake. You will need to remove the brake drums in order to work on or change the brake shoes. It is likely that you need to remove both drums together, as if one set of shoes needs changing, the others will also.
Removing and replacing the rear drums is quite easy, it's a matter of taking the wheels off and installing the drum, although rusty drums might require hammering or using 2 12mm bolts and putting in the drum hole to pry it out. The next step is to adjust the spring so that the new drum can fit into the assembly, the steps of which Aiman described in this video.
Removing and replacing the rear brake shoes (not to be confused with the pads, because the pads are usually associated with brakes with rotor disc), is not too difficult, but a tedious and cumbersome undertaking. The main difference between brake pads and shoes is their position. Shoes are designed to fit inside drum-style brakes; Brake shoes are places on top of disc brakes and are designed to pressurize the discs when you apply the brakes. You should complete one wheel at a time, and perhaps taking pictures before removal might be helpful. The springs are difficult to remove and re-install. If you're not careful, some of these springs and components might break especially if they're rusty. Fortunately, if you break them, you can always buy the rear brake kits from AutoZone, Advanced Auto Parts, O'Reilly and many other local parts stores, or even from the dealership.
A few things to note when working with brakes on Prius is that you should disconnect the auxiliary battery to prevent issues to the brake actuator. Additionally, the brake shoes for Prius 2004-2007 are not the same as 2008 & 2009. It is better if you buy genuine OEM parts for the latter years.
There are plenty of videos on the internet and youtube on how to remove and replace rears brake shoes and drums, many are done by professionals which did not show the pain, struggle and sufferings on how to do them. This was Aiman's first time doing DIY on rear brakes, and if you've never done this before, this video might be good for you and it shows exactly what Aiman encountered when say trying to re-install the springs and the components inside the drum. If young Aiman can do it, you should be able to as well.
Tips: Clean the brake assembly behind the drum before you begin working on its components. Use an aerosol brake cleaner and a drip pan under the assembly to catch the residue. Never clean brake parts with compressed air because the dust contains asbestos.
The rear brakes require adjustment if the Parking/Emergency Brake Handle can be pulled beyond 7 clicks. The faster alternative, not requiring drum removal, is inserting a screwdriver through the Brake Adjustment Access Hole in order to turn the Brake Adjustment Wheel (Star Wheel)
If you're looking for how to remove and replace the wheel cylinder we have a separate video on how to do that here:
If you want to know how to bleed the rear brake fluid, here's the link for that:
Thanks for watching...please watch other Prius' DIY Auto Repair, fix-it ideas, remove, replace & install videos on EyeOnAiman's youtube channel and Facebook page.
Recording Date: December 24, 2018