No rear brakes on 2000 frontier crew cab

[LeoB]

My rear brakes were not working well at all and facing a safety inspection, I decided to see what was going on back there. I found that the emergency brakes were frozen, while I had it apart, I decided to redo the brakes including replacing the drums.

I put in all fresh stuff including a spring kit, but the brakes are still not working well if at all. That includes the emergency brakes. I scuffed up the inside of the new drums a little as recommended by a mechanic friend, but no luck.

Any ideas where to go from here?

Thanks

[Rev_D21]

Sounds like they are not adjusted properly or if they are then you have some frozen hardware somewhere still. If they don't operate well both hydraulically or mechanically I'd look for issues with the hardware.

[RT22]

Yep when doing back drum brakes after installing and putting drums back on you have to adjust the star wheel roller until the drum feels some drag. Most drums will not slide on with the brakes adjusted to the perfect point. There is a thumb wheel like star that allows the pads to adjust out, there is a slot on the back of the hub, you can use a large screwdriver flat blade but a drum adjusting tool is best and cheap at any parts store. adjust the pads out until you feel drag on the drum while rotating it. Then do the other side, then the parking brake will catch. They have to be touching the drum as there is very little movement in the hardware, if not adjusted they never drag the drum enough to work.

[Desert Rat]

Does your ebrake work? These trucks have self adjsuters back there that are supposed to reset each time you set and release the parking brake.

When you say they're 'not working well', what do you mean exactly?