Rear brake backing plates

Hey guys,
Put my 2005 RCLB 4wd up on the lift at work today and discovered significant rot on my rear brake backing plates. I have 2 questions:
1. Anyone done this job? Could you give me an idea of what's involved? Does the axle have to come out to replace the plate?
2. Is there another name for these other than backing plate? I could not find anything with that name on Rock Auto's site under wheels, brakes or drivetrain.

Thanks.

 

A picture would say a lot here.

Maybe ‘dust shield’ is the word you are searching?

 

Will post a picture in the morning.
Could be a dust shield, makes sense.
D

 

Advance auto has them. They are called backing plates for drum brakes. Dust plates for disk brakes

 

Thanks. I also just found them with a search for dust shields at toyotapartsdeal.com PN47044-35180 for the rear LH. They are listed as backing plates.
Looks like the wheel assy has to come off at the very least.

 

Isn't this forum so great!

 

It's not hard to do just a pain in the ass to do.

 

Yep, thats what it looked like.

 

pictures of right and left rear backing plates.

 

There are a couple of things to think about while doing this. You will be pulling the axle so I would replace the axle seal at the least. There is also a dust seal and o-ring that goes on the axle housing that are in the area. Depending on your miles, abilities and tools, you may want to consider axle bearing replacement. I would check the bleeder on the wheel cylinders to see if they loosen (lots of rust there), they might be seized and you will be disconnecting the brake line and will need to bleed the brake fluid. It's a great time to replace those wheel cylinders if they're leaking. I like to put a little rubber vacuum plug on the end of the brake line after I remove it so you don't lose a lot of brake fluid. Spray rust penetrant on the four nuts that hold the axle in, the parking brake anchor and cable pin. The chances are pretty good that the speed sensor won't come out and the little bolt that holds it in will break if you try to loosen. You don't need to pull that sensor just be careful while removing and installing the axle. If that parking brake anchor (lever looking thing with cable) doesn't move freely, now is a good time to get that freed up and the brakes properly adjusted. Apply lube to backing plate pads where the shoes will contact (I like copper anti-seize, but there are other choices). Check your rear differential fluid level when your done, good luck.

 

This is good information. I will probably tackle at the end of the month. That will give me time to get parts in. My mechanic buddy was thinking that the job involved pulling the axles. Great to have a confirmation before diving in.
D

 

I'd like to have this service done when I have a lunch box locker installed. Maybe even have discs swapped out for those sorry ass drums.

I would love to see a comprehensive list of parts to do a disc conversion. If I recall correctly I think I'd even compiled a partial list of items to grab to do such but it escapes me where I placed it.

 

Did you ever do the work? I have same issue and was under impression the axle did have to be pulled and bearings removed.

 

I'm about to start this project on my 04 Tundra... The backing plates are rusted out, along with my axle housing (not just the diff cover, the tubes are porous and leaking) so since I'm replacing the whole axle housing, figured might as well do the backing plates while I'm at it... I can confirm, yes, it requires pulling the axle bearings off too... So my project next weekend is axle bearings and seals, backing plates, and entire rear axle housing.

 

X2 -- you need to use a press to pull off the retainers, ABS tone ring & wheel bearing just to swap out the dust shield thing - lots of work there.
Hey -- Depending on where you're located I have a clean housing I'd sell ya. Also have an LSD 3rd. And a whole open 3.91 axle if you want to just plug & play.

 

Please advise how it goes. I need to replace my backing plates, but have been putting it off due to having to bring axle in to a shop for the press.

 

I personally wouldn't recommend having a shop do the press work (if you have rear abs)... They're notorious for screwing it up by pressing the abs sensor rings on until it bottoms out... if you don't have rear abs, they probably can't screw it up... I decided, since I'm replacing the backing plates... Might as well do all new... Wheel cylinders were cheap on Amazon at $10 ea. New brake hardware and brake shoes.... Just got out of the hospital yesterday, so not sure how much I'll actually get done tomorrow but its gotta be done.

 

The job is really pretty easy with the right tool.... A cheap harbor freight 20 ton shop press and this tool makes the job as painless as you could hope for, and makes it easy to get the ABS ring back to the right spot.

https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/193028042767

This video shows how the tool works.
https://youtu.be/R-c2x3F8DU4

 

Would a 12 ton press do the job?

 

It took quite a bit of force to free mine up... Depends on how stuck on they are... I was at the point i almost dared not push it anymore.... But 2 more pumps of the jack and it finally freed up.... So mine probably wouldn't have come off with a 12... But less corroded might come off with a 12 ton.

 

I had a shop tell me it would be easier to remove the bearing with the axle still on the truck, is that even possible?
It sounds like no one in my area has worked on 1st gen rear ends.
I had a homemade bearing puller failure ( as I can't ship this tool over the border) and now am running out of ideas/time. I have called around to some shops just to press the bearings out but no one seems to know whats up.

 

The dealer where I had mine done said they would do just the press work for people. Ultimately it wasn't too much more for them to do the whole job.

 

The bearing has to come off on the differential side of the axles so I'm pretty sure the axle needs to be out. I second fester, pull em and take em to the dealer. Its absolutely critical the new bearings get pressed on a certain distance.

 

That shop hasn't got a clue.... Its simply not possible to pull the bearing while the axle is still on the truck.... Removing the axle is the easy part anyways.... Disconnect the brake line from the wheel cylinder, unclip the emergency brake cable remove the 4 bolts that bolt the bearing housing to the axle housing and the axle and backing plate slide right out

 

The bearings get pressed on til they bottom out.... Its the ABS ring that has a specific distance.... And the tool i posted makes that part super easy....

 

This is how a "machine shop" here pressed mine on. They're leaking worse than before. I'm pretty sure they have to not be bottomed out.

 

Yup... They pressed the abs rings on too far... There should only be exactly 5mm of polished axle above the retainer ring... The axle seal rides right in the middle of that retainer ring. With it that far on its not even touching the axle seal.

 

Luckily thats an easy fix with the tool i posted... You can just pull them off slowly until just 5mm polished axle shows and you'll be good to go.

 

You mean this tool?

 

They may have really created a problem for you. It doesn't look like there's enough room between the ABS ring and the hub to fit the tool. (the red piece in your pic above) The tool is made of some pretty thick steel plate.

If you can get the retainer ring off between the ABS ring and the outer retainer/seal race, then you can possibly pull all 4 parts (bearing, race, ABS ring, race) in one shot using the big black part of the tool.

Keep us posted on how it goes.