Owners of other Toyota, Lexus, Scion or related Pontiac vehicles with rear drum brakes such as the Camry, Sienna, Tercel, Tacoma, Hilux, X-Runner, RAV4, Solara, 4Runner, Land Cruiser, Yaris, Matrix, Prius, Celica, Tundra, Paseo, Echo, Pickup and Vibe may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The tools needed to complete this rear brake job include a floor jack, jack stands, a lug nut wrench or tire iron, pliers, needle nose pliers or brake spring pliers, brake caliper grease, brake cleaner spray, and a flathead screwdriver.

You'll need a new set of rear brake shoes and I'd also  recommend buying a drum brake "spring kit" or "hardware kit" such as the Wagner H17254 so that you can replace the worn out old springs.

Please note that some of these brake shoes are specific to Corolla models built in Japan which have VIN numbers that start with a "J". Most of them are for USA/Canada built Corollas which have VIN numbers that start with a "1".

Please use the Amazon Part Finder website to verify the correct replacement part numbers.

Two other compatible "brake hardware" spring kits include the Raybestos H17378 and Beck Arnley 084-1560.

Then spin off the lug nuts, remove the rear wheels and mark the relationship of the rear brake drum to the wheel hub (center circle) with a Sharpie marker.

This is done so that you can re-install the drum in the same position without changing the dynamic balance of the assembly.

You may be able to just pull off the drum, but chances are it won't be that easy due to corrosion and rust.

First try tapping the brake drum with a rubber mallet or a hammer and a piece of wood to break it free from the hub.

Spraying the area where the hub meets the drum with WD-40 can also help.

If that doesn't work, remove the 12mm spare tire hold-down screw from the trunk and insert it into one of the two holes on the front of the brake drum.

Slowly turn the screw in clockwise until you hear the drum begin to make popping noises.

Please note, we used a regular 12mm hex head bolt with a socket and ratcheting wrench.

If you use the spare tire hold down screw, turn it by hand as far as possible and then use a pair of locking pliers or regular pliers to continue turning it clockwise.

Thoroughly clean off the rear brake assembly with some brake cleaner spray and allow it to dry for a few minutes.

Place some shop rags or a pan below the assembly to catch the fluids.

Do not use compressed air to clean off the brakes to help avoid inhaling the brake dust.

It's also a good idea to remove the drum on the other side of the car to have that assembly as a reference when installing the new brake shoes.

Release the two hold down springs/cups with a pair of needle nose pliers.

Push in on the cup to compress the spring and rotate it until the flat part of the pin can be passed through the small rectangular hole in the cup.

Place the old parts down on the floor or a rag in the same position as they were installed on the assembly to help yourself with the re-assembly later.

Next remove the rubber cap from the rear of the backing plate and use a short flathead screwdriver to turn the splines on the automatic adjuster mechanism until it retracts and the tension on the two upper springs is reduced.

Remove the small metal automatic adjuster lever.

Release the inner top spring and pull the front shoe away from the backing plate.

Pop the parking brake cable out of the hook on the parking brake lever. Open the old "C" washer with a pair of pliers and separate the parking brake lever from the old rear brake shoe.

Pop the parking brake cable back into the hook at the end of the parking brake lever.

Push the hold down pin through the rear of the backing plate and through the middle of the new rear brake shoe.

Place the spring and cup over the shoe until the flat tip of the pin passes through the rectangular hole in the cup.

Rotate the cup 90 degrees or 1/4 turn to secure the pin in place.

Test fit the automatic adjuster on to the rear brake shoe using the other side or the picture above as a reference.

Please note, there may be some minor differences between 2003-2004 and 2005-2008 Corolla models.

Always use the other side of your vehicle as the definitive point of reference when re-assembling the drum brakes.

Install the inner top spring on the brake shoes by first hooking it into the front shoe and then pulling it to the rear shoe with a pair of needle nose pliers or spring pliers.

Double check that you have installed it into the correct holes by referencing the other side of the car.

If you have trouble installing the inner top spring, try temporarily removing the automatic adjuster to give yourself more working room.

Double check that you have installed the two top springs and one lower spring in the correct positions by referencing the drum brake assembly on the other side of the car.

Expand the adjuster mechanism until there is some tension on the two upper springs.

You will be using this side as a reference for completing the procedure correctly on the other side of the vehicle.

If you'd like to replace the brake drums, check out the options available at Amazon.com.

Go into the passenger cabin of the vehicle and pull on the emergency / parking brake handle several times.

The automatic adjuster mechanism should make the handle a bit harder to pull each time and have less travel.

The automatic adjuster mechanism also adjusts the rear drum brake tension every time you drive in reverse and press down on the brake pedal.

If necessary, you can manually adjust the tension of the drum brake shoes by rotating the teeth on the star gear near the center of the automatic adjuster mechanism (the gold metal piece just below the red spring in the pictures above).

Rotate the star adjuster manually by using a flat head screwdriver until you see the adjuster mechanism expanding and pushing the brake shoes outwards. Then place the drum cover back on and test fit the tension by rotating the drum.

You could also remove the rubber cover on the back side of the drum brake assembly (closer to the trunk) to turn the adjuster from the rear of the drum.

The drum shoes should be very close to the drum with out actually touching it. There should be only a very small amount of clearance so that the drum shoes will engage firmly when you step on the brake pedal or use the emergency / parking brake.

Although, keep in mind that in most cars with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, the front brakes account for about 70% to 90% of the total braking force.

Slightly tighten them in a criss cross or "star" pattern.

The service manual for the 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla specifies 76 lb-ft of torque for the wheel lug nuts.

It would be best to use a torque wrench or an electric impact wrench with a torque stick to properly tighten the lug nuts.

Lower the vehicle from the jack stands and remove the chocks from the front wheels.

Sit in the driver seat of the vehicle and pump the brake pedal a few times to ensure that there is adequate brake line pressure.

If the pedal is overly soft or "mushy", you may need to bleed the brake lines.

For more, check out my other 2003-2008 Toyota Corolla Repair & Maintenance Guides.

If you have a newer model check out my 2009-2013 Toyota Corolla Repair & Maintenance Guides.