If you searched for rear pads and rotors on a 2016-2023 Tacoma, here is the thing nobody tells you at the parts counter: the third-generation Tacoma uses 10 inch rear drum brakes on every North American trim, from base SR with the 2.7L 2TR-FE right up to TRD Pro with the 3.5L 2GR-FKS, 2WD and 4WD alike. There is no rear caliper, no rear rotor and no rear pad. The rear job is shoes, hardware and drums, and the parking brake shares those same shoes.
Mechanically it is an easy job with old-fashioned tools, and the only real fight is getting the drum off a truck that has seen winter salt. Use the two M8 x 1.25 threaded holes in the drum face with a pair of bolts and it walks off cleanly; people who skip that step end up hammering drums into scrap. The second thing people get wrong is the final adjustment: back the star adjuster out until the drum just drags, then off a touch, and cycle the parking brake pedal ten times so the self-adjuster settles. Skip it and you get a long pedal and a parking brake that will not hold on a ramp.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel chocks Pair Chock the front wheels before releasing the parking brake, which must be off to remove drums. | Safety | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 18-24 in Loosen the 21 mm lug nuts while the truck is still on the ground. | Required | shop |
| Lug nut socket 21 mm, 1/2 in drive, 6-point (thin wall for alloy wheels) All 3rd-gen Tacoma lug nuts are 21 mm on M12 x 1.5 studs. | Required | shop |
| Floor jack 2-ton minimum Lift the rear axle by the differential housing or axle tube. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3-ton pair Support the truck under the frame rails or axle before working. | Safety | shop |
| Forcing bolts Two M8 x 1.25, 35-45 mm long, hex head Thread into the drum's two threaded holes to press a rust-stuck drum off the axle flange. | Required | shop |
| Socket for forcing bolts 12 mm or 13 mm socket, 3/8 in drive Turns the M8 forcing bolts evenly to walk the drum off. | Required | shop |
| Dead blow or ball-peen hammer 2-3 lb Shock the drum face around the hub to break the rust bond; never hit the friction surface of a drum you plan to reuse. | Recommended | shop |
| Brake adjusting spoon Curved brake spoon, or long flat-blade screwdriver Back off the star adjuster through the backing plate slot so the shoes clear a ridged drum, and re-adjust on reassembly. | Required | shop |
| Brake spring pliers Drum brake spring / return spring pliers Remove and install the upper return springs and the lower/adjuster springs without destroying them. | Required | shop |
| Hold-down spring tool Brake shoe retaining spring (cup and pin) tool Compresses and turns the hold-down spring cups on the shoe pins — the fiddliest part of the job. | Required | shop |
| Needle-nose pliers Standard and bent-nose Unhook the parking brake cable from the lever and manage the small clips and springs. | Required | shop |
| Rear brake shoe set 10 in (254 mm) x 2.0 in rear shoes, 3rd-gen Tacoma New friction; buy per-axle and replace both sides together. | Parts | shop |
| Drum brake hardware kit Springs, hold-down pins/cups, adjuster components, 3rd-gen Tacoma rear Old springs lose tension and cause drag or clunking; cheap insurance with new shoes. | Parts | shop |
| Rear brake drums 254 mm ID, 3rd-gen Tacoma rear, pair Replace if the drums are beyond the max diameter cast into them, scored, cracked or out of round. | Parts | shop |
| Drum micrometer Inside drum gauge, 6-12 in range Measure drum inside diameter against the max stamped on the drum before reusing it. | Recommended | shop |
| Brake cleaner Non-chlorinated, 2 cans Clean the backing plate, new drum machining oil and the shoe contact surfaces. | Consumables | shop |
| Wire brush Hand brush, steel Clean rust ridges off the backing plate shoe pads and axle flange face. | Consumables | shop |
| High-temp brake lubricant Synthetic brake grease / anti-seize for backing plate pads A thin smear on the six backing-plate contact pads and adjuster threads stops squeal and seizing. | Consumables | shop |
| Flare nut wrench 10 mm line wrench Only needed if you replace a leaking wheel cylinder and must open the brake line. | Recommended | shop |
| Socket set 10 mm and 12 mm, 3/8 in drive with short extension Wheel cylinder mounting bolts and backing plate hardware if you go that deep. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 20-150 ft-lb Final lug nut torque; over-tightening warps drums and stretches studs. | Required | shop |
| Nitrile gloves and N95 mask Brake dust in a drum is concentrated; do not blow it out with compressed air. | Safety | shop |
| Safety glasses Drum brake springs let go under tension. | Safety | shop |
Nothing in this job changes between the 2.7L 2TR-FE and the 3.5L 2GR-FKS, or between 2WD and 4WD: same 10 in (254 mm) rear drums, same shoes, same 21 mm lug nuts and 83 ft-lb torque. Wheel diameter (16, 17 or 18 in) and whether the wheel is steel or alloy only affect whether you want a thin-wall 21 mm socket to avoid scuffing the wheel. Front brakes do differ by trim, with larger front rotors on some 3.5L 4WD and TRD models.
| Wheel lug nuts (M12 x 1.5, 21 mm hex) | 83 ft-lb (113 Nm) |
| Wheel cylinder to backing plate bolts | verify in the service manual |
| Brake line union nut at wheel cylinder | verify in the service manual |
| Backing plate to axle flange bolts | verify in the service manual |
The 21 mm lug nut size, 83 ft-lb lug torque, M8 x 1.25 drum forcing holes and rear-drum-only configuration are solid for the whole 2016-2023 generation on both engines; wheel cylinder, brake line and backing plate torques should be looked up in the Toyota service manual before you rely on them.
No. All third-generation Tacomas sold in North America, including TRD Off-Road, TRD Sport and TRD Pro, use 10 inch rear drum brakes. Rear discs on a 3rd-gen Tacoma only exist as an aftermarket conversion, often using Tundra or FJ Cruiser parts.
A 21 mm socket for the lug nuts, and a 12 mm or 13 mm socket to run the two M8 x 1.25 bolts you thread into the drum face to push a stuck drum off. A 10 mm flare nut wrench and 10 mm socket only come into play if you replace a leaking wheel cylinder.
Release the parking brake, back off the star adjuster through the rubber-plugged slot in the backing plate, then thread two M8 x 1.25 bolts into the drum's threaded holes and tighten them alternately half a turn at a time. A few hammer taps around the hub face help break the rust bond.
83 ft-lb (113 Nm) in a star pattern on the M12 x 1.5 studs with 21 mm nuts. Re-check after about 50 miles, and never set them with an impact gun, since excess torque distorts the drum and causes pedal pulsation.