By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse
The 2013-2016 Scion FR-S uses a small drum brake hidden inside the hat of each rear disc rotor for its hand-lever parking brake. Most complaints - a lever that pulls up too far, a car that rolls on a hill, or a rear wheel that drags - come down to worn or rusted shoes, shoe clearance that was never set, or a stretched cable. The fix is almost always to adjust the shoes first and then the cable, in that order, using the factory numbers.
How the FR-S Parking Brake Works
The FR-S was built alongside its twin, the Subaru BRZ, and the two share the same rear brake hardware. The rear service brakes are conventional calipers and pads clamping the rotor face. The parking brake is separate: a pair of shoes sits on the backing plate, inside the machined drum surface in the center (the "hat") of the rear rotor. When you pull the center-console lever, a cable pulls a lever at the backing plate that spreads the shoes against that inner drum surface.
This design is usually called drum-in-hat. Trade publication Brake and Front End describes the layout the same way: the shoes are applied mechanically by a cable-actuated cam and lever at the bottom of the backing plate, and they are adjusted with a star-type adjuster reached through a slot in the rotor hat. On the FR-S that slot is covered by a small adjusting hole cover in the rotor.
Because the parking shoes only touch the drum when the lever is pulled, they wear very slowly. The bigger enemies are rust, disuse and adjustment that drifts over time.
Common FR-S Parking Brake Problems and Symptoms
| Symptom | Most likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Lever pulls up too many clicks, weak hold on a hill | Excess shoe clearance or stretched cable | Set shoe clearance, then lever stroke |
| Rear wheel feels hot, car coasts poorly, burning smell | Shoes adjusted too tight or cable binding | Confirm the adjuster was backed off the full factory amount |
| Grinding or scraping from the rear at low speed | Rust scale on the drum surface or a broken shoe spring | Pull the rotor and inspect shoes and hardware |
| Rear rotor will not come off during a brake job | Rotor hat has rusted to the shoes or a ridge has worn in | Back the adjuster off through the access hole |
| Brake warning light does not come on when the lever is pulled | Lever switch out of position or faulty | Light should come on at the first notch |
A car that mostly lives in a garage, or an owner who never uses the handbrake, is the classic setup for rusted shoes. A sports car driven on track days can go the other way - heat and occasional hard handbrake use can glaze the linings.
Factory Inspection Limits
Before adjusting anything, pull the rear rotors and measure. The Subaru BRZ service manual lists these limits for the shared parking brake hardware:
| Item | Standard | Service limit |
|---|---|---|
| Rear rotor drum inner diameter | 190 mm (7.48 in) | 191 mm (7.52 in) |
| Parking brake shoe lining thickness | 3.5 mm (0.14 in) | 1.5 mm (0.059 in) |
If the drum diameter is past the limit, the rotor is done even if the braking face still looks good. If a lining is under the limit, replace the shoes - and the manual says to replace right and left parking shoes as a set. Also look for broken or stretched return springs, a seized adjuster and oil or grease contamination on the linings.
How to Adjust the FR-S Parking Brake Step by Step
The order matters. Adjusting the cable to take up slack that really lives at the shoes will make the brake feel fine for a while and then drag or wear the shoes. The factory procedure is: shoe clearance first, lever stroke second.
1. Set shoe clearance
- Safely raise and support the rear of the car and remove the rear wheels. Release the handbrake lever completely.
- Loosen the cable adjusting nut at the lever so the cable is slack. The nut sits under the lever boot in the console.
- Remove the adjusting hole cover from the rear rotor and rotate the rotor until the hole lines up with the adjuster.
- With a flat-tip screwdriver or brake spoon, turn the adjuster until the shoes contact the drum and the rotor will not turn.
- Back the adjuster off exactly 10 notches. The manual warns that if it is not loosened far enough, the brake can drag.
- Reinstall the adjusting hole cover. Repeat on the other side.
2. Set lever stroke
- Remove the handbrake boot by releasing its claws.
- Pull the lever hard 3 to 5 times to seat the cables and shoes.
- Turn the adjusting nut until the lever travels 7 to 8 notches when pulled with about 200 N (45 lbf) of force - a firm, normal pull.
- Spin each rear wheel with the lever released and confirm there is no drag.
- Check that the brake warning light comes on at the first notch of lever travel.
Brake and Front End makes the same point technicians learn the hard way: never estimate a parking brake adjustment. If the book says a set number of notches, count them.
Stuck Rear Rotors, New Shoes and Cables
If the rear rotor refuses to come off for a pad and rotor job, do not beat on it. Pop the plug from the rotor, turn the adjuster to retract the shoes while spinning the rotor (the wrong direction will feel tighter), and then tap the rotor free. Forcing it off with the shoes still expanded can bend the backing plate or break shoe hardware.
When you replace the rear rotors, the parking shoes get a brand new drum surface. That is the right moment to inspect the shoes, replace them if they are near the limit, and redo the full clearance and stroke adjustment. Installing new rear brake rotors and then only tightening the cable is the most common way FR-S owners end up with a lever that is too high or a brake that drags.
Cables stretch over the years, and the jacket and boots let water in. A cable that is frayed, kinked or slow to return needs replacement, not adjustment. Brake and Front End also warns against spraying lubricants or solvent into the cable sheath - it attracts grime or washes it deeper and shortens cable life.
What to Replace Together and How Hard the Job Is
- Rear pads and rotors: Most FR-S parking brake work happens during a rear brake job, because the rotor has to come off anyway. We carry Hawk Performance ER-1 rear brake pads for the 2013-2016 FR-S, which come with clips and shims.
- Parking shoes and hardware: Replace as a left and right set if either side is under the lining limit, and swap tired springs at the same time. Browse brake hardware kits and brake shoes.
- Front brakes: If you are upgrading the front at the same time, the Hawk Talon drilled and slotted front rotor set for the FR-S is listed for this car.
Difficulty: an adjustment alone is an easy job for a home mechanic with jack stands and a flat screwdriver. Shoe replacement is moderate - the springs are fiddly, and taking photos of each side before you disassemble it saves a lot of guesswork. Torque the caliper bracket and wheel fasteners to the values in the factory service manual.
The parts that fix this — verified to fit your Scion FR-S Parking
- 2011-2019 Subaru Forester Impreza Outback Crosstrek BRZ Scion FR-S Toyota 86 Front Brake Kit - TRQ — $158.99
- Hawk Performance DTC-70 Front Race Brake Pads HB711U.661 - 2013 Subaru BRZ, 2013 Legacy 2.5i, 2013 Scion FR-S — $309.59
- Hawk Performance ER-1 Rear Brake Pads HB671D.628 - 2013-2016 Scion FR-S 2.0L Base, Clips and Shims Included — $266.39
Ships from our Circleville, OH warehouse. Free shipping over $75.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many clicks should the FR-S parking brake lever have?
The factory spec shared with the BRZ is 7 to 8 notches with a firm pull of about 200 N (45 lbf), after the shoe clearance has been set.
Does the FR-S parking brake use the rear brake pads?
No. It uses separate small shoes inside the hat of each rear rotor. The rear pads and caliper only do the normal braking.
Why does my parking brake feel loose after new rear rotors?
The new rotor has a fresh, unworn drum surface, and the shoe clearance was probably not reset. Set the shoes first (tighten to contact, back off 10 notches), then set the lever stroke.
Do I need to replace the parking brake shoes with every rear brake job?
Usually not. They wear slowly because they only contact the drum when the lever is pulled. Measure them; replace only if they are near the 1.5 mm limit, contaminated or damaged.
Can I just tighten the cable nut to fix a high lever?
It may feel fixed briefly, but the factory order is shoes first, cable second. Skipping the shoe adjustment can cause drag and uneven shoe wear.
Sources
- Subaru BRZ Service Manual - Parking Brake Inspection and Shoe Clearance - rotor drum diameter and shoe lining limits, 10-notch back-off procedure, replace shoes as a set
- Subaru BRZ Service Manual - Parking Brake Lever Stroke - 7 to 8 notches at 200 N, pull lever 3 to 5 times, warning light at first notch
- Brake and Front End - Parking Brake Diagnostics, Repair and Maintenance - drum-in-hat layout, star adjuster through rotor slot, cable stretch
- Brake and Front End - Adjusting Parking Brakes - never estimate adjustments, cable lubricant and solvent warning
- Brake and Front End - Removing a Rear Rotor Stuck on the Parking Brake - backing off the adjuster to free a stuck rotor
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