Darn Parking Brake!

MuskyHunter · 11-04-2005, 07:19 PM

I use the parking brake on a slanted driveway every day. I have had it adjusted a number of times. It holds for a while and then over time the cable seems to stretch enough where the parking brake is ineffective. The park pin (or whatever it is called) in the transmission gets bound up from the pressure from rolling back on the incline and is difficult to get into gear. What is it going to take to have a parking brake that holds the truck? Big brake kit for the rear? (kidding) I am curious if anyone else has/had this problem and what has resolved the problem?

Papa_D · 11-05-2005, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuskyHunter

I use the parking brake on a slanted driveway every day. I have had it adjusted a number of times. It holds for a while and then over time the cable seems to stretch enough where the parking brake is ineffective. The park pin (or whatever it is called) in the transmission gets bound up from the pressure from rolling back on the incline and is difficult to get into gear. What is it going to take to have a parking brake that holds the truck? Big brake kit for the rear? (kidding) I am curious if anyone else has/had this problem and what has resolved the problem?

A brick. Just kidding, I wonder if you would have the same issue if you backed into your drive?

Tony · 11-05-2005, 06:17 AM

I have had the exact issue.
Diagnosed as an out-of-round e-brake assembly and replaced it. (First, the dealer claimed it was my fault for driving with the e-brake engaged - SHURE!) Replacing it provided some improvement but the truck will still slide down an incline.
I certainly can’t rely on it for serious chores such as preventing the truck from sliding down the boat ramp while loading the boat!
In MA, we have an annual state inspection which includes an e-brake test where the auto tech applies throttle to judge the e-brake’s ability to hold the vehicle. We’ll see. In any event, it is as useless as a pack of gum (not a brick) under the left rear tire.

bestatchess · 11-05-2005, 06:46 AM

I tightened mine up (service manual - Pages PB 1-8) and sprayed it with brake cleaner and it has been pretty good for awhile. The parking brake surfaces still looked good, not worn down. You are supposed to use a special measuring tool, I just eyeballed it and made sure that the brake shoes don't drag with the parking brake disengaged.

I now follow a posted suggestion to put the tranny in Neutral, apply the parking brake, let off on the brake pedal so the load is on the parking brake, and then put the tranny into Park. This keeps the pressure off the tranny (assuming the parking brake is working).

MuskyHunter · 11-05-2005, 08:03 AM

Quote:

I wonder if you would have the same issue if you backed into your drive?

Unfortunately, backing into drive or nose forward doesn't make a difference at this point.

Quote:

I now follow a posted suggestion to put the tranny in Neutral, apply the parking brake, let off on the brake pedal so the load is on the parking brake, and then put the tranny into Park.

Thank you. Yes, I have been doing this since day two of ownership. The problem is if I put it in neutral with the parking brake on, I will roll back into the street at this point.

Quote:

Diagnosed as an out-of-round e-brake assembly and replaced it.

When you say "out-of-round" what part are you referring to?

bestatchess · 11-05-2005, 08:08 AM

I would guess that "out of round" references the parking brake drum. See attached.

squatch · 11-05-2005, 04:07 PM

I've got same problem. steep drive crappy e brake. I haven't even looked yet but I assume these things have a little drum inside the disc like most use these days. I haven't had a truck with this design that works well. My old 1st gen isuzu trooper had the lever that pushed the puck in caliper on rear disk. It worked great. The hand control was real handy on hills with a load and stickshift. I miss it on boat ramps. Anyway I have a gravel drive and just back up to a chock I cut out of a railroad tie. It's a hillbilly fix but it works.

bestatchess · 11-05-2005, 04:22 PM

My driveway is super steep. After adjustment, my parking brake works fine. I'm not sure, but I think maybe the inside of the parking brake drum is initially painted, then the paint wears off, then the brake shoes don't engage the drum tightly enough. Tightening the cable at the parking brake pedal is not sufficient, you have to turn the adjusters at the shoes.

MuskyHunter · 11-05-2005, 10:08 PM

Thanks for the diagram. I didn't realize a drum was involved. I thought there was some kind of piston actuator of the disc brake. Explains why the parking brake performs poorly not only on the driveway but at the boat ramp as well.

jd1973 · 11-07-2005, 07:16 PM

I've had the same lousy parking brake since new. Been serviced multiple times. I don't know if anything can be done. My driveway isn't that bad but I still have to be careful.
JD

miketan · 11-15-2005, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bestatchess

My driveway is super steep. After adjustment, my parking brake works fine. I'm not sure, but I think maybe the inside of the parking brake drum is initially painted, then the paint wears off, then the brake shoes don't engage the drum tightly enough. Tightening the cable at the parking brake pedal is not sufficient, you have to turn the adjusters at the shoes.

I've got the same problem. My driveway is at a pretty steep incline as well. I had the dealer adjust my parking brake a few months ago and it worked fine for awhile. However, now it's starting to creep backwards again when I set the brake on the hill.

How do you adjust it at the shoes? Just turn the adjusters until a slight drag is felt at the rear wheel and then just back it off the other way a bit?

I'd bring it in to the dealer again, but I don't want to keep going back to have the parking brake adjusted all the time.lol!

bestatchess · 11-15-2005, 09:36 PM

Yes, When my parking brake didn't drag when released and the truck didn'troll down the hill when set, I called it good.

Austin · 11-15-2005, 11:00 PM

I had mine adjusted great, but after getting my axle replaced (new axles come with new parking brake assemblies), it was absolute crap again.

Takes about 30 minutes start to finish to adjust it. There is an adjusting nut for the cable at the parking brake pedal, and there is one adjust per side in the parking brake assembly. I just jack the rear diff up, take one wheel off at a time (so I can spin the other one) and listen for dragging shoes. Goes pretty quick.