Parking/Emergency Brake Adjustment

[NorCalDoug]

Any tips?
Mine's quite loose; i.e. it doesn't hold very well.

I'd like to tighten it up this weekend. I have the FSM, but am looking for tips from those who have done it already...things to watch out for...gotchas, etc.

 

[Biff]

I'm doing the same thing to my cruiser, my parking brake has gotten weaker every time I use it.

 

[KliersLC]

IIRC it isn't too difficult. Pull the rear rotors and adjust the shoes out. Hmmm That makes me think....I seem to remember that the shoe setup was a self adjuster, but I could be wrong. If it is, you could try backing up fast and then pulling the ebrake similar to the old american drum brakes. Also, there should be a linkage or cable adjustment somewhere under the rig but I have never taken the time to look for it.
Good luck,
Dan

 

[RavenTai]

It is not self adjusting,

IIRC you want to remove the cables from the bell cranks, take all the adjustment out of the bell cranks, then adjust the star wheel in the drum, you adjust the star well through a hole on the outboard face of the rotor that has a rubber plug, give a little more room than the FSM calls for, then adjust the bell cranks until the slop is taken up but no more, then install the cable and adjust the parking brake handle to take slop out of the cable and no more, actuate it through several cycles and make sure the pads to not drag and there is minimal slop, repeat as necessary. Defiantly RTFM as I probably forgot something,

 

[Arleaux]

I just did it, & as far as I can tell RavenTai is dead on.

 

[elmariachi]

Defiantly RTFM as I probably forgot something,

The only issue I would see would be if the emergency brake shoes are completely worn out, you could spend alot of time adjusting and still be nowhere. My advice to anyone using or relying on the emergency brakes is to remove the back tire, use a brake adjuster tool to back the shoes off using the hole Raven is mentioning and remove the rotor so you can see what you have. If there's enough pad, then slap the rotor back on and adjuster per the above and the FSM. Just my .02c.

 

[reffug]

I just did it, & as far as I can tell RavenTai is dead on.

Shocker............................


As far as I can tell Raven can quote the FSM as well as my minister can quote the gospels........................


Only the gospels never helped me fix my rig.

 

[Montana Cruiser]

There is also some good info if you search under "bellcrank" .... I was just checking this out myself.

 

[Safado]

Another way to do it, since I found the access how to be awkward, is to first remove the drum to check for pad wear. Use the adjusting star to adjust the pads out as far as is possible while still being able to slip the drum back on. If you only slip the drum on 3/4 of the way, you'll notice that you can lay under the truck and still access the adjusting star with ease. Adjust if out until it becomes aparent that they can't be adjusted any further and the fit is snug. Then use a hammer to tap the rotor fully into place. Realize that the pads will be making some contact with the rotors at this point, but after driving it around the block a few times, the pads will have worn sufficiently so that they'll now stop the truck with only a few clicks of the e-brake. Good luck.

 

[Darwood]

What ACU are we talking aboot?

on topic part:

Now what is a brake adjuster tool, and why do I need it?

 

[RavenTai]

I think I needed a flat head screwdriver for the star wheel, 10mm (12?) wrench and the same screwdriver for the bell crank, the cables disassemble by hand, but the adjuster at the handle was a pain (tight access), cant remember what I used, crows foot would be nice here. I don’t have any at the house or even in metric.


A drum brake tool is nice for removing and installing the springs but that is not needed to adjust them

The only issue I would see would be if the emergency brake shoes are completely worn out, you could spend alot of time adjusting and still be nowhere. My advice to anyone using or relying on the emergency brakes is to remove the back tire, use a brake adjuster tool to back the shoes off using the hole Raven is mentioning and remove the rotor so you can see what you have. If there's enough pad, then slap the rotor back on and adjuster per the above and the FSM. Just my .02c.

agreed pull the rotors and have a look around, having them off for the adjustment of the bell crank is helpful so you can see when all the slop is taking out with the rotor off you can watch the gap between the pad and lever arm

As far as I can tell Raven can quote the FSM as well as my minister can quote the gospels........................

Gotta read from the good book to keep Dan's voodoo at bay, I must be slacking he got me with the pin through the C-pillar, I must repent with 5 hail-Cruiser's, 4 oil changes and a tune up before a pin goes in the EGR modulator

 

[SR.GRINGO]

When you add the lift don't you need make a drop block for the e-brake? Norcal did you change anything after you installed the lift?--mine got worse after it was lifted..... I'm pretty sure I read something about this somewhere........

 

[Beowulf]

... so you can see what you have. If there's enough pad, then slap the rotor back on and adjuster per the above and the FSM.

The e-brake shoes have very little friction surface on them to begin with; especially if you are comparing the e-brake shoes to regular drum brake shoes. Don't be alarmed when you see only 1/16" of pad remaining.

-B-

 

[KliersLC]

The e-brake shoes have very little friction surface on them to begin with; especially if you are comparing the e-brake shoes to regular drum brake shoes. Don't be alarmed when you see only 1/16" of pad remaining.

-B-

They don't really see much wear unless you drive around with the ebrake pulled , so as long as you have a bit left, everything should be fine.

 

[elmariachi]

The e-brake shoes have very little friction surface on them to begin with; especially if you are comparing the e-brake shoes to regular drum brake shoes. Don't be alarmed when you see only 1/16" of pad remaining.
-B-

Excellent point Beowulf because in reality, the e-brake shoes should never see much slippage (unless you are doing Dukes of Hazzard 180's in your Cruiser). I can't recall ever seeing a set of pads worn to the point of needing replacement, even on a 150K mile truck.

 

[Safado]

Dan once told me he had never sold a set.

 

[alia176]

My only concern is that if you adjust the Ebrake to be real nice and tight, then what happens during extreme droops? Are you simply stretching the Ebrake cables? Perhaps having a lit bit of slack is good?

 

[RavenTai]

Through its normal range of motion the position of the axle has no effect on the parking brake. If you run out of length in the cable and it pulls tight it may have an effect probably break something also. I have not heard of this happening with common lifts. Somebody with the 6"+ lifts would be able to give a better answer.

 

[JerseyCruiser]

It is not self adjusting,

IIRC you want to remove the cables from the bell cranks, take all the adjustment out of the bell cranks, then adjust the star wheel in the drum, you adjust the star well through a hole on the outboard face of the rotor that has a rubber plug, give a little more room than the FSM calls for, then adjust the bell cranks until the slop is taken up but no more, then install the cable and adjust the parking brake handle to take slop out of the cable and no more, actuate it through several cycles and make sure the pads to not drag and there is minimal slop, repeat as necessary. Defiantly RTFM as I probably forgot something,

I just completed a rear OEM elocker retrofit and why I was in there I serviced everything and used your info for the e-brake adjustment. I took all of the play out of the bell cranks (they moved properly not sized), adjusted the shoes even let them drag a bit, and the handle seems to be bottomed out as far as taking up the slop in the cable. I can hold the truck on a hill which I could not do at all before but I have to pull the S**T out of the handle to an almost vertical position to hold it. I don't see any other adjustment points on the cable, has the cable just stretched over the years and can it be shortened?

Thanx in advance
George

 

[FirstToy]

basically repeating but..
Doug,
don't mess with anything inside the truck. adjust from the rear brakes-
-take off the wheels,
- line up the hole at the bottom (that hole sometimes has a rubber plug in it-one fell out in mine), there is a toothed cog there
- you take a flathead screwdriver and flip the teeth up (turning the starwheel)
- do it all the way tight and then back it off a few clicks
- you can pull the e brake handle to see how tight it is.