Events/Trails TLCA event safety tech (1 Viewer)

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My parking brake is an emergency brake. If I pull it, it will stop the truck, but that's it. Once on, it will take some work to get it disengaged. For those of you in the salt belt reading this post, you should be aware that your brake may very well stick on and not release if you go to check the number of "clicks" you have. That's fine in an emergency. If I have no brakes and I am hurtling out of control, I'm perfectly willing to seize my e-brake. Otherwise, the parking pawl works fine for parking on inclines.

For you 91/92 owners, hurtling would be going really fast, in your case down a steep hill. :D
 
landtank,

Your procedure for the adjustment is incorrect and can cause problems. Adjusting the e-brake on 4 wheel disc setups is as follows:

a) Temporarily install the hub nuts
b) Remove the hole plug
c) Turn the adjuster and expand the shoes until the disc locks
d) Return the adjuster 8 notches
e) Install hole plug

If necessary adjust bellcrank

a) Pull the bellcrank until all play in the interior linkage is taken up
b) Screw in the bellcrank adjusting bolt to where it contacts on the dust seal
c) Loosen it one turn and lock it at that position with the lock nut


On the 80s cool list several years back there were several members that had adjusted the shoes to the point they dragged (or done so by the dealer). After a few miles the drag on the shoes caused them to heat and expand further causing the brakes to keep applying more and more. Big time shudder no doubt. In a couple cases this was not diagnosed in time and the end result was the replacement of the e-brake shoes and new rotors. In any event the shoes would be glazed and effectiveness of the brakes being further degraded.
 
Well we all can see how good my memory is. :doh:

If you think that you have driven with the e-brake on because it got stuck then a shoe replacement should also be done. I did drive with the e-brake on and the pads were trashed and wouldn't hold the truck even after the repair of the seized parts.

PPC, 1 mm, 1 turn i was somewhat close. As far as the 8 turn thing, I know I didn't do that. I've done so many brake jobs on rear drums back in the 70s I just installed them without even thinking about it.
 
landtank,

It was 8 "notches" not turns so you may be shortening the adjuster a turn or turn and a half. Biggest thing is to not have them drag. While adjusting I apply the brake a few times to make sure everything is centered as it gets close and that it properly releases.
 
[quote author=ppc link=board=2;threadid=10387;start=msg93608#msg93608 date=1074727548]
It was 8 "notches" not turns [/quote]


Oh God I don't think I'm going to escape it. My father (72) is my future :doh:. I might need to include a technical disclaimer in my sig line :-\
 
Here's what I'd do (closed to what Phil mentioned above):

. Pull PB up three (3) clicks.
. Turns the adjusting nut till the shoes start to grab
. Release PB & check ( by turning the rotor) if it still grab (if it does, then loosen the adjuster abit)

Frank.
 
Gumby, the reason you E-brake sticks is the pin in the bell where the cable and the brake connect. My bell pins were frozen. Got one to free and broke the other. I filled the bell and cable area with grease. Disclaimer " I don't know if it is safe to grease the bell area but if you do don't over fill it or it will get on the brake" This was the first thing I fixed on my 80 when I got it. It turned in to an almost ground up rebuild of the drive train:doh:

Landtank,Now that I think of it there was no adjustment at the end of the cable :slap:

I was thinking of adding a shim to the end of the cable to shorten the cable :-\

I will try the 3click trick first.
 
I think I put Antiseize in the bell and grease in the bell/cable area.

O/T but Gumby did you fix/find you t-case leak???
 
I think a lot of the parking brake issues could be solved with regular use - rust belt or not. We lazy Americans with our 95% automatic transmission vehicle population are not taught to use the parking brake and consequently they get gunked up just like factory lockers. A little exercise is a good thing. I tend to use mine whenever I'm parked on a slope, and also when the boat is in tow (an 11,500lb bump on the park pawl is a bad thing no matter how gently). I wince when I see people at the boat ramp pull a several thousand pound boat up the steep slope, then casually toss it in park and let the entire load slam and bounce into park. You'd think the loud bang when they force it back into gear would be something of a message to them, ya know?? Anyhow, lubing anything inside the parking drum assembly is kind of risky as it can get very hot in there and any liquid (melted grease) is going to end up on the drum and shoes. Better to clean things up and then use the brake from time to time.

DougM
 
Well, its been in there for two years and its in the bell where the boot covers it.
When I did the wheel bearings there was no grease on the drum part of the rotor.
 
Good sign. I am a caretaker for 8 routinely overheated brakes - 4 on my boat trailer and the Cruiser's. We live in a mountainous area and tow all summer, so I am conservative. I've tried a few high temp brake greases on the trailer drums in a continuing effort to keep the shoes moving properly despite dunkings in the lake and salt water. All ended up contaminating the brake shoes after heating and running, so now I simply replace everything each year.

DougM
 
Anti-seize won't get the job done! You want white lithium! Once the bellcrank has rusted your pretty much hosed. I replaced the bellcrank, mount and cable to the brake actuator and all pins and clips. Packed everything in White lithium and haven't had a problem. This was after trying anti-seize which didn't last a year.
 
I set my parking/emergency brake every time I park the vehicle, no matter the circumstances.
 
I'm with Dan on setting the parking brake every time I park. It's something my parents taught me (which is strange given my parents belief in cars). It just scares me to think that the vehicle isn't rolling due to some pin in the transmission. I even go so far to make sure that there is no weight on that pin by applying the parking break before I put it into park.

My belief in this was reaffirmed when I knew of a van that had to be pushed forward to get it out of park.
 
[quote author=IdahoDoug link=board=2;threadid=10387;start=msg93706#msg93706 date=1074736660]
I think a lot of the parking brake issues could be solved with regular use - rust belt or not. We lazy Americans with our 95% automatic transmission vehicle population are not taught to use the parking brake and consequently they get gunked up just like factory lockers. A little exercise is a good thing.

DougM
[/quote]

Agreed. I tell my students to use it every time or only in an emergency. Irregular use will have your car on a hook in many instances around here. I suspect the same if you routinely dunk the axle in water.
 
Spray it off with a can of brake cleaner and drive around. Don't go hwy speeds or it will blow the oil. Or better yet just get the o-ring and replace it.
 
Just got home and thought I'd post my test on the e-brake. On level ground with the e-brake set I don't get movement until 1200 rpms in drive. This is with what would be a new system as I've replaced the rotors and pads and all the mechanicals inside the rotor

because of my 4.88 gears a stock system might be a little better
 

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