Re: Parking Brake(easy adjustment)

[Jay Goldberg <jgoldberg@compassnet.com>]

I haven't had to do this on my truck yet, and my service manual isn't
here, but generally there are two relevant adjustments for parking
brakes.  One is for the shoe to drum clearance as described below.  The
other is the cable tensioner.  The vehicle will roll if there is too
much slack in the cable.

A couple of other comments--

Sometimes excessive brake dust in the drum will make the adjustment
wheel too sticky to work.  You may have to adjust it manually.

Sometimes incompetent mechanics will install the adjusters improperly so
that they don't work automatically.  I have also heard of them being
installed on the wrong side of the vehicle, so that backing causes them
to loosen, not tighten.

One of my other vehicles flunked the Texas safety inspection because the
parking brake wouldn't hold in gear.  They tested both in D and R.

Jay

Bullyhart@aol.com wrote:
> >
> My manual for S-10's says that in order to adjust the rear shoes you roll the
> vehicle in reverse and stab the brake pedal firmly, the system will adjust
> itself.  Do this until satisfied.  My parking brake holds in forward great.
> In reverse it will let me back out of the driveway, then once I start to go
> forward it stops me in my tracks.  Try the reverse deal....
> Daron
> '92 Ty
> '91 Sy
> Dayton