Sticking Parking Break

Anyone else ever have an issue with their parking brake not disengaging after it has been released?

This has been happening to me for a couple weeks now and it seems to be becoming more frequent. Yesterday I had to engage it and disengage it a few times before it released.

Looking for a remedy to fix it. What say you?

 

Just out of curiousity, what are you using the parking brake for? Your profile says you have an automatic, why not just put it in park? To answer your question, I haven't had any issues with mine but I don't use mine unless the truck is up on jack stands or ramps. Sometimes the e-brake can freeze, but I'm guessing that's not your issue.

 

For some reason I just randomly started using it. I think it's because when I'm parked on an incline without it, the transmission feels like it clunks into F or R. When it's applied at an incline it's much smoother. So I engage F or R while the parking/emergency brake is applied then release it.

 

If you just started using it, I'd say you might need to grease the cable.

 

Don't spring load it. Stop, put it in park. Take you foot of the brakes, Apply the park brakes.

Don't put the park brake on before you remove you foot off the brakes. The truck will move slightly as the tranny engages and that little bit might be the problem. Since there is no power on the system only springs that might be just enough to hold the shoes in place.

 

I always use parking brake on my automatic. The reason why is when i start my truck in the morning, my day time running like comes on. I rather to have them off because I don't want anybody know that I am warming up my truck. My driveway was a little hilly. So far I don't have problem with parking brake.

I do the same thing on my old 2007 Trailblazer with stupid automatic headlight on.

 

How cold was it, im not sure if the cold matters but the same thing happened to me, sorta. I released my break (i engaged the parking break cuz i was parked on a hill and I don't like the weight of the truck resting on the tranny) and the rear breaks released but the cable was sticking at the spring under the cab.

It was about 10 with the windchill, hasent done it since but I am betting it was the cold for me.

 

^This. It's an emergency brake, not a parking brake. That little extra resistance you get when going from Park to R or D in an automatic is fine, every car will do that when parked on an incline. Yours is catching because the system is under pressure as Trap said. I'm guessing once the truck is in gear, the brake releases fine since there is no longer any pressure on the brake.

 

No it's a park brake. A emergency brake has a extra do not lock the damn peddle down lever. A separate release so you can use it as a regular brake in a emergency. This one will just lock up and you will be in the ditch.

 

I guess it would depend on the situation. Your right, manufacturers call it a parking brake, and it turns off your DTRL for parking. But, if that's my only option, it'd very quickly become an emergency brake

 

Not so! When I put the tranny in gear after releasing the parking break...it feels like it's still applied and will not roll when the gas is applied.

 

Yes but did you put it in park first like I said and take you foot of the regular brakes before you applied the park brake.? If you did chances are there is a problem with it then.

 

I didn't realize there was a science behind using the parking break but I'll try the suggestions which are:?

1: disengage parking brake
2: apply normal brakes
3: shift into gear

 

But you're still not getting it. You have to apply it in the correct order BEFORE you put it on in the first place. After it's too late cause then it will chances are be spring loaded if you are on a incline.

Stop, put in park, take foot off regular brake

Apply park brake.

The easy way to figure out what to do if it's stuck is which way did your truck roll? Forward or backwards? If it rolled forward putting it into reverse will release the pressure on the pads allowing them to retract. If it rolled backward slightly, putting it in drive will release the pressure allowing them to retract.

 

I don't know what part of the country your from however I think that "For some reason I just randomly started using it." may be a contributing factor. I live in northeast ohio and my experience has been if your going to use you e-brake, use it from day one, if not, don't just out of the blue 3-4 years later expect that debris, corrosion and what not won't have an adverse effect on the cables and other hardware. You may want to crawl under and give everything a good WD40 bath, this may help.

 

Don't use WD40, Use silicone spray dry lube. WD40 is garbage cause it attracts dirt and gets super sticky after a short time.

 

Since I already added my 2 cents, I'm gonna shoot for 4 cents. While parking on a hill I would not put my truck in park release the foot brake and then apply the e-brake. Reason being that as soon as you let up on the foot brake downhill gravity will cause the truck to ease forward taking up any slack in the drivetrain binding your transmission. I would apply the foot brake, set the e-brake and then place the truck in park. Now to undo it all I would start the truck place my foot on the foot brake, place the transmission in what ever gear direction you desire including neutral then remove the e-brake, you should be good to go if the whole issue was drivetrain binding in the first place. Oh additionally some would say to always turn your wheels into the curb when parking on a hill, no cost for that.

 

Point well taken I guess I sometimes use WD40 as a catch all name for a rust buster/lubricant. I will try to refrain and use the correct terminology in the future.

 

Nick54, Never ever had a tranny bind up taking it out of park. Never has happened to me ever.

I don't think it's drive line binding, I think his rear shoes are sticking.

 

I guess that would require reading the first post.