Parking Brake Help Needed - Very Frustrated

Ok guys. I'm no dummy and do work constantly on about 7 cars.

I replaced the parking brake cables since both old ones broke at the aluminium housing where they connect to the back of the brake housing. No biggie. Ordered new ones from Advance and replaced them.

Adjusted the brakes and tested and the parking brake would not hold the truck at all. Fiddled with the brakes for the next 2 days and got very frustrated and ordered new shoes, drums, cylinders, and hardware. Thanks RockAuto.

Woke up at 4am this morning and put them in. Checked and rechecked my job and hoped for the best. NO LUCK!! Still won't hold the truck. I know how to adjust the brakes until they just drag on the drum.

WHAT AM I MISSING!? It can't be this hard?

Pictures below of one side.

 

Did you adjust the pedal travel? Service manual states 7-10 clicks while depressing it.
IF not, pull up the carpet and take the 3 bolts out of the parking brake cable joint protector and adjust the lock nut until the pedal travel is in spec.

 

Yup. Already did that. I have 8-10 clicks.

 

Maybe you need someone to check/see the hand brake travel while your releasing and pulling the lever if the brake shoes are engaging...

 

Yup. Already did that with the drum on and off and the shoes do move.

 

Don't know that it would make a difference, I was taught to tighten the brakes until the wheel locked, than loosen until just dragging.

Good luck, OP.

 

Yup. Wheel is dragging slightly after the adjustment.

 

Just to clarify - the brakes seem to be "half" way there. It holds on a slight hill but not on a steeper hill.

 

Same thing happened to me when I replaced my rear shoes and drums.....its not you...its the fact that the shoes and drums have "broken each other in" yet. I know it sounds hokey as crap....I thought it did when I was told that....but after about a week and a half of driving around and using my parking brake as normal (mine is a manual so I just made sure to park against a curb and ensure my truck was in gear against any slope and avoid large slopes to start with)....then...after about 2 weeks I tested it out on a very steep incline and shazam! It gripped tighter than....well, lets just say it gripped tight.

No problem since then two years ago.

 

Interesting....

I've been doing a lot of reading and it appears that in some cases the drums and the shoes have to wear into each other. I'm hoping this is the case since I have nothing else to try. By the way I bought the brake shoe, drum Centric combo kit from RockAutho.

Thanks for the reply.