emergency brake
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Senior User
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emergency brake
hey guys maybe dumb question I put new front and rear brakes on truck when i put drums back on i adjusted them out tell i felt slight drag but my ebrake still goes to the floor should i run them on out or could my cable be stretched
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,528
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From: Peterborough, Ontario
If everything inside the drum is adjusted and setup right, then your cable may need adjusted. Sometimes with new rear shoes it takes a little bit for them to 'shape' to the drum, then they need re-adjusted. (Basically the diameter of the shoe and drum aren't exactly the same, as they wear a little they will fit the drum better.)
If one of the spacer bars (can't recall the correct name) for the e-brake was left out or installed wrong, that can easily give a poor performing e-brake.
If one of the spacer bars (can't recall the correct name) for the e-brake was left out or installed wrong, that can easily give a poor performing e-brake.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,709
Likes: 4
From: 8600 ft in Colo
This is on a '94, right? If so, there isn't any adjustment point where the front cable connects to the rear cables. It depends on the shoes being adjusted properly, and on a spring mechanism in the pedal.
Did the e-brake work before the brake job? If so, then something didn't get back together right, or they need to be adjusted out more. If it didn't work before, then I'd start at the beginning. Make sure the pedal actually moves the cable. Have someone watch it, or mark it. On my '93, the pedal pulls the cable about 2". That should point you to which end the problem is at...
Good luck!
Did the e-brake work before the brake job? If so, then something didn't get back together right, or they need to be adjusted out more. If it didn't work before, then I'd start at the beginning. Make sure the pedal actually moves the cable. Have someone watch it, or mark it. On my '93, the pedal pulls the cable about 2". That should point you to which end the problem is at...
Good luck!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 20,400
Likes: 871
From: Mi'kma'ki
i just went through this.i wasn't giving up until i got it fixed properly.
i spent hours looking at the dang thing,trying to figure out what wasn't right.
finally i saw the brake cable levers were bent,where someone in the past pressed too hard on the pedal trying to get the brakes to hold.
this fixed one side,and the other still no joy.after spending more time staring at the thing,i could tell the backing plate was bent.i pried that back,and this gave the room for the shoes to spread.
finally,i have a fully 100% back to factory new e-brake system.
don't give up! they can be restored.but man,oh man.can't they be a real head scratcher.
now working 100% correct,it's still about worthless in the event of a main brake blow out,trying to stop this 8k lb truck.
it's good for safety inspections and as a parking brake only.
in the event of an actual emergency,she's going into park.
i spent hours looking at the dang thing,trying to figure out what wasn't right.
finally i saw the brake cable levers were bent,where someone in the past pressed too hard on the pedal trying to get the brakes to hold.
this fixed one side,and the other still no joy.after spending more time staring at the thing,i could tell the backing plate was bent.i pried that back,and this gave the room for the shoes to spread.
finally,i have a fully 100% back to factory new e-brake system.
don't give up! they can be restored.but man,oh man.can't they be a real head scratcher.
now working 100% correct,it's still about worthless in the event of a main brake blow out,trying to stop this 8k lb truck.
it's good for safety inspections and as a parking brake only.
in the event of an actual emergency,she's going into park.
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