No parking brake!

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Aug 22, 2004 | 07:30 PM

RyanMiller

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Joined: Jul 2004

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From: Long island NY

No parking brake!

My parking brake dosnt work, if i push it in, the truck will stand still but if im on any hill it crepps forward. when its parked it must be in gear. Is there a separate brake for the parking then the regular brakes? i'll assume somebody ran it with the brake on and wore it down. the brakes arent the strongest on the truck, but they dont feel soft or anything, but then again it is a heavy truck. it wont skid them if i slam the brakes when rolling in neutral.

Aug 22, 2004 | 09:35 PM

fellro86

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Joined: Feb 2004

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From: Marengo, Iowa

You can adjust the cable tighter. It is underneath back in front of the left rear wheel. I have trouble with mine, don't know exactly what happened, but sometime in it's history, the mount on the dash frame broke loose, and now the pedal mount moves when I set the brake. I had to replace the pedal mount as it folded up because of this. I reinforced the replacement to keep it from folding, now I have concerns about it pulling through the firewall. I just go easy on it, and hope it doesn't work the firewall too hard.

Aug 22, 2004 | 10:46 PM

1081

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Joined: Mar 2004

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From: Kansas City, Missouri

The parking brake is connected to the rear brakes. It operates off a mechanical set up (versus hydrolic). Sometimes the rear brake shoes wear enough that the brake doesn't grab like it should, or other than metioned above I have seen it where the cable under the truck actually got snagged on something and stretched it. After years of use the cable does tend to stretch.

Aug 22, 2004 | 11:18 PM

rhodie

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Joined: Feb 2004

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From: RI

Often too, that equalizer (when the cable comes out of the cab, there is an equalizer connected to two cables--one for each rear drum) will get kinked towards one of the rear cables. I think this happens when one of the two cables binds up. This could cause one not to engage much when you apply the parking brake, and possibly for the other to be engaged all the time, wearing it out. I've seen this on both my trucks, and on the first I had to replace both rear drums completely--everything but the backing plate. Replaced all three cable segments, and the equalizer too. With the new drums, I discovered a whole new world of braking power...

Aug 23, 2004 | 06:40 AM

RyanMiller

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From: Long island NY

how much did the whole new rear brake setup set you back?

Aug 23, 2004 | 08:23 AM

rhodie

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Joined: Feb 2004

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From: RI

Can't find all the receipts, but I would estimate at about $300-350. The cables and the equalizer were about $120 altogether. The drums were $40 each. The shoes I can't remember (I want to say like $50, but not sure). The spring kit like $15-20. Then another kit for the adjusting screw, cable lever, etc, like $15-20. Then 2 new wheel cylinders (one was leaking a bit, then I damaged it removing it, so....) at about $12 each. Then a couple of tools to supposedly make the PITA of a job easier--but did not--some brake grease, etc...

The biggest pain is getting the old cables off (difficult enough new, but with 20 years of rust) and keeping everything lined up/together while trying to get the springs connected. You have to grow a hand or get a helper--it would have made the job a lot easier for me.

Hope you don't have to get all that, but I certainly did. When I took the drum off the side that was dragging (the passenger side), the shoe surface had come apart, the adjusting cable was gone, everything fried. The other side wasn't as bad--the shoes and drum weren't much better on the driver's side--but as everything was so worn, I decided to start fresh.

Good luck. If you need help, just ask.