Parking Brake Issues

[Sinister]

Replaced the main parking brake cable, seemed a little too long. Lot's of slack even adjusted all the way tight. Do the cables coming out of the backing plates stretch a lot? Parking brake won't hold the truck on a hill.

[68gmsee]

All of the above... Make sure your rear brakes have good tread and adjusted so that they barely touch the rim when rotated.

Spray lubricant on the cable sheathing might help. On one of my trucks I had to add some shims (larger sized nuts) on the backside of the adjusting bolt so that they would tighten enough.

[Sinister]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was thinking about some shims. There is also a bracket/guide on the passenger side that I was thinking of making shorter, but I don't want to mess it up if I have to replace the backing plate cables and things get too short.

[BADSAM]

I don't want to insult you or anything. But, you do have the cable looped through the thingys that hook to the frame? I memory serves these are on the frame sorta under the door.

The reason I ask is this same thing happened to a "friend" of mine, yeah a friend.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Sinister

Thanks for the quick reply. I was thinking about some shims. There is also a bracket/guide on the passenger side that I was thinking of making shorter, but I don't want to mess it up if I have to replace the backing plate cables and things get too short.

Do you have the guides for both sides? You should have one long one and one short one. I don't see how the rear cables from the backing plates could stretch. Adjustment can have a significant impact on it. If the shoes have to travel too far before contact the emergency brake won't work.

LockDoc

[Sinister]

The cable is running through both guides. I was under the impression the rear brakes self adjusted, might have to pull things apart and see what's up. This on a '69 C-20 if it matters.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by Sinister

The cable is running through both guides. I was under the impression the rear brakes self adjusted, might have to pull things apart and see what's up. This on a '69 C-20 if it matters.

They should self adjust but only if you gun it in reverse and then stop abruptly. The sudden stop makes the shoes grab the drums and the drums rotates the adjusting arm downward and to move the adjusting wheel. Make sure that the little wheel is well lubed otherwise it just slips over it.

I always pre-adjust the brakes and then every once in a while, when I can remember and their ain't no one behind, I'll go in reverse and stomp the brakes.