I have previously searched parking brake DIY and not found much. I thought I'd put my DIY list here for others who may not have done one of these before. It's actually not hard at all. Sorry about the lack of pictures, I didn't have time to snap any pictures.
The main reason I'm posting this is that most solutions I've seen for parking brake problems refer to replacing parking shoes, or adding washers to the equalizer. Neither solution did anything for my parking brake, and my parking brake pedal was going to the floor.
Disassembly:
1) Raise rear end and place on jack stands.
2) Remove rear wheels.
3) Remove calipers and discs (see http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/diy-tahoe-rear-brakes.13721/, Richard's got a really good write-up for the rear brakes).
4) Loosen the equalizer for the parking brake, disengage the rear parking brake cables from the equalizer. This is located under the drivers side rear C pillar (behind rear door).
5) Completely back off the star adjuster until the shoes are as retracted as possible.
6) Remove parking brake hold down clip. (7 or 8 mm, I can't remember). It's located opposite the star adjuster. You will need a 1/4" drive to fit in there.
7) Tap the shoe side towards the axle (the adjuster side of the shoes slide away from the axle), remove. (it does come off fairly easily if you rotate it in the right way.)
8) Remove the adjuster assembly (tappet, pushrod, adjusting nut assembly)
9) Disengage the brake cable from the brake lever.
10) Remove the brake lever.
11) I tried to remove the dust cover, but it was in there so well I figured I'd not get the new one in within a reasonable period of time, so I left it. I also neglected to change the adjustment pawl. These should have been changed.
12) Clean back plate with brake cleaner.
Assembly
13) Using brake grease, lube the new lever and install into the parking brake cable and through back plate.
14) Use antiseize on the threads of the adjuster, and screw the adjuster nut onto the adjusting screw completely (but not tightly). Apply brake grease to the bore and outer surfaces of the adjuster. Insert the pushrod into the tappet, then insert tappet and adjuster assembly into the bore. Make sure it engages with the parking brake lever.
15) Install the new shoe assembly, loosely tighten the hold down clamp.
16) Reattach the parking brake cables to the equalizer.
17) *** This step I discovered is necessary to ensure the brake lever is properly engaged. Perhaps there's a better way, but what I did made a difference.
Partially engage the parking brake, then go to each brake lever and slightly press it in using a pry bar. In both cases, it popped in a little. I presume that this was the pushrod snapping into the brake lever. Before I did this, one of the parking shoes did function when the parking brake was applied, even with a brake adjustment. After doing so, I had to readjust the parking brake, and it functioned normally. At this time, I know of no other way to ensure that the parking brake lever engages with the tappets and pushrods properly.
18) **** I'm not sure that this step is necessary, but it just made good sense to me. I haven't seen anyone describe doing this.
Before tightening the hold down spring onto the parking shoes, install the discs and apply the parking brake, then release. Remove the disc and tighten the hold down spring. This will ensure that the shoes are centered inside the disk as much as possible, prevent uneven wear of the parking shoes, and ensures better holding force.
19) Adjust the parking brake shoes.
a) Turn the adjustment nut out until the disc rubs the shoes as you rotate the disc while pushing inwards. (If you don't push inwards, it will rub anyway because it will not be sitting squarely on the shoes.)
b) Back off the adjusting nut until it no longer rubs against the disc when pushing inwards. This takes at least 5 "clicks", probably more. I backed mine off 5 clicks and the parking brake pedal only goes down 1/3, so I should probably have backed it off more. It seems that, when properly lubed, there is LOTS of travel for the shoes with the parking brake pedal. I wouldn't be surprised that you could back it off 20 clicks or more and the parking brake would still hold. It's probably more important that the shoes are backed off equally on both sides.
20) As you reinstall the calipers according to Richard's write-up, remove the pads and relube the glides. Even though my brakes had been done within the last year, the lube was already getting caked on. (perhaps I need a different brake grease).
Comments:
I figure now that my shoes were probably just fine (see my other posts in the thread http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/parking-brake-adjustment-question.83382/#post-1016743)
Washers did nothing, adjustment did nothing. The previous owner had had the parking brakes done in the last year or two. However, I discovered that the mechanic had only done one side. The passenger side was partially seized. There is so much adjustment in the adjustment nut, and so much travel possible in the brake pedal, that I don't believe washers are even necessary unless the cable is stretched.
The main reason I'm posting this is that most solutions I've seen for parking brake problems refer to replacing parking shoes, or adding washers to the equalizer. Neither solution did anything for my parking brake, and my parking brake pedal was going to the floor.
Disassembly:
1) Raise rear end and place on jack stands.
2) Remove rear wheels.
3) Remove calipers and discs (see http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/diy-tahoe-rear-brakes.13721/, Richard's got a really good write-up for the rear brakes).
4) Loosen the equalizer for the parking brake, disengage the rear parking brake cables from the equalizer. This is located under the drivers side rear C pillar (behind rear door).
5) Completely back off the star adjuster until the shoes are as retracted as possible.
6) Remove parking brake hold down clip. (7 or 8 mm, I can't remember). It's located opposite the star adjuster. You will need a 1/4" drive to fit in there.
7) Tap the shoe side towards the axle (the adjuster side of the shoes slide away from the axle), remove. (it does come off fairly easily if you rotate it in the right way.)
8) Remove the adjuster assembly (tappet, pushrod, adjusting nut assembly)
9) Disengage the brake cable from the brake lever.
10) Remove the brake lever.
11) I tried to remove the dust cover, but it was in there so well I figured I'd not get the new one in within a reasonable period of time, so I left it. I also neglected to change the adjustment pawl. These should have been changed.
12) Clean back plate with brake cleaner.
Assembly
13) Using brake grease, lube the new lever and install into the parking brake cable and through back plate.
14) Use antiseize on the threads of the adjuster, and screw the adjuster nut onto the adjusting screw completely (but not tightly). Apply brake grease to the bore and outer surfaces of the adjuster. Insert the pushrod into the tappet, then insert tappet and adjuster assembly into the bore. Make sure it engages with the parking brake lever.
15) Install the new shoe assembly, loosely tighten the hold down clamp.
16) Reattach the parking brake cables to the equalizer.
17) *** This step I discovered is necessary to ensure the brake lever is properly engaged. Perhaps there's a better way, but what I did made a difference.
Partially engage the parking brake, then go to each brake lever and slightly press it in using a pry bar. In both cases, it popped in a little. I presume that this was the pushrod snapping into the brake lever. Before I did this, one of the parking shoes did function when the parking brake was applied, even with a brake adjustment. After doing so, I had to readjust the parking brake, and it functioned normally. At this time, I know of no other way to ensure that the parking brake lever engages with the tappets and pushrods properly.
18) **** I'm not sure that this step is necessary, but it just made good sense to me. I haven't seen anyone describe doing this.
Before tightening the hold down spring onto the parking shoes, install the discs and apply the parking brake, then release. Remove the disc and tighten the hold down spring. This will ensure that the shoes are centered inside the disk as much as possible, prevent uneven wear of the parking shoes, and ensures better holding force.
19) Adjust the parking brake shoes.
a) Turn the adjustment nut out until the disc rubs the shoes as you rotate the disc while pushing inwards. (If you don't push inwards, it will rub anyway because it will not be sitting squarely on the shoes.)
b) Back off the adjusting nut until it no longer rubs against the disc when pushing inwards. This takes at least 5 "clicks", probably more. I backed mine off 5 clicks and the parking brake pedal only goes down 1/3, so I should probably have backed it off more. It seems that, when properly lubed, there is LOTS of travel for the shoes with the parking brake pedal. I wouldn't be surprised that you could back it off 20 clicks or more and the parking brake would still hold. It's probably more important that the shoes are backed off equally on both sides.
20) As you reinstall the calipers according to Richard's write-up, remove the pads and relube the glides. Even though my brakes had been done within the last year, the lube was already getting caked on. (perhaps I need a different brake grease).
Comments:
I figure now that my shoes were probably just fine (see my other posts in the thread http://www.tahoeyukonforum.com/threads/parking-brake-adjustment-question.83382/#post-1016743)
Washers did nothing, adjustment did nothing. The previous owner had had the parking brakes done in the last year or two. However, I discovered that the mechanic had only done one side. The passenger side was partially seized. There is so much adjustment in the adjustment nut, and so much travel possible in the brake pedal, that I don't believe washers are even necessary unless the cable is stretched.
