Emergency brake for 2002 tahoe

[Vinniety]

I have searched and read so many posts stating the emergency brakes on these trucks suck and once they break don't bother fixing them, well i want and need mine fixed. Before i jump the gun and give the job to a mechanic i'm trying to figure it out myself. I have replaced all the brakes including the emergency brake pads and also replaced the front section of the emergency cable thinking that it was stretched. Still no good. Moving on to other items i left it alone until a few days ago i was working on the truck again and i saw my rear drivers side emergency cable rubbing up on the inside of my shock and making a mark on it. Looking at my brothers 2004 suburban i noticed it was wrong and had to be on the outside of the shock. Thinking that was my problem i took off the shock and moved the cable and put the shock back on. NOW it is to tight and rubs on the outside of the shock. Is there a write up or someone that has a better idea how these brakes should be fixed and adjusted.

Thanks

 

[southboundchicken]

have you replaced the rotors yet? i changed mine on my 2002 z71 pick up and that was the difference between brakes and no brakes

 

[Vinniety]

have you replaced the rotors yet? i changed mine on my 2002 z71 pick up and that was the difference between brakes and no brakes

Yes i did all new rotors, pads and emergency brake shoes and still no emergency brake. I even changed the front cable and tighten it all up. I'm thinking its the rear two cables screwed up. Anyway......

 

[Freedom Motorsports]

When you replaced the rear rotors, how hard were the new rotors to slide onto the hub? IF it went on easy with no resistance at all then you probably just need to adjust the e-brake shoes. If you remove the rotors where you can see the shoes, at the bottom there is a "cylinder" shaped adjuster with a kind of star shaped wheel at one end. You need to turn that a turn at a time and test fit the rotor until you feel the rotor hitting the shoes as you slide it on. There is a very fine line between too loose and too tight, so it may take several adjustments to get them just right so make sure when you do this that you put the rear end on jack stands for testing and adjustment. But once you have what you feel to be a good fit there, go ahead and run the lug nuts up on the rotors without the wheels installed and apply the E-brake. Once you are at this point, if they are adjusted correctly you should be able to turn the rotor freely without the ebrake applied, but not at all with it applied.

Hope this helps.

 

[electro]

^ This is good advice.

On my previous 2000 tahoe these adjuster wheel clkelley speaks of was seized. It took a torch to heat it up and get it moving freely again. Perhaps some penetrating fluid will work for you if its seized.

There is one of these on each side of the truck.

When the brake cable is pulled this component pulls in towards the centre of the truck. Let say it is shaped like an arrow and point into the centre of the truck. As it pulls in toward the centre of the truck it is forcing the parking brake horseshoe pad apart and hopefully against the inside of the rotor.