jrg777

I just failed my state inspection because my emergency brake will not hold on my 2001 chevy 1500 extended cab silverado. I replaced the pads last year and tried to adjust the cable but it will still not hold. Any suggestions. Thanks

nomad

I had a 2000 x cab, Z 71. There was some issue with the emergency brake shoes on all the rear disc brake systems. Apparently that is the reason the 2007 and 2008 trucks do not have rear disc brakes. I never used the emergency brake, but it failed.

jiggsy

I agree that rear discs isn't ideal for parking brake setups.

However, if adjusted and maintained properly, they should work just fine.
My 2000 Silvy is rock solid when the brake is applied.

I'm not gonna give you the whole checklist, it'll take too long but here's the basics.

1- Make sure your brake cables aren't seized
Get a buddy to apply the parking brake while you look and see if the cables are actually moving. They're visible under the driver side near the frame.
2- If the cables seem OK, then you need to check behind the wheels to make sure that the parking brake components work freely as well.
3- If that's OK then you need to adjust the park brake shoes. You'll need to make sure that the pads are installed correctly and that all the hardware is
therealso. Especially that little retaining clip. If that ain't there, your shoes will rattle and rub on the rotors.

Make sure your Park Brake is off to do the adjustment.
Turn the adjusters until the shoe just barely touches the rotors.
Make sure you can still turn the rotors.

GM uses a tool to do the adjustment.
Pretty sure you don't have one so, take off the wheel, seat the rotor in place and hold it there with a couple ofwheel nuts.
There's NO NEED to overtighten them, just snug them up.
Adjust the park brake shoe until both are about the same.

Re-apply the park brake and see if the rotorslock up.

It sounds like one or both cables are seized but you never know.

Hope this helps a little and I'm sure someone with more ideas will chime in to help as well.

Best o' luck.

jkgray80

I have seen brand new shoes for the in-hat parking brake be adjusted to max & still not hold. Youwill probably need new rotors due
to your orginal shoes falling down & grinding away on the in-hat drum. The problem w/this set up is that it relys on people to use their parking brake to recenter the shoe. People dont & GM had to redesign the 1/2 tons b/c of mad customers when the damage was caused by not following the owners manual.