This was sent to me by a friend it’s a detailed how-to video on changing parking brakes.
How to change your parking brakes
- Thread starter PriddyBoy
- Start date
I'll add to this a comment from Blaine (the brake expert) in regards to adjusting the parking brakes:
Do your first adjustment at the shoes with the star adjuster. Ignore all the internet BS methods and tighten it until there is enough drag that you can barely turn a 35" tire by hand.
When both sides are that way, then adjust the cables at the T bracket under the tub until you remove all the slack, but aren't moving the actuator lever at the backing plate.
When that is done, take the rig for a short drive very slowly and keeping the button on the parking brake handle depressed, raise it until you feel it slow the vehicle, lower it, and do it again a few times.
New parking brake shoes in this case need to be seated to the small drums for the best efficiency. Going slow and applying the parking brake will accomplish that for you.
Take it back to your work area and once again adjust the shoes at each side until you have a very slight amount of drag and then adjust the cables again.
Done correctly, you will have to pull up very hard on the parking brake handle to get more than 3 clicks.
Do your first adjustment at the shoes with the star adjuster. Ignore all the internet BS methods and tighten it until there is enough drag that you can barely turn a 35" tire by hand.
When both sides are that way, then adjust the cables at the T bracket under the tub until you remove all the slack, but aren't moving the actuator lever at the backing plate.
When that is done, take the rig for a short drive very slowly and keeping the button on the parking brake handle depressed, raise it until you feel it slow the vehicle, lower it, and do it again a few times.
New parking brake shoes in this case need to be seated to the small drums for the best efficiency. Going slow and applying the parking brake will accomplish that for you.
Take it back to your work area and once again adjust the shoes at each side until you have a very slight amount of drag and then adjust the cables again.
Done correctly, you will have to pull up very hard on the parking brake handle to get more than 3 clicks.
So I got around to looking at the brakes this weekend..... This is what I found.
God Doesn’t Like Ugly!!! That’s Why He Made Me Priddy!!!
TJ2
TJ Expert
That’s the parking brake... not the brake shoes. It came apart while my wife was driving home from work she didn’t know what happened just heard a pop and grinding noises. Not sure if a spring broke or something, it’s all back together now with all new parts in both sides.
God Doesn’t Like Ugly!!! That’s Why He Made Me Priddy!!!
I am having issues with my rear driver side parking brake install. See the picture below where the red arrow is pointing to (I took the image from PriddyBoy). In the picture the 'actuator' or 'lever' is missing - I think I am having problems with mine as I cannot get the brake shoes to seat in the grooves properly when raising/lowering the parking brake lever. Since I think there is some sort of issue with the actuator, I cannot get my new rotor to fit over the brake shoes. When I remove the start adjustor bolt I can push the shoes together and put the rotor on but obviously that is not the right way.
Where can I buy that actuator/lever? Or does anyone have any tips?
--the passenger side installed without any issue.
Where can I buy that actuator/lever? Or does anyone have any tips?
--the passenger side installed without any issue.
I have an 06 TJ Rubicon and when changing out the rear brakes I noticed my rear emergency brake cable on the driver side wasn't connected at the wheel. After looking at it I realized that the lever was completely seized, where the red arrow is. It look a while to actually find out what the part is called but its a Parking Brake Lever (Cam). Its two pieces and normally they rust together. You can find a replacement on Amazon, its Dorman 926-293, parking brake lever kit. Each kit does either side but only one side per kit. Make sure its the right part number, some of the Cherokees used this too. I was also able to find a website of a guy who shows how to try and remove them with vice grips by prying them apart since if they seize together you can't get them out the back or past the hub.
https://jeepslimited.com/index.php/write-ups/drivetrain/e-brake-cam-lever-replacement-zj
Hope that helps.
After looking at the set up for a while, researching the components, and reading forums I was able to get the actuator/lever assy out and saw that it was seized shut. I cleaned it up and was able to get the parking brake shoes installed and everything working properly.
Thanks for the help.
Thanks for the help.
I bought the Dorman rubber seal and levers, they pinched, try to keep the factory ones intact if possible.
This is a great DIY and helped me. I just completed replacing the parking brake pads and hardware on my 05 LJ Rubicon. A couple of notes to add to this DIY, and thanks to mrblaine for answering my dumb questions. I learned some new things.
1. The video in post #1 was very helpful. In that video that actuator is rusted together where he slathers anti-sieze. It is not functioning properly in the video. Read the video posts and there are some other good comments about this. Several other videos on YouTube also had the same issue. The two parts of the actuator move independently. The parts in the picture below circled in red should move independently. Mine were also rusted together. You have to pull the axel shaft to remove the sized parts, not enough clearance with the hub. But, wanting to learn while waiting for parts, I busted mine free with some Evapo-Rust and 50/50 acetone/ATF. I used the method linked in post #9 with pliers to wiggle them up and down until they broke free. I still replaced them with new ones from Dorman, but could have cleaned them up more and resued them.
2. All the videos I saw for this DIY have the axle shaft in place. The 10 minutes removing my shafts made the job much easier and faster.
3. I originally noticed the splitter was very uneven. That was my clue more was wrong. This is the result of the actuator pieces being rusted together (item #1 above) and not retracting all the way.
1. The video in post #1 was very helpful. In that video that actuator is rusted together where he slathers anti-sieze. It is not functioning properly in the video. Read the video posts and there are some other good comments about this. Several other videos on YouTube also had the same issue. The two parts of the actuator move independently. The parts in the picture below circled in red should move independently. Mine were also rusted together. You have to pull the axel shaft to remove the sized parts, not enough clearance with the hub. But, wanting to learn while waiting for parts, I busted mine free with some Evapo-Rust and 50/50 acetone/ATF. I used the method linked in post #9 with pliers to wiggle them up and down until they broke free. I still replaced them with new ones from Dorman, but could have cleaned them up more and resued them.
2. All the videos I saw for this DIY have the axle shaft in place. The 10 minutes removing my shafts made the job much easier and faster.
3. I originally noticed the splitter was very uneven. That was my clue more was wrong. This is the result of the actuator pieces being rusted together (item #1 above) and not retracting all the way.
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speeding_infraction
TJ Addict
The disc brake parking brakes are drum brakes.