Parking Brake help

[Tyson_87V10]

Hey all, hope you guys can help me out, I'm no expert. I just got a 83 K10 as a project.

I took it to get a safety inspection and the parking brake failed because it doesn't hold the vehicle in place even when the transmission is placed in gear and accelerated.

The cable was very loose and missing a cable guide. replaced the missing cable guide, tightened everything up, still won't hold.

Opened up the rear drums and found a broken pad and spring and the driver's side. Replaced every brake part (shoes, springs, adjusters, cylinders, etc) except the drums on both sides. Parking Brake still doesn't hold.

Do I need to work on the adjusters more or will they eventually correct themselves after some use?

 

[crpntr78]

Can you get some pics?

 

[RThiel]

How did you adjust your brakes? The correct way to adjust them is to tighten them up all the way, and then back them off until you feel a light drag when you spin the drum. Did you get the drums turned? They may be glazed up as well.

 

[Tyson_87V10]

How did you adjust your brakes? The correct way to adjust them is to tighten them up all the way, and then back them off until you feel a light drag when you spin the drum. Did you get the drums turned? They may be glazed up as well.

Thanks for the input RThiel.

No, I did not turn the drums, they felt smooth and without and grooves so I left them as they are. I hadn't thought about them being glazed over, I'll get them turned by a shop today just to be sure.

As for the brakes themselves, I adjusted the brakes out and then backed them down to where I could get the drum back on and assumed the self adjusting mechanism would seat them properly. I couldn't honestly say there was any drag. I was wondering if I left them too loose. I'm just not sure that if I adjust them all the way out, if I can fit the drums back on.

Would you suggest I adjust the shoes out and try to get the drums on and loosen from there or leave them loose enough to get the drums on and then tighten them out? Does either way matter as long as I end up with a slight drag when I spin the axle?

Thanks again.

 

[Tyson_87V10]

Can you get some pics?

I have pics of the brakes after I put them new hardware on...
Driver's Side..

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Pass Side..

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[RThiel]

I guess I should have specified. You install the drums, then adjust the brakes up tight beyond the point where they won't turn. I mean you run them up TIGHT, then back them off until the drum will spin with slight drag. This helps position the shoes. Sort of "sets them".

You have to work through the little inspection hole on the backing plate to do this, using a brake spoon and a small screwdriver usually. It's a pain the first time you do it, and I suggest making a dry run with the drums off so you can see how to manipulate the spur wheel and pawl. I'm certain that your brakes are out of adjustment, leading to poor parking brake performance. Also, a side note: Drum parking brakes don't work very well going forward in the first place.

 

[Papa smurf]

After the shoes are adjusted out correctly and the e brake still won't hold the truck from moving there should be an adjuster on one of the cables going to the front. On my 85k20 I think its on the drivers side where the two cables come together. If after adjusting this all the way and the truck still moves , the cables may be stretched. Hope this helps!

 

[Tyson_87V10]

I guess I should have specified. You install the drums, then adjust the brakes up tight beyond the point where they won't turn. I mean you run them up TIGHT, then back them off until the drum will spin with slight drag. This helps position the shoes. Sort of "sets them".

You have to work through the little inspection hole on the backing plate to do this, using a brake spoon and a small screwdriver usually. It's a pain the first time you do it, and I suggest making a dry run with the drums off so you can see how to manipulate the spur wheel and pawl. I'm certain that your brakes are out of adjustment, leading to poor parking brake performance. Also, a side note: Drum parking brakes don't work very well going forward in the first place.

Ok, I understand about setting the shoes, thanks.

New issue though... I took the drums to get them rotated and the tech looked at them, said there was a groove close to the lip and he didn't want to turn them for fear of making the walls thinner that specs allow. We agreed I should just get new drums, no problem except that no place in town has them. Looking for new drums in LMCTruck, Classic Industries, Rockauto, autozone, etc, none of them have drums that fit my truck with the adjustment hole in the drum like mine and my backing plate doesn't have an adjustment hole. Pics below.

I can't get drums without the adjustment hole or this process cant work so I'm gonna make some calls about new drums tomorrow but I'm thinking I may need to get the old ones turned after all.

You can see the adjustment holes here..

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Here you can see there is no access from the backing plate.

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You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Tyson_87V10]

After the shoes are adjusted out correctly and the e brake still won't hold the truck from moving there should be an adjuster on one of the cables going to the front. On my 85k20 I think its on the drivers side where the two cables come together. If after adjusting this all the way and the truck still moves , the cables may be stretched. Hope this helps!

Yep, I think the cable is ok, and I'm familiar with the adjusting nut under the drivers seat, it's got about 3-5 inches of adjustment. There was a missing hanger on one side creating some slack but I already replaced that. Once I get the brake shoes straightened out, I will recheck the cable.

Thanks

 

[Tyson_87V10]

So, I ended up having the drums turned. I'll put it all back together over the next few days and see how it goes.

 

[Tyson_87V10]

Update 07 Mar 17...

I guess I should have specified. You install the drums, then adjust the brakes up tight beyond the point where they won't turn. I mean you run them up TIGHT, then back them off until the drum will spin with slight drag. This helps position the shoes. Sort of "sets them".

You have to work through the little inspection hole on the backing plate to do this, using a brake spoon and a small screwdriver usually. It's a pain the first time you do it, and I suggest making a dry run with the drums off so you can see how to manipulate the spur wheel and pawl. I'm certain that your brakes are out of adjustment, leading to poor parking brake performance. Also, a side note: Drum parking brakes don't work very well going forward in the first place.

Everything is good to go, she passed inspection. Got the drums resurfaced and set/adjusted the brakes like you said. Thanks for explaining that for me RThiel.

After the shoes are adjusted out correctly and the e brake still won't hold the truck from moving there should be an adjuster on one of the cables going to the front. On my 85k20 I think its on the drivers side where the two cables come together. If after adjusting this all the way and the truck still moves , the cables may be stretched. Hope this helps!

I ended up tightening the cable a little to really cinch it up but it holds in gear now. Thanks for the input as well!