Are the Rear Axle Tube Brake Mounting Brackets... Ambidextrous?

[mrrsm]

I’ve started the process of performing a Rear Wheel Brake Job to include the complete replacement of the Parking Brake Drum Shoes and Hardware as well as performing a complete replacement of ALL the Emergency-Parking Brake Cable System from the CAB to the Rear Wheels.

After removing the Rear Wheels, Caliper Brake Cylinders, Cast Iron Brackets, Brake Pads, Brake Disks and Parking Brake Drum Shoes & Hardware, I noticed that the 4 Bolt Anodized Steel Axle Tube Brake Mounting Bracket on the Left Rear Wheel was situated with the Emergency--Parking Brake Actuation-Adjustment Cylinder and Lever located in the TOP Position.

However, I noticed that on the Passenger Side of the Rear Axle, that same Bracket has been INVERTED with that 4 Bolt Anodized Steel Axle Tube Mounting Bracket being Upside Down and having the Emergency – Parking Brake Adjustment Cylinder and Lever positioned on the BOTTOM. So I have some Questions that could probably best answered by an Experienced Silverado Owner ( @Mounce ...?) as follows:

(1) Are the 4 Bolt Anodized Steel Axle Tube Mounting Brackets strictly designated for either the (L)eft or the (R)ight sides of the Rear Axles?

(2) If so… something is drastically wrong with their prior installation here. So Where are they Marked if this is the case? Because at THIS point, I really do not know which side (or both sides) have either been installed correctly...or incorrectly and whether or not either one or both Brackets will need to be R&Red, swapped around ...or replaced.

(3) In looking over this repair at the GM OEM Year 2000 (4) Volume Set of Shop Manuals… there are NO Images that show what this arrangement SHOULD look like anywhere between the related pages of Chapter 5-58 to 5-128 covering these Two Complete Rear Wheel Brake Repairs. Anybody have any images showing BOTH sides of the Wheels with the Disks removed?

Also… It seems to me that these two Brackets should have been made strictly for either one side or another; in part because the Weird Way that the Emergency Cables have been installed on my Truck seems completely counter-intuitive.

Maybe THIS explains WHY the Emergency Brake Cable was LOCKED and when I stepped on the Pedal and could NOT get it to Release no matter what I did with the Foot Lever -Release Handle Actuation inside of the Cab.

Thanks in advance for any confirming Images or suggestions.

I realize that if the Brackets must be R&Red... that I’ll have to Pull the Axles... but if I have to go that far...I’ll replace the Rear Axle Bearings with Timken Brand and ACDelco OEM Axle Seals, Spider Gears and Washers with a Replacement Kit as well as installing Two New Copper “C” Clips via Dorman at the same time while everything is opened up and in Plain Sight.

 

[mrrsm]

Okay... after doing more research... it turns out that THIS particular Bracket goes by the Fancy Name of:

"Parking Brake Lever Anchor Plate"

...and is available on eBay and CARid for varying prices. These images depict the "Object" of my concerns and I still could not determine whether these things come in either the Left or Right side configurations:

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Why not do the research before starting a thread in which once again you are the only participant?

 

[Mooseman]

I have to agree. Easy way to figure this out is to check part numbers and if only one is listed, they are for both sides. Don't overthink this.

 

[Mounce]

Visually it sounds like it's the same part. It's just mounted different side to side and sounds like he's already researched to see if he could find a break down of how it's supposed to be mounted. Thusly that's his question, is this correct or not. Unless I'm missing something.

I don't know with certainty but my theory is it has to be mirrored on the other side so that the cable can enter from the same plane for packaging. If they were mounted equally one would have the cable enter from the front and one from the rear as it's the same action which has to move the same way. Easier and cheaper for the factory to design and implement flipping a mounting plate and keep the same parts instead of having dedicated left and right parking brake parts of the were both to be mounted top side up.