Parking brake -- am I doing it wrong?

[6716]

So I took the back wheels off to try to figure out the parking brake. Ended up with a new passenger side caliper (the inboard pad was toast and the outboard pad was like new, I figured the piston was stuck -- it would explain the brake noise coming from that wheel as well) new pads and rotors on the back, and a fluid flush. Well, half a fluid flush, I will do the front maybe tomorrow.

Anyway the new brakes are awesome BUT I still don't get much bite on the parking brake.

Did I not dial them up tight enough? Maybe I was worried about them dragging and they could have been tighter.

The driver's side brake shoe was super tight when I first took it off. When I went to put the new rotor back on it wouldn't go on, even when I dialed it in all the way. There was a little tic-tac shaped spacer between the two pieces that receive the shoe, I took it out and I was at least able to get the rotor on.

What even happens back there when I pull on the lever?

Anyway, still a little confused, and thinking about taking the truck on a road trip to the mountains, thought it would be nice to have the parking brake in good order.

 

[6716]

I suppose I could have read a little farther down and found this thread ... Parking brake problem | GMTNation

 

[Mooseman]

That tic-tac is necessary. It pushes the shoe out when the lever is pulled. Are you sure the adjuster is all the way in?

 

[6716]

Well, shoot. I may not have kept track of the tic-tac like I should have. I'll look for it. Obviously it was in there and probably is important, but sometimes I'm a dummy.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure the adjuster is all the way in. I mean, the two holder pieces come out, one side is threaded and the other is not.

But now that you say that the tic tac pushes out when the lever is pulled, I wonder if the cable is/was out of adjustment or something else like that. Because with the tic tac in there on the driver's side, the rotor just would not fit back on. Passenger side the shoe was a non-issue. And when I pulled the driver's side rotor off the first time the brake shoe came right with the rotor. But the shoe has plenty of material still on it. And the parking brake didn't bite much before I started all this anyway.

Now I have to admit I am curious as to how the tic tac pushes the bits out.

 

[Mooseman]

It contacts the cup in the lever which is pulled by the cable.

Check that the cable fully retracts. Is the "piston" fully retracted into the cylinder? The adjuster star wheel should be in contact with the cylinder.