Making the handbrake stronger, 2002 Tahoe

"Thorben Grosser" wrote

> I recently bought a used 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. When standing in a
> hill, the handbrake is not strong enough to keep the car stopped. I
> looked through the Internet for any plans on the handbrake but
> couldn't find any.
> Further, it seems as if there is a mechanism to block the brake at a
> certain point, so it cant be pulled to strong.
> Has anybody got plans or ideas how to correct the handbrake in order
> to make it stronger?

On this particular vehicle, the "park brake" (contrary to popular opinion,
this
is not considered an emergency brake, and if you attempt to use it as such,
good luck) is the drum in hat style...ie: it's a one piece shoe that sits
inside
the hat of the rear rotor.

Also contrary to popular opinion, there is "no" external adjustment on the
cable. You will see a threaded end on the cable, but you will notice that
the nut is threaded onto it as far as it will go. This is not where you
make
your adjustment.

In that year.....the park brake shoes had a design problem that allowed them
to stay cocked over to one side and basically wore the shoe material out,
even if you were not using the park brake. The new shoes will come with
a re-designed retaining clip that allows the shoe to "float" and center
itself
properly after it is released.

Best bet....remove the rear rotors, check the lining of the park brake
shoes.
If worn....replace both park brake shoes, adjust them manually until you
can just slip the rotor over them, and you will have a decent "park" brake.

Ian

"hls" > wrote in message
. net...
>
> "Steve Barker" > wrote in message
> ...
>> one exception, the vehicles with rear disk brakes, the parking brake
>> works equally well forward or reverse.
>
> If they hold at all. Early GM four wheel disc designs sucked, and often
> wouldnt
> hold well, unless they were functioning up to their maximum
> potential...That means
> that the adjusters on the rear wheel had to be working properly.
>
> A handbrake should hold a car under reasonable circumstances. If the OPs
> is not,
> then something is wrong (other than that you bought a GM.)

How do you mean work Properly? You do know that they are Manually Adjusted
don't you? I have a 03 Silverado with 4 wheel Disc. The Park brake isn't
hard, it was never hard when it was NEW. Same thing on any of the other
Chevy and GMC 4 wheel Disc Brake systems, which would be my guess why they
went back to rear drum brakes once again. At least the main reason. They
work OK, but they aren't going to stop you very fast. Usually because they
don't hold all that great, people drive around with them ON and not noticing
and then they wear right out and now they don't work at all. I've seen so
many of them wiped out. Normally they should last for YEARS as your not
using them to STOP your Vehicle, but to just hold it in place. I've seem
them ground down so badly grinding medal over and over again and the peddle
going right to the floor like there's nothing there. Even after replaced,
and adjusted up to where it need to be, it's still not HARD and goes about
to the floor, but you can feel it working and will hold on a hill, but you
can hit the gas and MOVE still.

I will say it has to be the worse Parking brake setup ever. I don't know if
going back to drums was the thing to do instead of just fixing the problem.
There are many cars out there with separate Parking brake shoes on 4 wheel
disc setup's that work great. Then again, there's nothing wrong with drums
for the rear. They last, they're easy enough to work on, they're enclosed
when helps keep junk out, less likely to seize up, and better parking brake.
There's really no need for rear disc's on a truck or SUV.

"shiden" > wrote in message
news:jnbqi.7045$_d2.843@pd7urf3no...
>

>> to make it stronger?
>
> On this particular vehicle, the "park brake" (contrary to popular opinion,
> this
> is not considered an emergency brake, and if you attempt to use it as
> such,
> good luck) is the drum in hat style...ie: it's a one piece shoe that sits
> inside
> the hat of the rear rotor.
>
> Also contrary to popular opinion, there is "no" external adjustment on the
> cable. You will see a threaded end on the cable, but you will notice that
> the nut is threaded onto it as far as it will go. This is not where you
> make
> your adjustment.
>
> In that year.....the park brake shoes had a design problem that allowed
> them
> to stay cocked over to one side and basically wore the shoe material out,
> even if you were not using the park brake. The new shoes will come with
> a re-designed retaining clip that allows the shoe to "float" and center
> itself
> properly after it is released.
>
> Best bet....remove the rear rotors, check the lining of the park brake
> shoes.
> If worn....replace both park brake shoes, adjust them manually until you
> can just slip the rotor over them, and you will have a decent "park"
> brake.
>
> Ian

11 posts before someone answered the OP's question, nice job Ian

Whitelightning

As usual Ian, on the money, just did this to my Trailblazer.
"shiden" > wrote in message
news:jnbqi.7045$_d2.843@pd7urf3no...
>
> "Thorben Grosser" wrote
>
>> I recently bought a used 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. When standing in a
>> hill, the handbrake is not strong enough to keep the car stopped. I
>> looked through the Internet for any plans on the handbrake but
>> couldn't find any.
>> Further, it seems as if there is a mechanism to block the brake at a
>> certain point, so it cant be pulled to strong.
>> Has anybody got plans or ideas how to correct the handbrake in order
>> to make it stronger?
>
> On this particular vehicle, the "park brake" (contrary to popular opinion,
> this
> is not considered an emergency brake, and if you attempt to use it as
> such,
> good luck) is the drum in hat style...ie: it's a one piece shoe that sits
> inside
> the hat of the rear rotor.
>
> Also contrary to popular opinion, there is "no" external adjustment on the
> cable. You will see a threaded end on the cable, but you will notice that
> the nut is threaded onto it as far as it will go. This is not where you
> make
> your adjustment.
>
> In that year.....the park brake shoes had a design problem that allowed
> them
> to stay cocked over to one side and basically wore the shoe material out,
> even if you were not using the park brake. The new shoes will come with
> a re-designed retaining clip that allows the shoe to "float" and center
> itself
> properly after it is released.
>
> Best bet....remove the rear rotors, check the lining of the park brake
> shoes.
> If worn....replace both park brake shoes, adjust them manually until you
> can just slip the rotor over them, and you will have a decent "park"
> brake.
>
> Ian
>
>



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"Mike Romain" > wrote in message
ng.com...
> Mike Marlow wrote:

>>
>> That's a lot different than saying it will stall the engine.
>>
>
> True, but it will stall the engine on my standard shift Jeep.
>


I guess that brings this conversation full circle. My only point initially
was that it would not stall the engine if equipped with an automatic. Easy
to do with a standard - you don't even need to apply the emergency brake to
stall the engine in a standard.

--

-Mike-

"Whitelightning" > wrote in message
news:cAgqi.5723
> 11 posts before someone answered the OP's question, nice job Ian
>
> Whitelightning

As always, Ian is a best source. Havent seen him on the group recently.

It was not clear if the OP had the ability or desire to do this work
himself.

GM in particular has had some really troublesome parking brake designs. The
drum in hat type of brake was used long ago in some Corvettes, and then
reborn when the ratcheting pad design of the 80-90's didnt get the job done,
IIRC.

Mike Marlow wrote:
> "Mike Romain" > wrote in message
> ng.com...
>> Mike Marlow wrote:
>
>>> That's a lot different than saying it will stall the engine.
>>>
>> True, but it will stall the engine on my standard shift Jeep.
>>
>
>
> I guess that brings this conversation full circle. My only point initially
> was that it would not stall the engine if equipped with an automatic. Easy
> to do with a standard - you don't even need to apply the emergency brake to
> stall the engine in a standard.
>

Ahhh, you should have only left that part in the snippage because it
looked like you said an automatic's park brake wouldn't stop it or hold
it on a hill either...

Mike

"hls" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> reborn when the ratcheting pad design of the 80-90's didnt get the job
> done,
> IIRC.
>
The ratcheting design worked fine IF you could get customers to use the
parking brake when they parked. Other wise the rear brakes got way out of
adjustment and then the hydraulic pressure pushed the two piece caliper
pistons apart and they leaked. Shame on GM for not realizing customers
wouldn't read and head the manual. (lots of sarcasm in that last line)

Whitelightning

JBDragon wrote:
>
> "hls" > wrote in message
> . net...
>
>>
>> "Steve Barker" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> one exception, the vehicles with rear disk brakes, the parking brake
>>> works equally well forward or reverse.
>>
>>
>> If they hold at all. Early GM four wheel disc designs sucked, and
>> often wouldnt
>> hold well, unless they were functioning up to their maximum
>> potential...That means
>> that the adjusters on the rear wheel had to be working properly.
>>
>> A handbrake should hold a car under reasonable circumstances. If the
>> OPs is not,
>> then something is wrong (other than that you bought a GM.)
>
>
> How do you mean work Properly? You do know that they are Manually
> Adjusted don't you? I have a 03 Silverado with 4 wheel Disc. The Park
> brake isn't hard, it was never hard when it was NEW. Same thing on any
> of the other Chevy and GMC 4 wheel Disc Brake systems, which would be my
> guess why they went back to rear drum brakes once again. At least the
> main reason. They work OK, but they aren't going to stop you very
> fast. Usually because they don't hold all that great, people drive
> around with them ON and not noticing and then they wear right out and
> now they don't work at all. I've seen so many of them wiped out.
> Normally they should last for YEARS as your not using them to STOP your
> Vehicle, but to just hold it in place. I've seem them ground down so
> badly grinding medal over and over again and the peddle going right to
> the floor like there's nothing there. Even after replaced, and adjusted
> up to where it need to be, it's still not HARD and goes about to the
> floor, but you can feel it working and will hold on a hill, but you can
> hit the gas and MOVE still.
>
> I will say it has to be the worse Parking brake setup ever. I don't
> know if going back to drums was the thing to do instead of just fixing
> the problem. There are many cars out there with separate Parking brake
> shoes on 4 wheel disc setup's that work great. Then again, there's
> nothing wrong with drums for the rear. They last, they're easy enough
> to work on, they're enclosed when helps keep junk out, less likely to
> seize up, and better parking brake. There's really no need for rear
> disc's on a truck or SUV.
>

The parking brake on my Impala never worked well from the factory, and
eventually quit working altogether. I had it adjusted once and it's
already going all the way to the floor again, so it will probably stop
holding soon. I do use it every time I stop (having learned to drive on
stickshifts and in a hilly area.)

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"Thorben Grosser" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hey Newsgroups,
>
> I recently bought a used 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. When standing in a
> hill, the handbrake is not strong enough to keep the car stopped. I
> looked through the Internet for any plans on the handbrake but
> couldn't find any.
> Further, it seems as if there is a mechanism to block the brake at a
> certain point, so it cant be pulled to strong.
> Has anybody got plans or ideas how to correct the handbrake in order
> to make it stronger?
>
> thanks in advance
> Thorben Grosser
>

For now carry a brick and block a tire Will keep you out of trouble until
you figure out how to fix it.

Al