Ebrake question

[tsr2185]

Odd question.

I know I'm due to replace my drums, I've got a decent vibration when braking and goid bit of grunting noice when coming to a stip from the rear. I know one drum is warped for sure.

Reversing out my driveway, I pressed ebrake and held the release open and the rear seemed to lockup. Driving down road and when cruising at 40mph I did the same thing and felt no engage at all from using the ebrake. Is this normal? Or am I supposed to use all my weight on the brake for it to function being it isn't hydraulically operated?

 

[Caman96]

I’m not familiar with testing e-brake by stepping on e-brake and simultaneously releasing it? When was the last time you serviced your rear brakes?

 

[RichLo]

What truck (year and model at the very least) and what brake package? JB5 brakes I'm assuming if its your avatar truck.

all E-brakes in these trucks are cable operated, not hydraulic.

 

[tsr2185]

It's a 1991 k1500. JB3 brakes. Bought it 3 years ago. Serviced front brakes last year. Rear shoes and drums seemed in shape at the time. I will be ordering shoes and drums Friday. Just wondering if anyone sees this as a could be problem with the ebrake lines or what not.

 

[Caman96]

3 years is a long time for no adjustment. I use my e-brake routinely and still pull drums off 2-3 times a year to adjust them. Between your likely worn shoes and no adjustment, it would make sense the e-brake not functioning correctly.

 

[Deancr11]

Ah hell can't make no money stoping no that was my other job. E brake is more or less self adjusting until it gets corroded up with crap at least when you use it regularly supposedly. I'd say it's time for a inspection and adjustment since your ordering new drums and shoes anyway

 

[tsr2185]

I was just wondering really if it is a syptom of something going out other than drum shoes or hardware.

 

[Caman96]

I was just wondering really if it is a syptom of something going out other than drum shoes or hardware.

If the brakes aren’t adjusted “frequently” enough, the brakes or application of e-brake won’t work as they should.

 

[Schurkey]

Reversing out my driveway, I pressed ebrake and held the release open and the rear seemed to lockup.

The park brake and cable system is rude 'n' crude. High-friction, low precision on the application mechanism. The whole works is designed to keep the drums locked once the vehicle is parked, not so much for slowing a moving vehicle. (GM calls it a Park Brake, or a Parking Brake.) So it's no real surprise that the park brake locked the drum.

Good thing you had the release handle pulled, so the brakes didn't continue to be locked-up.

Driving down road and when cruising at 40mph I did the same thing and felt no engage at all from using the ebrake. Is this normal? Or am I supposed to use all my weight on the brake for it to function being it isn't hydraulically operated?

Again, the primary purpose of the park brake is to lock the drum with the vehicle stopped, not to slow a moving vehicle. Rear brakes are weaker than front brakes to begin with. Again, no real surprise that the park brake doesn't slow the vehicle like the regular, service brakes.

However, no engagement at all would be concerning. Weak engagement would not, really.

This is the point where I mention that the 254mm leading/trailing shoe rear drums are fookin' garbage, and you should upgrade to the 11.x Duo-Servo rear brakes, probably by upgrading the entire rear axle with a 6-lug K2500 axle assembly, 14-bolt semi-float unit having the proper gear ratio to match your front differential.

THEN, you need to upgrade the front brakes including the master cylinder and power booster to what came on the extended-cab or later-model-year pickups--JN/JB5 rather than JN/JB3. The "3" brakes were the crappiest power brakes ever installed on a GMT400.

For the record, upgrading the rear drums to the 11.x Duo-Servo made more improvement than upgrading the front/master/booster from JN3 to JN5 on my '88 K1500.

 

[tsr2185]

@Schurkey

Sounds like a good project in the future when I overhaul the while truck with my son. For now it's just my monthly cruiser to work and beer getter.

I know the jb3 brakes are crap. But surprisingly I feel comfortable when braking especially at hwy speeds so far (besides the vibration and noises from rear) I rarely tow and I know that will be the biggest opinion changer with jb3 brakes.

Makes sense what u said about the parking brake. I may have felt a little engagement, but nothing enough to "brake" the vehicle moving forward.

Btw. What is opinion on "raybestos" Chineseium brake parts? Those are what I will go with for now.