Parking brake issues with 2010 Yukon XL 2500 - are there different parking brake systems?

[calsdad]

Recently had to do some work on my 2010 Yukon XL 2500 so it can pass inspection. Noticed that the parking brake wasn't working pretty much at all a month or so ago - I don't usually use it , but the last time I did - it was working fine.

Anyway - so what I found was that the rear brakes needed to be totally replaced. The backing plates were seriously rusty, the parking brake activator arm was rusted up tight - etc. So I pretty much rebuilt the entirety of the rear brakes - put in new parking brake shoes, new rear rotors, new calipers - etc.

The other part of the problem was that the parking brake cable was just hanging down as it ran down the underside of the truck - it looked like it have been stretched an inch or more. I thought maybe the seized up parking brake arm might have not been letting the cable return and take up the slack, but that's not what it was. The cable still has a massive amount of slack in it even with the brakes themselves are all brand new and working fine.

Anyway - researching how to fix the slack in the cable, I see all this stuff about self adjusting parking brake pedal - and also references to Sierra/Silverado/Suburban/Yukon trucks of this era - having a parking brake release lever.

My truck doesn't have any of this - the parking brake pedal mechanism itself doesn't do any self adjust - and it also doesn't have a release handle.

Is this something that was changed? Or did it vary from truck to truck? I'm wondering if maybe I should try and retrofit one of the self-adjusting parking brake pedals into the truck and get the release handle too.

I'm also wondering if anybody has had any issues with the parking brake cables stretching like this - it just seems "weird" - seeing as how I don't really use the parking brake all that much.

 

[CaptainAmerica1]

Any chance you snagged the cable on something and that’s what caused the premature parking brake failure, and the cable stretching?

 

[swathdiver]

Recently had to do some work on my 2010 Yukon XL 2500 so it can pass inspection. Noticed that the parking brake wasn't working pretty much at all a month or so ago - I don't usually use it , but the last time I did - it was working fine.

Anyway - so what I found was that the rear brakes needed to be totally replaced. The backing plates were seriously rusty, the parking brake activator arm was rusted up tight - etc. So I pretty much rebuilt the entirety of the rear brakes - put in new parking brake shoes, new rear rotors, new calipers - etc.

The other part of the problem was that the parking brake cable was just hanging down as it ran down the underside of the truck - it looked like it have been stretched an inch or more. I thought maybe the seized up parking brake arm might have not been letting the cable return and take up the slack, but that's not what it was. The cable still has a massive amount of slack in it even with the brakes themselves are all brand new and working fine.

Anyway - researching how to fix the slack in the cable, I see all this stuff about self adjusting parking brake pedal - and also references to Sierra/Silverado/Suburban/Yukon trucks of this era - having a parking brake release lever.

My truck doesn't have any of this - the parking brake pedal mechanism itself doesn't do any self adjust - and it also doesn't have a release handle.

Is this something that was changed? Or did it vary from truck to truck? I'm wondering if maybe I should try and retrofit one of the self-adjusting parking brake pedals into the truck and get the release handle too.

I'm also wondering if anybody has had any issues with the parking brake cables stretching like this - it just seems "weird" - seeing as how I don't really use the parking brake all that much.

The parking brake actuator needs the slack taken up. There are how to videos on youtube to do this. These trucks came with two types, the lever release and push to release styles. If you don't use it and maintain it, you'll lost it.

 

[calsdad]

Any chance you snagged the cable on something and that’s what caused the premature parking brake failure, and the cable stretching?

I suppose it's possible something snagged the cable and that is what stretched it out. The thing is - I got a new intermediate cable (on the driver's side - between the cable coming from the pedal - and the cable ends from the two cables running to each wheel ...... that's the intermediate cable) - and compared it side by side with the one that's in there - and they appear to be the same length.

 

[calsdad]

The parking brake actuator needs the slack taken up. There are how to videos on youtube to do this. These trucks came with two types, the lever release and push to release styles. If you don't use it and maintain it, you'll lost it.

It probably gets used 3 or 4 times a year. That's why I'm a little perplexed as to why it seems so stretched out. It's not like I drove with the parking brake on - when I took the rear wheels apart ( I pulled off the hubs, put on new backing plates - etc) - the parking brake shoes were in pretty good shape friction pad-wise. It's just that everything was becoming rusted to hell.

I got one of those little turnbuckle type things from NAPA that you can use to take up the slack in a parking brake cable - and it did ok at removing the slack - but it bottomed out and the cable is still a little loose.

I guess one of the main things I'm wondering is - is the parking brake pedal / actuator assembly - swappable? I'd rather have the ratcheting style with the release handle in there anyway - and since it seems like my best course of action at this point is just to replace all the damn cables and hope that solves the situation - I figure I might as well swap in one of the ratcheting/handle release pedal assemblies while I'm doing that.

 

[swathdiver]

It probably gets used 3 or 4 times a year. That's why I'm a little perplexed as to why it seems so stretched out. It's not like I drove with the parking brake on - when I took the rear wheels apart ( I pulled off the hubs, put on new backing plates - etc) - the parking brake shoes were in pretty good shape friction pad-wise. It's just that everything was becoming rusted to hell.

I got one of those little turnbuckle type things from NAPA that you can use to take up the slack in a parking brake cable - and it did ok at removing the slack - but it bottomed out and the cable is still a little loose.

I guess one of the main things I'm wondering is - is the parking brake pedal / actuator assembly - swappable? I'd rather have the ratcheting style with the release handle in there anyway - and since it seems like my best course of action at this point is just to replace all the damn cables and hope that solves the situation - I figure I might as well swap in one of the ratcheting/handle release pedal assemblies while I'm doing that.

I will eventually do the opposite, add the JNC, push to release system to my truck when I swap axles. Here is the parts list, you will also need the knee bolster. The GM OE and ACDelco part numbers are not for the same items to the best of my knowledge, there is a difference in quality.

You can verify this with your VIN here: https://parts-catalog.acdelco.com/catalog/catalog_search.php

Oh! I just noticed that yours is a 2500 and not a 1500 XL, disregard my part numbers and use the ACDelco website and GMPartsDirect and GMPartsGiant to get the part numbers.

 

[avalonandl]

If its a 2500 it probably has the the inner drum. Its a PITA to work with.

 

[calsdad]

If its a 2500 it probably has the the inner drum. Its a PITA to work with.

Yes - it's a bit of a pain. I ended up pulling the axles out, then pulling the hubs off the 14 bolt axle - just to get easily to the parking brake assembly. I used to have a 2003 2500 Suburban - and the backing plates rotted almost completely off the rear axle on that truck. So I was prepared this time and pulled the backing plate/caliper mount assembly off as well - put on new backing plates, reassembled with all new parking brake pads & pieces - and also replaced the hub seals - etc. I thought that maybe the parking brakes weren't working because the actuator/lever thing was really rusted all to hell - but after replacing all the pieces..... I found that it was still the stretched cable that appeared to be the issue.

At this point the best thing I can figure to do - is just replace all of the parking brake cables and the pedal assembly too - to try and take out any slack that is there.

 

[TrybalRage]

I discovered my new-to-me 2500 Suburban has what appears to be a stretched out parking cable. The "intermediate" (i guess?) that runs down the outside of the frame on the drivers side sags when it's not engaged, and when the pedal is pressed down it just takes the slack out without ever engaging the parking brake.

It doesn't appear to be adjustable anywhere, which is kind of dumb.

Wondering if you ever got your issue fixed.

 

[calsdad]

I discovered my new-to-me 2500 Suburban has what appears to be a stretched out parking cable. The "intermediate" (i guess?) that runs down the outside of the frame on the drivers side sags when it's not engaged, and when the pedal is pressed down it just takes the slack out without ever engaging the parking brake.

It doesn't appear to be adjustable anywhere, which is kind of dumb.

Wondering if you ever got your issue fixed.

That sounds like exactly what was happening with my truck.

I ended up replacing the intermediate cable , and replacing the parking brake cable going into the driver side (rear) for the parking brake - and it still has the issue. Since the pedal assembly is the only sub-assembly remaining where I might possibly take up the slack ......... that is why I started wondering if maybe one of the earlier style ratcheting pedal assemblies might work in my truck.

Looking into it - it appears doing that conversion might be a PITA , so I went down a different path - and decided what I am going to do is make up an adjustable turnbuckle-like assembly - that will take the place of the intermediate cable ..... so I can adjust out the slack and get the parking brake working again.

But to answer your question: I still haven't gotten it fixed yet because I haven't gotten around to fabricating that turnbuckle setup.

 

[Doubeleive]

the parking brake caliper or whatever you want to call it is the adjustable part, when you spin the adjuster it pushes the parking brake pads outward, they can be adjusted quit a bit. that may take up your slack in the cable

 

[calsdad]

the parking brake caliper or whatever you want to call it is the adjustable part, when you spin the adjuster it pushes the parking brake pads outward, they can be adjusted quit a bit. that may take up your slack in the cable

I realize that. And it was already adjusted outward per the instructions - as far as it would go and still be able to get the rotor on over the parking brake pads.

And yet there's still a good 2" of slack in the cable. My problem seemed to just "happen" - as the parking brake had been working fine the last time I went to use it.

Adjusting the adjuster - isn't going to remove something like 2" of slack from the parking brake cable

 

[Doubeleive]

I realize that. And it was already adjusted outward per the instructions - as far as it would go and still be able to get the rotor on over the parking brake pads.

And yet there's still a good 2" of slack in the cable. My problem seemed to just "happen" - as the parking brake had been working fine the last time I went to use it.

Adjusting the adjuster - isn't going to remove something like 2" of slack from the parking brake cable

So cut the bastard cable and clamp it with something like one of these

Vintage---CABLE Clamps--2-- electrical guy Wire clamps--workable-usable | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage---CABLE Clamps--2-- electrical guy Wire clamps--workable-usable at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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or a few of these in series, it wont come loose

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3535849105...CHIhr86h2Q%3D%3D|clp:2334524|tkp:BFBMgLeJ8ptf

 

[swathdiver]

I discovered my new-to-me 2500 Suburban has what appears to be a stretched out parking cable. The "intermediate" (i guess?) that runs down the outside of the frame on the drivers side sags when it's not engaged, and when the pedal is pressed down it just takes the slack out without ever engaging the parking brake.

It doesn't appear to be adjustable anywhere, which is kind of dumb.

Wondering if you ever got your issue fixed.

The slack needs to be taken up by the actuator. GM labor rate is .9 hours to fix this for you guys. Wes had them do his a couple years ago.

 

[TrybalRage]

The slack needs to be taken up by the actuator. GM labor rate is .9 hours to fix this for you guys. Wes had them do his a couple years ago.

When you say actuator, do you mean at the pedal? I've been looking at that and I don't see how any slack is taken up there. It's a simple end of a cable with a stop at the end.

Just to be clear, this is for a 2500 with a push-to-release style brake; from what I understand there were some variations on the parking brake style with different model years and trucks.

Edit: I found a video you shared on a different thread, and my pedal assembly does not look the same. I think I need to do some youtube searching to see if I can find one similar.

 

[swathdiver]

When you say actuator, do you mean at the pedal? I've been looking at that and I don't see how any slack is taken up there. It's a simple end of a cable with a stop at the end.

Just to be clear, this is for a 2500 with a push-to-release style brake; from what I understand there were some variations on the parking brake style with different model years and trucks.

Edit: I found a video you shared on a different thread, and my pedal assembly does not look the same. I think I need to do some youtube searching to see if I can find one similar.

Yes. Correct, there are two styles and both function the same. Before any work is done on the system, anywhere, the actuator must be disabled first according to the shop manual. Mine has been giving me fits for years too. Going to replace the actuator and all cables when I do the axle swap next year.

 

[George B]

This is how you are supposed to deal with the pedal mechanism before doing service. I have personally not done this as I have not had to replace cables on either of my trucks but I have serviced the rear park brake shoes on both and both hold the truck on an incline. Not sure how you have cables that are way too long now unless they are stretched too far. maybe the retractor is not working properly?

 

[TrybalRage]

This is how you are supposed to deal with the pedal mechanism before doing service. I have personally not done this as I have not had to replace cables on either of my trucks but I have serviced the rear park brake shoes on both and both hold the truck on an incline. Not sure how you have cables that are way too long now unless they are stretched too far. maybe the retractor is not working properly?

That's the same video that swathdiver shared in a different thread. My pedal mechanism does not look like that. My cable comes straight up and does not wrap around the ratcheting portion of the pedal.

 

[Fless]

So cut the bastard cable and clamp it with something like one of these

Vintage---CABLE Clamps--2-- electrical guy Wire clamps--workable-usable | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Vintage---CABLE Clamps--2-- electrical guy Wire clamps--workable-usable at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

or a few of these in series, it wont come loose

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3535849105...CHIhr86h2Q%3D%3D|clp:2334524|tkp:BFBMgLeJ8ptf

That first one shown is called a 3-bolt strand clamp, used for attaching various sizes of steel strand to communication pole bolts. Telephone and cable television hardware. Creative. I have a blue lineman's wrench in my toolbox that fits those square nuts.

 

[Doubeleive]

That first one shown is called a 3-bolt strand clamp, used for attaching various sizes of steel strand to communication pole bolts. Telephone and cable television hardware. Creative. I have a blue lineman's wrench in my toolbox that fits those square nuts.

View attachment 354411

I have seen some clamps like that holding high tension cable, if you cut it and clamped it with 3 or 4 of those D clamps it would hold it too, just need to figure out a location and get some bolt cutters