FYI Parking Brakes

[tomloans]

I took my boat out about a week ago and noticed immediately that my parking brake was not holding well and I ended up leaning all that weight against the tranny. It worked perfectly a week prior. So got to work and check out the left rear parking brake compared to a new one. What happened to the pads?!
They must have flown off along the way. What's odd is both sides of the left brake are missing - both pads are gone. Anyways cleaned it all up and put some new ones in. Works amazing now. But this was sure a surprise (they were factory pads).

 

[swathdiver]

I took my boat out about a week ago and noticed immediately that my parking brake was not holding well and I ended up leaning all that weight against the tranny. It worked perfectly a week prior. So got to work and check out the left rear parking brake compared to a new one. What happened to the pads?!
They must have flown off along the way. What's odd is both sides of the left brake are missing - both pads are gone. Anyways cleaned it all up and put some new ones in. Works amazing now. But this was sure a surprise (they were factory pads).
View attachment 348333

Somebody pulled away with the parking brake on one too many times I reckon!

 

[89Suburban]

That’s happened to me before too. What freaks me out is how the broken pieces find their way out of the drum.

 

[Tonyrodz]

That’s happened to me before too. What freaks me out is how the broken pieces find their way out of the drum.

Probably acts like a tumbler and the pieces get smaller and smaller, til they eventually jump ship lol.

 

[OneofFew]

Theres a TBS on that and updated hardware. All that secures them in place is one clip, the shoe gets to move around a drag. The updated parts come with more hardware, but I could not figure it out, still have no parking brake at all.

 

[blueinkd]

I guess I should fix my parking brake as well

 

[Rocket Man]

I guess I should fix my parking brake as well

I just fixed mine and they work for the first time. The adjusters were s c r e w e d ( had to censor that one huh?) all the way in, never had been adjusted. The shoes were like new after almost 20 years lol.

 

[tomloans]

Yeah this was strange. I drive my cars very kindly. But again it wasn't that bad of an ordeal to replace them or adjust them as most will simply need to do. I didn't expect this. Didn't even notice until I went to clean them and stared at them for several seconds, thinking what is wrong with this picture? LOL

Any ways if you are going to adjust them, take it all apart and use brake cleaner, relube where needed and replace. You didn't know what you were missing until you have working parking brakes.

 

[68Chevysspu]

Do you have to pull the whole brake assembly apart to get to them or can you replace them with the rotor still on the hub?

 

[tomloans]

Do you have to pull the whole brake assembly apart to get to them or can you replace them with the rotor still on the hub?

Yeah you do. But If I remember correctly, I take the brake assembly off in one piece. Just take the two big bolts off. Then when putting it back on I compress the cylinders so it slides on easy. Once you hang the assembly out of the way, pull the rotor and you will see parking breaks behind it. It is behind the bearing assembly. It is odd at first as the break itself seems like it will not come around the bearing but it will. You can to do it just right. Clean the rotor real well. I had to adjust the parking break until it was snug or rather one shy of snug. Then I put the parking break on and released it a couple of times to be sure it moves into place properly. After I did this, I was able to snug it up a little more. You will know if you over tightened as the rotor wont slide back on. That's what I remember of it I think. You'll figure it out.

 

[68Chevysspu]

Thank you. It all sounds pretty reasonable. I watched a couple of videos and they took the caliper and mount apart to do it but I’ve never had to do that when replacing brakes so your method makes sense to me.