Question: Parking brake

[Antz81]

is there anything that could make the parking brake weak on one side? i have fairly new shoes and hardware (no more than two years old), if i adjust the side that is weaker any stronger then it starts to drag.

 

[GTR1999]

Antony,
As you know the parking brake is a basic setup, just upper/lower springs, hold down springs, and the lever/starwheel. If you bought a new SS kit and just installed it as it came out of the bag then you might have some drag. The new parts sold today are ok at best. EVERY new SS parking brake kit I opened up the past 10 years had to be fit. The hold down pins have to be filed, the starwheels I face in a lathe, the bullet ends where the shoes fit need to be dressed and levers fit. So if any of those are hanging up it could cause the problem. Also the cables stretch over time so you might need a new one from wheel to wheel.

 

[LLC5]

All the things stated above, plus possible shoe contact to the drum, arcing the shoe to the drum might be an option if you can find someone who knows what they are doing.

 

[Antz81]

I is a partially new ss kit (I don't like the idea of ss springs so they are steel, but still reasonably new. I did come across some of the issues that have been meantioned when installing it.

LLC5 are you saying that the shoes could have too much or to small a radius on them to be effective?

 

[LLC5]

I is a partially new ss kit (I don't like the idea of ss springs so they are steel, but still reasonably new. I did come across some of the issues that have been meantioned when installing it.

LLC5 are you saying that the shoes could have too much or to small a radius on them to be effective?

Yes, it used to be common in drum brake vehicles to arc the shoes to the drums for proper contact. It still could apply to parking brakes shoes, but obviously to a much smaller degree, personally I have never had it done to parking brake shoes, it was just a thought if you were trying to get them perfect.

 

[Antz81]

Yes, it used to be common in drum brake vehicles to arc the shoes to the drums for proper contact. It still could apply to parking brakes shoes, but obviously to a much smaller degree, personally I have never had it done to parking brake shoes, it was just a thought if you were trying to get them perfect.

Checked the contact of the shoes to the drum, and I seem to have contact across the entire shoe, so no issue there. still not sure what's causing this.
i have noticed what looks like some wear on the shoes where they contact with the lever, which I guess if this is uneven could cause one side to be weaker:ugh