Parking brake question...

[Jersey Boy]

I replaced the rotors & pads on our '98 coupe with the GM high performance rotors & pads. Brakes work great.

There's plenty of material on the parking brake shoes but the brake doesn't hold at all. It is just as bad as it was before the brake job.
The service manual states the parking brake is self-adjusting but it doesn't seem to be working.

Had a friend pull the handle while I observed the cable action and the cable is moving it's in good condition, not frozen.
Is the adjustment in the starwheel like the C3's?

My driveway is a hill and I hate depending on the parking prawl in the transmission only to hold the car.

How should I address this issue?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[LLC5]

Originally Posted by Jersey Boy

I replaced the rotors & pads on our '98 coupe with the GM high performance rotors & pads. Brakes work great.

There's plenty of material on the parking brake shoes but the brake doesn't hold at all. It is just as bad as it was before the brake job.
The service manual states the parking brake is self-adjusting but it doesn't seem to be working.

Had a friend pull the handle while I observed the cable action and the cable is moving it's in good condition, not frozen.
Is the adjustment in the starwheel like the C3's?

My driveway is a hill and I hate depending on the parking prawl in the transmission only to hold the car.

How should I address this issue?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

To adjust the parking brake properly you will need to remove the rear rotors and adjust the park brake shoes to the rotor hat.

[Jersey Boy]

Originally Posted by LLC5

To adjust the parking brake properly you will need to remove the rear rotors and adjust the park brake shoes to the rotor hat.

Thanks LLC5
I figured so.
The service manual refers to a special tool by part number.
I assume this "tool" is a caliper?

[LLC5]

Originally Posted by Jersey Boy

Thanks LLC5
I figured so.
The service manual refers to a special tool by part number.
I assume this "tool" is a caliper?

If the special tool is the one that I am thinking of it is a large caliper gauge that measures the inside diameter of the rotor hat, and you adjust the shoes to near the same. You don't absolutely need one to adjust the park brake shoes, hit and miss works fine too if you are patient. Check your rotor drum hat for any ridges on the inner area (the area towards the knuckle/bearing assembly when on the vehicle),as it won't allow you adjust the shoes as tight as they can be. If there is a ridge, then you will only be able to adjust the shoes to the ridge, and not the actual brake surface area. I chamfered mine with a dremel tool, it makes installing the rotor over the shoes a little easier also. Be careful not to force the rotor over the park brake shoes or you may never get the rotor back off again with out damaging the park brake clips or shoes. Good luck with it.

[Jersey Boy]

Originally Posted by LLC5

If the special tool is the one that I am thinking of it is a large caliper gauge that measures the inside diameter of the rotor hat, and you adjust the shoes to near the same. You don't absolutely need one to adjust the park brake shoes, hit and miss works fine too if you are patient. Check your rotor drum hat for any ridges on the inner area (the area towards the knuckle/bearing assembly when on the vehicle),as it won't allow you adjust the shoes as tight as they can be. If there is a ridge, then you will only be able to adjust the shoes to the ridge, and not the actual brake surface area. I chamfered mine with a dremel tool, it makes installing the rotor over the shoes a little easier also. Be careful not to force the rotor over the park brake shoes or you may never get the rotor back off again with out damaging the park brake clips or shoes. Good luck with it.

Understood.
Thanks again for the help.