Parking Brake

Many people improperly refer to the parking brake as an “emergency brake.” This is not only improper terminology, but it is a dangerous practice. Using the parking brake in an emergency can cause the rear wheels to lock up and result in loss of control of the vehicle.

Having a good working parking brake that is adjusted properly is necessary to hold the vehicle securely. It will prevent a vehicle from rolling, especially if the vehicle is parked on a hill. A poorly adjusted parking brake can impact the effectiveness of the parking brake and also the effectiveness of the main brakes.

Is it time to have your parking brake adjusted? To tell if your parking brake is out of adjustment, simply pull or push your parking brake lever. While pushing or pulling the lever, count the number of clicks until the lever gets tight. A well-adjusted parking brake will get tight after five to seven clicks. If the lever clicks more then twelve times then the parking brake is way out of adjustment and should be adjusted because the parking brake may not work at all. Also the stopping power of the rear brakes can be reduced if the parking brake is not properly adjusted.

There are three different ways that parking brakes are incorporated into the rear braking system. All parking brakes must contain a parking brake cable so that they can be mechanically controlled.

FIRST: If the vehicle contains rear drum brakes, then the parking brakes are part of the rear drum brake system.

SECOND: If the vehicle's brake system is equipped with rear disc brake, then the parking brakes could be mechanically actuated by the piston in the rear caliper.

THIRD: If the vehicle has a rear disc brake system, the parking brakes may be separate from the rear disc brake caliper. These types of parking brakes are called auxiliary parking brakes and are located in the drum portion of the rear disc brake rotor. Chevrolet trucks and SUVs are known for having auxiliary parking brakes.

Sometimes the parking brake cable may be stretched or broken and an adjustment may not be worthwhile until the cable is replaced.

Always follow the guidelines laid out in our brake inspection page before attempting any repairs or adjustments. The proceeding steps will guide you in replacing the parking brake cable with a new cable. There are also tips for adjusting your parking brake.