88-00 GM ebrake adjustment.

Does looking at a picture of the equalizer help?Equalizer

Check YouTube for a video

Trace the single cable coming from the cab along the frame rail until you find where the two cables going to the rear drum/rotors are located. You will find a tee bar with the single cable in the middle. There you will find the cable turns into a bolt with a nut (there maybe one on each side of the tee). Using a pair of vice grips clamped onto the bolt portion lossen the nut on the side facing the cab and tighten the other to adjust the pads up. Make sure you do not twist the cable or it will break! This is why you use the vice grips and not a 1/4 or 5/16 wrench! Do not ask how I know lol.

Note that if this is a drum vehicle before you adjust the cable make sure the shoes are adjusted correctly first!!!! Nine times out of ten you will find the shoes are out of adjustment not the cable. Adjusting the shoes will/should give you more peddle, unless the cable has stretched.

Don

This is from a GM/Chevy truck site.

PARK BRAKE ADJUSTMENT
Release the park brake pedal.
Raise the vehicle.
Clean the threads on the front park brake cable.
Adjust the park brake cable until the right brake is locked.
Apply and release the park brake 5 times.
With the park brake in the release position, adjust the park brake until the right rear brake develops a slight drag.
Back off the adjusting nut 2 complete turns.

You still need to check the brake adjustment first before you adjust the cable!!!!!

Thank you Don.
That is a better description than I found last night. Only took 3-4 searches. Would have thought it would have been easier.
In my case, after 17 years, multiple stops on 15-30% grades like my dad's driveway.....assuming cable has stretched some. Rear drums could be out also...they only have 8000 or so miles on them. E brake pedal goes all the way to floor. Something is wrong.

Marty

Yep if it is going to the floor it is stretched and needs adjusting. Note that you will want to spry it with Kroil or PB Blaster and let it soak in fro a few days before you try and adjust it. Also after adjusting it up try to not push the pedal all the way down. Only apply enough pressure to hold the truck in place. You can add some over sized bolt (one size larger) to take up some slack if you can't get the cable to adjust up enough. I have done this if someone couldn't afford to replace the cable.

Don

Rear drums a bit loose. 5-6 clicks......not much.
Cable, definitely stretched! Moved the nut over an inch! Pedal is not at the floor, but a bit off. ALong with one can feel the brakes engaging as you push the pedal down. Will see how it works on my dads driveway tomorrow evening. 10' rise in 30-32' horizontal run. Part in middle is a bit steeper than the actual rise over run will net tho!
Along with rotating tires for the first time in 35K miles! Rears were a bit more worn than the front. Left rear worst than right rear. Probably due to the open diff, and that tire spinning more than the other........

Marty

Another thing to check out...

The rear shose friction thickness and the star adjuster...both has to do with it's "reach" to the drum

Also, consider using a fine wire brush to clean off the adjuster threaded rod. I usr a welders brush...looks like a giant tooth brush...first spray the threads with WD40 or some such. Key 2 things this does is to remove all buklt up roas crud...that jams up the nut...so it won't bind and freeze itself to the rod....and...lubes the mating nut to thread

Oh...they used to sell a clamp that decreases the cable lenght...puts a bend into the cable. Contacts the cable in three points....center pulls the cable while rge two other pionts keep the cable straight

This is the tightener, but image shows the J bolt and nut backwards...the nut should be on the flat side and the J would pull the cable deeper into the slot



https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorman-help-brake-cable-adjuster-universal-03006/5014557-p?c3ch=PLA&c3nid=5014557-P&adtype=pla_with_promotion&gclid=CjwKCAjwo_HdBRBjEiwAiPPXpCrJ-iyvTuhYB6Uz77AYAVMEASJWi6lpvMMjYXUrSS8qKz4n-SO-cRoCjHAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKun_ODm-d0CFZ0YrQYdinQOHA



This is how it looks when installed

The brakes definitely hold better on the 25-30% grade my dads driveway is now. Stops a bit quicker too!
Need to take some WD40 to adjusting bolt, may try to get another 1/2" of shortening to the cable. In the meant time, quite happy with results......

Marty

blt2ski wrote:

Need to take some WD40 to adjusting bolt, may try to get another 1/2" of shortening to the cable.

PB Blaster or AreoKroil plus a little bit heat would be more effective than WD40.