The parking brake is still pretty weak on my 2002 4x4 2 Door. I currently have it on jacks and I put it in drive and apply the emergency brake. One side stops quick, the other slows down over about 5 seconds. I assume they should lock up on both sides quickly?

This has the 4 wheel disc brakes with horseshoe pads in the rear. I have replaced all the hardware, including the adjusters, clips. The brake shoes still have plenty left. I have cleaned the shoes well. I also cleaned all the old crud out, using fine sandpaper in the hole that the adjuster goes in. I have lubed the adjuster stuff and applied it to the 2 raised divets and the clip that hold and guide the brake shoes. I have adjusted the wheel adjusters inside the brakes so that I can just get the rotors back on.

I also replaced all the cables everywhere. (this truck had a lot of rust). I have done a lot of fiddling with the adjuster under the driver door. It seems I can get it so tight the one side doesn't want to spin but the other still does. One of the cables that was replaced wouldn't reach to connect so I bought another a little bit longer. Could this slightly longer than stock cable be the reason I just can't get them both to lock up while on jacks? Or is this design just always crappy/weak? Thanks for any help!!!

 

When I adjust my parking brake shoes, I'll put on the rotor and then pull on the cable to center the shoes. I then put the wheel on with two lug nuts and rotate the wheel to listen for any contact.

If I here none, I take the wheel and rotor back off and spread the shoes with the adjuster and repeat.

It could be possible that when you install the rotor, only one of the shoes is providing the friction you feel allowing for quite a bit of travel for the other shoe.

 

This is a very good idea! Thanks so much!!! It just baffles me that I couldn't get this working and I've spent many hours. My brain won't shut off thinking about it, I'm too invested now haha!

 

Not sure if it needs to be stated, but you are aware there are different length cables based off whether you have just a standard 2-door or 2-Door with the ZR2 High Wider Package? If one of the cables your running is for the standard 2-door and the another one is for the ZR2 2-door, then you may be working with mix-matched cables.

EDIT: Obviously there are differences in driver-v-passenger side lengths, but I know you couldn't have mixed that up. Check and insure whether ALL of the cables you replaced were correct for your truck (standard 2 door-v-ZR2)

 

Here are the scans from my 99 manual on how to adjust the the parking brake.