I absolutely cannot find the parking brake cable adjusting nut, despite the factory service manual telling me to use it. Can anyone tell me where it's supposed to be?

I see the equalizer on the rear cable, but that only adjusts the passenger cable relative to the driver's side. I want to loosen the whole cable assembly since the driver's side cable lost the end crimp and my fix takes up more length than that originally did.


Thanks in advance.

 

Well, for anything you do on the drivers side to fix the cable, you must match on the passenger side. My understanding of the equalizer is that there is EQUAL pull on the back brakes at the same time, at the same pressure. The adjuster for the actual pedal to E-brake system is the nut before the equalizer. Floor the parking brake, and adjust between the two bolts...idk if your system is any different than the 98+ systems though, because we are rocking discs in the rear...I would assume your 97 has drums.

IDK if you can adjust the equalizer at all BTW? IMO, from a safety standpoint, just replace it. Or test it in a parking lot before you assume its fixed. I just have this image in my head of a blazer going sideways because one of the wheels is locked and the other is half locked. And as I say to all the DIY geniuses out there...Good Luck ~Mike

 

Mike,

Thanks for your reply.

I came to the same conclusion last night, I'll just replace the cable that's missing the crimp. Brakes are too important.

The whole point of this was to get them balanced, since there isn't even enough slack on the left side to get the drum on and the right is loose.

There is no nut ahead of the equalizer, which is what's driving me crazy. The rear cable apparently just goes straight through to the left wheel, and the equalizer adjusts the tension on the right side relative to that one. The only thing ahead of the equalizer is the connection between the front and rear cables. Is there any adjustment to be done in the cab of the truck?

 

I ended up replacing the cable, there was no adjustment to be had.

Now if I could just get the drum to spin once it's on, and it takes pounding to get them there.

The parking brake pedal is all the way up, there's slack on the cable, and I don't see any room to close the shoes any further.

Ideas?

 

Are the drums new or used? If used, have you cleaned off the inner edge of the drum that goes beyond the brake shoes?

 

Used, I was planning on going to disc soon. Guess not for a while, now.

By "inner" I'm assuming you mean the edge that traverses the surface of the shoes during assembly and is closest to the frame. I've sprayed and wiped off the inner surface of the drum, but haven't done anything special with the edges.

Is there something I need to do, like remove material?

I suppose having them turned would resolve this?

 

Yes, I was speaking of the inner edge on the inside of the drum, closest to the brake backing plate (where the shoes mount). Having them turned would resolve it, but if the surface that the shoes ride on is decently clean, you likely don't have to resurface them. Some time with an air grinder with a 60 grit flapper wheel would knock the edge down.