I just replaced my rear brakes. I did some searching on the site and found somebody with a similar problem with an 04 sunfire. However the link that was given was for older models and the newer cars have diffrent drum brakes. So how do you adjust the newer style parking brake?

The parking brake from the 95-05 J-body is self adjusting. The shoes are adjusted by turning the star wheel between the shoes.

Greg Z. wrote:The parking brake from the 95-05 J-body is self adjusting. The shoes are adjusted by turning the star wheel between the shoes.

The shoes are working fine but the parking brake is not.

Greg is right. The parking brake actuates the rear drums. Since your discs do 75% of the stopping, you don't know it when your drums are out of adjustment. You have to manually adjust that wheel inside the drum right up until the drum can still spin freely.

2002 Cavalier 2200 5spd

Solid Snake wrote:Greg is right. The parking brake actuates the rear drums. Since your discs do 75% of the stopping, you don't know it when your drums are out of adjustment. You have to manually adjust that wheel inside the drum right up until the drum can still spin freely.

So if they are way out of adjustment wouldn't over time they adjust themselves?

well, no. even though they are called self adjusting drums, you have to adjust them. you get going in reverse up to about 5-10 mph and hit the brakes just hard enough to stop quickly, but not hard enough to actuate the abs. then do it going forward. repeat 4-5 times, check the handle.

if this doesn't improve it any, chances are your star wheel is not adjusting properly and you'll have to remove the wheel and drum and adjust them manually. while you're in there, make sure everything is lubricated, but do not leave any excess grease anywhere, as it could fall onto the drum, and cause all sorts of havoc.



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Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:well, no. even though they are called self adjusting drums, you have to adjust them. you get going in reverse up to about 5-10 mph and hit the brakes just hard enough to stop quickly, but not hard enough to actuate the abs. then do it going forward. repeat 4-5 times, check the handle.

I did do this yesterday but didn't do any good. So I popped out the rubber insert on the back of the drum and adjusted them that way. I couldn't figure out which way to turn the wheel but I finally figured out the correct way is the the way that makes it click. Hopefully this fixes my problem.

Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:well, no. even though they are called self adjusting drums, you have to adjust them. you get going in reverse up to about 5-10 mph and hit the brakes just hard enough to stop quickly, but not hard enough to actuate the abs. then do it going forward. repeat 4-5 times, check the handle.

if this doesn't improve it any, chances are your star wheel is not adjusting properly and you'll have to remove the wheel and drum and adjust them manually. while you're in there, make sure everything is lubricated, but do not leave any excess grease anywhere, as it could fall onto the drum, and cause all sorts of havoc.

Actually when you go backwards you pull the ebrake handle up. I do this every so often to adjust my parking brake.



FU Tuning

John Higgins wrote:

Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:well, no. even though they are called self adjusting drums, you have to adjust them. you get going in reverse up to about 5-10 mph and hit the brakes just hard enough to stop quickly, but not hard enough to actuate the abs. then do it going forward. repeat 4-5 times, check the handle.

if this doesn't improve it any, chances are your star wheel is not adjusting properly and you'll have to remove the wheel and drum and adjust them manually. while you're in there, make sure everything is lubricated, but do not leave any excess grease anywhere, as it could fall onto the drum, and cause all sorts of havoc.

Actually when you go backwards you pull the ebrake handle up. I do this every so often to adjust my parking brake.

The way I try to adjust mine I pully my ebrake up about 1/3 of the way, leaving 2/3 of pull, then do the reverse and hit the brakes hard. Works for me, and keeps them adjusted pretty well. I do this about once a month.