parking brake pad replacement

tryn2lrn · November 29, 2017

I appear to have issues searching this forum or selecting the correct search words. Does anyone know if it is possible to replace the parking brake shoes without pulling the axle and hub off? My parking brake setup must have stuck and heated up the rotor and made a hard spot. Nothing I do will make the regular brakes stop squealing at near stopped speeds now. I ordered new parking brake shoes, rotors, and brakes but never worked on the HD parking brake system. It was easy on my 1500 but this looks like I won't be able to get everything apart with the hub still on.

Thanks

newdude · November 29, 2017

What year HD? More than likely you will have to pull the hub. Service manual shows as such.

sdeeter19555 · November 29, 2017

What year HD? More than likely you will have to pull the hub. Service manual shows as such.

Should be a floating rotor?

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newdude · November 29, 2017

24 minutes ago, sdeeter19555 said:

Should be a floating rotor?

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? Floating rotor?

sdeeter19555 · November 29, 2017

? Floating rotor?

I just did brakes on my 2012 2500hd, the rotor is not part of the hub, hence a floating rotor. Yes, that is the correct term...

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newdude · November 29, 2017

8 minutes ago, sdeeter19555 said:

I just did brakes on my 2012 2500hd, the rotor is not part of the hub, hence a floating rotor. Yes, that is the correct term...

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Ah gotcha. OP is doing parking brake shoes (wrote pads in his title) but to do those the rotor (obviously) has to come off, but the hub does as well to access the parking brake shoes and their hold downs and springs.

sdeeter19555 · November 29, 2017

Ah gotcha. OP is doing parking brake shoes (wrote pads in his title) but to do those the rotor (obviously) has to come off, but the hub does as well to access the parking brake shoes and their hold downs and springs.

Mine didn't require pulling the hub for the parking brake shoes? Once the rotor was off, everything was right there...I pulled it apart so I could lube the friction points and never seize the adjuster. The parking brake cables were a pain...

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casey.mikl · November 29, 2017

My 2011 rotors slid off once the caliper was removed. Well can’t say that. Had to beat them off with a hammer. The parking brake shoes were rusted and locked on the rotor. When got the rotor off. I gutted the whole parking brake assembly. Gotta love rust.

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davester · November 29, 2017

If it's a GMT-800 truck ('01-'07), then the axle/hub needs to come off. You need to replace the inner hub seal, as it's not reusable, you might be able to reuse the gasket on the axle. And make sure the inside part of the hub seal either comes off with the hub or you remove it from the axle, as it will result in a leak and that will ruin your shiny new brake shoes.

And if you are doing the shoes, you should also replaces the various springs for the mechanism as well. The hardware kit should be cheap as well (under $20).

tryn2lrn · November 29, 2017

Sorry forgot it is a 2013 2500HD. Sounds like I am going to have to pull the axle and hub. Guess I need to order a socket to pull the hub nut off as well. Crap I should have asked this first before I ordered everything. How tight do I need to make that hub nut? I had the full manuals for my 2004 but didn't cough up the $150 for the 2013. So I guess I need to get an axle seal and a seal for the hub as well correct? Guess I should repack bearings as well, geez this is a lot of effort to put new parking brake shoes on. Sucks since I only have 32k on it.

davester · November 30, 2017

you don't have to repack the bearings with grease, as they are oil-lubricated (hence, the oil seal in the hub and gasket on the axle). there is a specific process for tightening the nut for the hub, so the bearings are correctly loaded.

tryn2lrn · November 30, 2017

Thanks, gotcha on the bearings. Watched a few videos on the process although NONE for the 2007-13 models, only can find the earlier models but assume they are pretty much the same. Ordered a Chilton and Haynes manuals since the Helm factory manual is now $350 . They were only $150 for my 04 1500. I found the axle gasket but everyone seems to just RTV the end of the axle??? Ordered the hub seals and synthetic gear oil. Still can't find a part for the hub nut socket. Done lots of brakes and rotors but never this so sorry for all the questions, this is my first 2500.

davester · December 1, 2017

I wouldn't bother with the Chilton's. I've bought a bunch of them for a variety of vehicles, and they have a ridiculous amount of generic information and only some vehicle-specific stuff. Maybe instead spring for an online subscription to the FSM at alldata.com or helminc.com... I bought the FSM for mine ($300+ridiculous shipping a couple years ago), then I left vol 5 on the rear corner of my truck, forgot it was there and went for a drive. Naturally, it falls off the truck into a puddle, which then froze over (I'm lucky that way), driven over a couple of times, totally ruined. I did get lucky in that maybe 3 weeks later, someone sold me their FSM for this truck cheap, so now I have 4 of the 5 volumes in the house as well...

When I did this on my truck, I wound up taking the nut to several stores before I found a socket that worked. And I think I read somewhere that the nut changed for GMT900s (from the GMT800 one).

And for doing the parking brake, you want to measure the pad diameter, and adjust them so they just fit into the drum. It SUCKS working the adjuster through the tiny hole GM has for doing it. Driver's side is just annoying, passenger side I have to use a flashlight, mirror and custom-bent brake tool to do it...and you have to remember to rotate it backwards (cuz you are looking in a mirror), or you might rotate it the wrong way and then wedge it and have to take the hub off again to un-wedge it....