Silverado/Avalanche Parking Break Issue

2002 Avalanche/Silverado is the issue .... Does anyone remember if their parking brake pedal did not go straight to the floor when it was first bought? Did it only go half way like a typical break system?

A year ago I went through the fiasco of replacing both 'top hat' shoes with the new shoes and the 'improved' spring holder. Now, the safety inspection says the shoes have to hold at 1000rpm. I have both shoes dragging the 'top hat' and the pedal still goes to the floor. All cables are within specs and in their proper channels. Circular parking break shoes were clean along with the inside of the drum.

If your Silverado or Avalanche is working properly, please tell me what you are experiencing ... full pedal travel or what?

BTW, forget about the NTSB stuff going around ... they decided long ago that 'roll-a-way' was not a problem with automatic transmission vehicles since they have a 'lock pin' .... No telling how much GM paid NTSB vs spending on an actual fix ....
Many thanks,
Bill

from personal experience and from MANY posts from the web - that's how that parking brake works. or does not, as it does not hold, period.:runaround:

2002 Avalanche/Silverado is the issue .... Does anyone remember if their parking brake pedal did not go straight to the floor when it was first bought? Did it only go half way like a typical break system?

A year ago I went through the fiasco of replacing both 'top hat' shoes with the new shoes and the 'improved' spring holder. Now, the safety inspection says the shoes have to hold at 1000rpm. I have both shoes dragging the 'top hat' and the pedal still goes to the floor. All cables are within specs and in their proper channels. Circular parking break shoes were clean along with the inside of the drum.

If your Silverado or Avalanche is working properly, please tell me what you are experiencing ... full pedal travel or what?

BTW, forget about the NTSB stuff going around ... they decided long ago that 'roll-a-way' was not a problem with automatic transmission vehicles since they have a 'lock pin' .... No telling how much GM paid NTSB vs spending on an actual fix ....
Many thanks,
Bill

with my 2000 silverado new,the park brake pedal only traveled half way....then after about 10,000mi the pedal went to floor...brought to dealership idiot repair shop,,,they put washers at the driverside adjustment stud...then I noticed that my park brakes were dragging..I found that my park brake shoes where worn to nothing ...I wrote and bitched and NHSTA,it was a zero for me...so I paid for new shoes installed a mod of MY design and now 2009 the park brakes still work ....

these park brakes are to hold the vehicle stationary with the vehicle in neutral on a grade no greater than 10%....Under no circmstances are you to put the vehicle in drive with the park brake on...this will break the shoes...


THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY BRAKE......the inspection station you use is another idiot, and is not to be used as an inspection service....he knows that your vehicle has this issue and is trying to screw you...my station don't even check it because he knows GM f##ked up here...

2002 Avalanche/Silverado is the issue .... Does anyone remember if their parking brake pedal did not go straight to the floor when it was first bought? Did it only go half way like a typical break system?

A year ago I went through the fiasco of replacing both 'top hat' shoes with the new shoes and the 'improved' spring holder. Now, the safety inspection says the shoes have to hold at 1000rpm. I have both shoes dragging the 'top hat' and the pedal still goes to the floor. All cables are within specs and in their proper channels. Circular parking break shoes were clean along with the inside of the drum.

If your Silverado or Avalanche is working properly, please tell me what you are experiencing ... full pedal travel or what?

BTW, forget about the NTSB stuff going around ... they decided long ago that 'roll-a-way' was not a problem with automatic transmission vehicles since they have a 'lock pin' .... No telling how much GM paid NTSB vs spending on an actual fix ....
Many thanks,
Bill

My parking brake goes to the floor and always has. It's always held the truck just fine, even on steep hills. I now have almost 80K miles on it - no change. '03 Silverado 4x4 5.3L Auto trans. Although different than all the other vehicles I've owned, I just assumed this was the way it's supposed to work... since it works.

Art

My parking brake goes to the floor and always has. It's always held the truck just fine, even on steep hills. I now have almost 80K miles on it - no change. '03 Silverado 4x4 5.3L Auto trans. Although different than all the other vehicles I've owned, I just assumed this was the way it's supposed to work... since it works.

Art

the 2500 silverado has the working park brake...the 1500 has the defective one.. they are different in design..the 1500 park brake design is another way GM screwed us...Nhtsa is also responsible for not correcting this on ALL vehicles not just standard shift...ONCE AGAIN THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY BRAKE! This will not stop vehicle if your brake line blows out...

hey, Jcat, why don't you be a good sport and tell us what was the propriatory mod that you did to the brake? as mine holds worth s....

hey, Jcat, why don't you be a good sport and tell us what was the propriatory mod that you did to the brake? as mine holds worth s....

In the future I will..when I do I will include pictures..this will make this much easier..also this was done with both the old and new type of park brake shoe hold down device...

what happens with the defective design is the shoes move fore/aft when vehicle is in motion...as this is moving your shoes are wearing into the inner drum....if you suddenly require park brake [IE boat on ramp] the park brake pedal goes to floor...thanks GM and nhtsa..

so to correct this you make the shoe lock in by creating a detent with the use of the clip...as the shoe moves it gets locked into the groove that I made into the shoe with a dremel tool...

I recently removed all the rear rotors and sure enough the inner drum was rusted,,,which means the shoes had not scraped into the inner drum and obvoiusly the shoes were not worn...and why should they????

Ford had almost the same set up and rust issues have caused similar problems. I assume we are talking about the updated shoe set and retaining clip. My Trailblazer had the usual issue and that repair has worked, getting the adjustment right is a PITA on the TB since it is an internal adjustment, no backing plate access, so a tool is required to measure the rotor and the parking brake shoe and set up your adjustment from there, whew. As we know the new trucks went back to rear drums, except the 2500 I believe. Here in NYS if the parking brake goes more than 1/2 down, it fails inspection.

In the future I will..when I do I will include pictures..this will make this much easier..also this was done with both the old and new type of park brake shoe hold down device...

I look forward to this. I was gonna buy new parts and fix mine but now I will wait so I can fix it right. Thanks.

come on, J, don't be a tease, show us some pics... prove yourself, man!:naughty:

I have a 2002 Z71. I am having an issue with my parking break as well. My driveway is on a hill (pretty substantial one) and my parking break will not hold at all. The pedal will go completely to the floor with minimal resistance. I do not want to have to slam my transmission into reverse to park on my driveway. Can anyone help? PLEASE

I have a 2002 Z71. I am having an issue with my parking break as well. My driveway is on a hill (pretty substantial one) and my parking break will not hold at all. The pedal will go completely to the floor with minimal resistance. I do not want to have to slam my transmission into reverse to park on my driveway. Can anyone help? PLEASE


In your driveway place a 8X8 wooden beam with steel rods driven into the surface as a place to hold vehicle on the steep grade..

when the weather warms I will post some pictures to help those with the GM park brake design..