# 99-02 GM 4 wheel disc 1500's parking brake freezing



## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

My 2002 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 SLE has 4 wheel disc brakes with drum-in-hat parking brakes. I've found it necessary to use the parking brake if I don't want to find my truck at the bottom of the hill after parking it at the top of the hill. 

However, if I use the parking brake in the cold icy winter, often when I try to drive it the next day I find that the parking brake is stuck. I release it and it seems to release, but it keeps dragging while I drive. I have to drive a half mile or more to heat it up then repeatedly apply and release it hard to break it free.

Has anyone experienced this on a similarly equipped vehicle? Exactly where is it freezing? How can I prevent it from freezing? My only guess is maybe water is getting into the cable housing, but that's not consistent with having to drive a bit before I can break it free.


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

Bump.









Maybe anyone who has had experience with parking brake freezing on any vehicle?


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## sagent (Jan 2, 2012)

Went through this multiple times with my 02 Sierra and 03 Yukon. Basically you have to take everything apart and clean. There also is a revised clip that secures the top of the e-brake shoe to the backing plate. The original was a two piece design that loosened up causing the shoe to rub the drum . the new one is one solid piece of steel. I remember having to rebuild the mechanism which opened / closed the shoe.


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

Drat. I did that over the summer, and the previous summer too. I have the new design clip and all brand new hardware. Sounds like the next step is to improvise something.

There's lots of things that GM did right on this truck. This godawful parking brake system is not one of them.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

theholycow;1563741 said:


> Drat. I did that over the summer, and the previous summer too. I have the new design clip and all brand new hardware. Sounds like the next step is to improvise something.
> 
> There's lots of things that GM did right on this truck. This godawful parking brake system is not one of them.


And fuel pumps, and 4wd actuators, and cracked frames, and........

But I digress.

For the meantime in the winter, if you get it un-stuck, I would just use chalks to hold the truck in place if you can.

..........


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

does that have the 2bracket?? parking brake acuator on it???
just seeing if its the same as our 2500s and 3500s


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## Spool it up (Oct 30, 2012)

bad brake caliper (s) or salt ridden parking brake cable . lube with lithium


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

Spool it up;1565031 said:


> bad brake caliper (s) or salt ridden parking brake cable . lube with lithium


Can you elaborate on the caliper? It's a drum-in-hat system so I don't understand how the caliper can get involved, but my mind is open.



dieselss;1565030 said:


> does that have the 2bracket?? parking brake acuator on it???
> just seeing if its the same as our 2500s and 3500s


Not familiar with the 2 bracket actuator. I think what I have is pretty standard, single cable from the parking brake pedal, splits at a common equalizer into two cables, cables go to levers that push the shoes out.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

That's close to the ones I've seen,,but still different. Just make sure the rubber boot the cable goes through isnt ripped to bad. And adjust the shoes correctly


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