You can adjust the parking brake equalizer on your vehicle with disc brakes right from your home garage, saving yourself time and money. The equalizer takes up the slack in the parking brake cable. The parking brake cable slackens and stretches out over time with use. You will know its time to adjust your parking brake when you park your car on a downhill slope and engage the parking brake but the vehicle slips forward. Adjusting the parking brake restores function to the parking brake system.
Instructions
- 1
Put wheel chocks behind the front wheels. Place the floor jack under the rear frame and raise up the vehicle. Slide jack stands under the vehicle next to each rear wheel. Lower the car onto the jack stands.
2Release the parking brake. Remove the center console between the drivers seat and the front passengers seat by removing the screws that hold the console cover in place with a screwdriver.
3Lift up on the parking brake about 6 to 8 notches. Try to spin the rear wheels with your hands. If they move, disengage the parking brake and find the adjuster nut attached to the parking brake cable. Turn this nut clockwise with a socket set until its difficult to engage the parking brake up to six clicks.
4Spin the rear wheels again. They should be locked. Put the console cover back in place and reattach the screws that hold it there. Raise up the vehicle, remove the jack stands, lower the car to the ground and remove the wheel chocks.
