# How to adjust parking brake



## Patman (May 7, 2011)

I am not 100% certain but I do not believe you need to adjust the parking brake. Once the rear pads are changed, it should automatically adjust. It is not like the Gen 1 where rear shoes need adjusting.


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## V0latyle (Sep 27, 2020)

Patman said:


> I am not 100% certain but I do not believe you need to adjust the parking brake. Once the rear pads are changed, it should automatically adjust. It is not like the Gen 1 where rear shoes need adjusting.


Are the rear drums self-adjusting? I was under the impression that by using the handbrake while backing up would adjust the shoes one click at a time due to the "cam wedge" action of the shoes...


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## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

Patman said:


> I am not 100% certain but I do not believe you need to adjust the parking brake. Once the rear pads are changed, it should automatically adjust. It is not like the Gen 1 where rear shoes need adjusting.


Cables stretch.

My Colorado has a adjuster about half way along the frame. It connects the front cable to the back cableS.

No idea on the cruze.

Don't use a lot of pressure and the cables won't stretch.


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## Bluewale (3 mo ago)

Pull the handbrake lever 'on' until slight resistance is felt at the lever; then try turning each rear wheel. Each should turn with equal resistance. If they do not, tighten the cable on the slacker side until both feel equal. Tighten the locknuts.


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## Fuhnominon (Mar 19, 2015)

Patman said:


> I am not 100% certain but I do not believe you need to adjust the parking brake. Once the rear pads are changed, it should automatically adjust. It is not like the Gen 1 where rear shoes need adjusting.


Thanks for this it's very helpful!


Bluewale said:


> Pull the handbrake lever 'on' until slight resistance is felt at the lever; then try turning each rear wheel. Each should turn with equal resistance. If they do not, tighten the cable on the slacker side until both feel equal. Tighten the locknuts.


Is this for the 2nd generation Cruze which has the foot lever next to the brake to engage the parking brake on and off? Or is this for previous generation with park brake lever engaged by hand behind the transmission gear selector lever?


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## Fuhnominon (Mar 19, 2015)

Ok guys I have an update for this post. Hopefully it will help someone else out. Just to be clear this is for the 2nd generation Cruze with the parking brake next to the brake pedal (press for on and press again for off).
So during some work on my steering rod I had to remove lower paneling on the dash by driver side and during this I saw the mechanism to adjust your parking brake. 
It's as simple as tightening the nut on the cable adjuster clock wise. 
Please see the photos for reference. The nut to tighten is in one photo pointed out by blue paneling tool and in other photo with screw driver. 
The adjuster is located just behind where the scan tools plug in.


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