How To Adjust Emergency Brake On Chevy Silverado? [5 Steps]

Emergency Brake, also known as Parking Brake, is very essential for any vehicle. We use this brake when we park a vehicle so that it cannot move.

Sometimes, after parking a Chevy Silverado, we notice that the vehicle rolls forward or backward. It is due to the failure of the emergency/parking brake. It means the brake needs to be adjusted.

Here we will guide you step by step on How to Adjust Emergency Brake on Chevy Silverado. Before that, let’s have a clear understanding how the Emergency Brake works on a Chevy Silverado.

How the Emergency Brake Works on Chevy Silverado?

Emergency Brake is not a pedal brake. It is essentially a hand brake located at the driver’s right-hand side (if the steering wheel is at the left-hand side) of your Chevy Silverado. We use Emergency Brake while parking, or in case of an emergency when the pedal brake is not working.

You have to lift up the hand-lever to apply the emergency brake. When you lift up the lever, it will move the braking shoes to apply pressure on the brake-plates of the rear wheels. Thus it stops the vehicle from rolling. Keep the emergency-brake lever at its normal position when you don’t need to use it. 

If the emergency brake does not work properly, you need to adjust the braking shoes. Following tools will be necessary for adjusting the Emergency Brake on Chevy Silverado.

Tools for Adjusting the Emergency Brake on Chevy Silverado

You can adjust the Emergency Brake of the Chevy Silverado on your own. Before getting started, let’s collect the tools you need to execute the adjustment. The tools are as follows.

• Jack
• Wrench
• Ratchet Wrench

You will need a Jack for lifting up the rear side of your Chevy Silverado. Wrench will be necessary for removing the lug nuts of the wheel. And the Ratchet Wrench will be used to remove the brake calipers.

How to Adjust Emergency Brake on Chevy Silverado? (Step by Step)

Here we enlist a step by step guide for adjusting the Emergency Brake on your Chevy Silverado. We have made the process as simple as possible for you so that you can do it without any trouble.

Step 1 – Raise the Chevy Silverado

The Emergency Braking mechanism is at the rear wheels of the Chevy Silverado. So, you need to remove one of the rear-tires to gain access to the braking mechanism.  

The first step is to raise the rear side of the Chevy Silverado with a Jack. So, park your vehicle on a firm ground so that the Jack does not slip. After parking, loose the lug nuts partially using a Wrench.

Now set the Jack in front of the rear-wheel and raise the rear side of your vehicle.

Step 2 – Dismount the Rear-Tire

The vehicle is now lifted. Now, loose the lug nuts of the tire entirely with the wrench. Dismount the rear tire completely.

Now you can see the rotor and the brake calipers.

Step 3 – Dismount the Rotor and Brake Calipers

For gaining access to the emergency-brake adjusting mechanism, now you need to dismount the rotor and the brake calipers.

You can see the brake calipers connected with three bolts. To remove the bolts, you need a ⅝ Ratchet Wrench. Remove the bolts. After that, slide the brake calipers with your hand and dismount it.

Now, slide off the rotor and remove that too.

Step 4 – Adjust the Braking Shoes

Now, we are at the most important step. As you have dismounted the brake calipers and rotor, the emergency braking mechanism is now exposed.

There you can see the rotary turn dial. It is located between 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock. This turn dial is connected with a bolt. This bolt pushes the braking shoes close to the rotor.

The braking shoes apply pressure on the rotor, and the emergency brake works. So, you have to adjust the turn dial so that it can push the braking shoes closer to the rotor.

Now, adjust the turn dial until it pushes the braking shoes up/closer to the rotor. Mount the rotor back in its position and check if the pressure is sufficient.  

If the pressure is not sufficient, remove the rotor and adjust the turn dial again. When it seems that the braking shoes are close enough, mount the rotor.

Step 5 – Wrap Up

Hopefully, the emergency brake is now adjusted. Step 5 is the final step or the wrapping up step. Now you have to mount back everything which you have unmounted.

First, mount the rotor. Then bolt the brake calipers with the three bolts. You can bolt it back using the Ratchet Wrench.

After that, set the rear-tire back on. Fasten the lug nuts with the wrench properly. Now you are all set. Finally, remove the Jack under the vehicle.

Tips for Adjusting Chevrolet Silverado Emergency Brakes

1. Find the emergency brake handle, typically located near floor of driver side door column -Pull up on lever (typically at top)
2. Locate slot and use fingers to pull up on it
3. Move lever forward and back until you find a comfortable position for you (this is dependent on how tall you are)
4. Push down firmly, but not too hard, in order to engage the brake pads again. Repeat if necessary or contact Chevrolet customer service!

Warning for Adjusting Chevrolet Silverado Emergency Brakes

Do not forget that this is a temporary solution for stopping. You will need to re-adjust the emergency brake every few months to make sure it remains in working order and does what it needs to do!

It’s important that you drive conservatively on slick or rough surfaces so as not to cause any accidents too! This is also why we recommend adjusting the emergency brake about every three months if possible. If these things happen, please contact Chevrolet customer service with your concerns.

FAQ’s

Final Thought on Adjusting the Emergency Brake 

Congratulations! You  have successfully adjusted the emergency brake. Now, it effectively stops your Chevy Silverado from rolling around when it is parked.

Adjusting the Emergency Brake is not a difficult task. But it may seem difficult if you have no previous experience in maintaining a vehicle. So, if you are a newbie, we recommend you do not perform this adjusting work. Rather, take the vehicle to a certified servicing centre.

Even if you have successfully adjusted the emergency brake, take your vehicle to a servicing-centre. It is because the failure of the Emergency Brake may be a hint of something bigger.

Moreover, if you do not align the wheel properly, it may affect the performance of your Chevy Silverado. So, do a service check of your vehicle after you adjust the Emergency Brake. Otherwise, leave the adjusting work to the hands of the professional.

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