Parking brake not holding

[Vroom_vroom]

So are the parking brakes just notoriously bad on the second gens or am I missing something?
I have adjusted the cable nut and my e brake is fully engaged about half way through the pedal to the point if I try and push any harder I can mess up my knee (and have) my drive way is on a mild incline and would be nice to not put it in the street when it needs to run. Any advice?

[81Blackbird]

Sound like you have rear disk brakes.  Is that correct?

[Vroom_vroom]

No just drums.

[81Blackbird]

Drums are usually pretty good. 
Did you try to adjust the shoes manually first?
The adjuster may be stuck and will cause the shoes not to auto adjust.  Loosen the cable adjustment nut first.  Then manually adjust the shoe until the brakes just catch the drum.  Do this for both sides.  Then re-adjust the cable adjustment nut until the slack is gone and try it again.  If it holds then your good.  If for some reason in a few weeks the e-brake doesn't hold then your adjuster for the brake shoes are stuck.  You will have to remove them and clean and lube the threads.

Since the wheel be off when you do this, I would just remove the brake adjuster and clean it up.  Will save time in the long run.

[Wallington]

If the brakes are complete and functioning they should also be self-adjusting. Key word being should. Hitting the brakes in reverse several times should adjust the sprockets and tension the park brake cable. But it still needs to be set up to start with.

[Vroom_vroom]

I guess I’m gonna have to pull em apart. I know when I rebuilt the brake system years ago I put new cylinders in there so I should have pulled the adjusters. (Should have but honestly don’t remember) gonna have to get a new battery today and pop some wheels off.

[Wallington]

As 81BB said, could be as simple as needing to blast the dust out and lube up, only need to grab a little and enough that they may not self-adjust and cable has reached its limit. Or even another post had where they had the wrong adjuster sprockets each side and essentially undoing adjustment each time it was reversed. The sides are colour coded in gold or silver plating, only good when not rusty. This is the same reason many drumstudents didn't even have an adjuster cutout in the back, wasn't needed.

[highway star]

I believe the shop manual says to adjust parking brake = press the e-brake pedal 3 notches down, then tighten the cables until ya can barely rotate rear wheels.

[Vroom_vroom]

Interesting I will have to check that one out! Popped the wheels off and one was a decent but out of adjustment but all are greased and moving free. Helps but not a good enough hold.

[Vroom_vroom]

Well re adjusting the cable after the drums made a huge difference! Not 100% trust in in but it’s muuuuuuuch better. Might give it one more pass for confidence sake as I’d love to be able have it running in the drive without blocking the wheels. Thanks for the tips!