I'm busting this off from this thread ......
https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...y-32305-2.html
So Mike brought his 2003 SMB EB 7.3 by yesterday to determine why the e-brake was non functional.......
The history: .... a few years ago the dealer did the rear brakes and the parking brake hasn't worked since then.
I climbed under the van while Mike cycled the e-brake pedal...and confirmed that all the cables were functional.
We then pulled the rear rotors off and spun the star adjusters..
Driver's side was a little slack tightened up shoes until drum/rotor would just slip on then backed off the star adjuster a click or two.
Passenger side was very snug..struggled to get the rotor off from shoe drag....once removed the shoes were somewhat glazed. Obviously that side was adjusted too tight with e-brake shoe drag causing the glazing.
I sanded the glazing off and loosened the star adjuster a few clicks to get the rotor to just slip on and off without drag, then did a test drive.
We coasted down a mild downgrade at slow speed and applied the e-brake a few times to bed the shoes in a little, and repeated this a couple of times in reverse.
The e-brake certainly grabs better, but won't hold then van on a steep hill.
For a sanity check we did the same exercise in my 2008 E-350 and had no problem locking up the rear wheels when coasting slow and applying the e-brake on a steep hill.....and yes we understand that the 2008+ brakes are larger.....and Mikes van is at least 1000 lbs heavier than mine.
I had a similar experience with my Honda Element when doing the rear brakes/replacing rotors without changing the parking brake shoes. My driveway is sloped and the e-brake wouldn't hold the car in the driveway..annoying. I lived with this for a couple of years and then bought new rotors/pads and parking brake shoes......after a quick slow speed bed-in problem solved.
......so Mike is ordering rotors, pads and e-brake shoes and we'll change everything (his rear brakes have maybe 40% pad left so not the end of the world).
If that doesn't work perhaps the brake cable is stretched, although I've never replaced one on any vehicle that I've ever owned. It does seem to go quite far to the floor even with the shoes snugged up.