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Problem with parking brake releasing when it cold.

1.8K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  sonomie  
#1 ·
This morning it was 8° when I started the truck. It's a 98 S10 Ext 4x4. I have lubricated everything that I can see moving on the parking brake pedal with WD-40. This morning I had to get out of the truck, pull the release handle with one hand and use a lot of force with my other hand to pull up the emergency brake pedal. The shop manual says to lubricate it with lubriplate(sp) grease. Anyone ever have this problem? It seems like the grease gets very stiff when cold and the pedal won't move under the spring power of the brake. It will not release even when the temp outside is 40°, but is fine after the cab gets warm. Looks like I may have to pull the brake pedal out, soak it in solvent and re-lube it.
 
#4 ·
haha

my old 91 gmc sonoma had a problem kind of like that when it was cold it would get REALLy hard to pull out and to disingage or watever, well one day i pulled to hard and the whole hand broke off SO DONT PULL TO HARD IT WILL BREAK LoL and the best way to get it off is while pulling it back click the parking break half a notch forward so that it doesnt click but gets releases from its catch then slowly let it out with you foot while still pullin the release! thats how i did it and it work just fine!
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the replies. I guess when it warms up I'll pull the brake pedal and clean it up and then re-lube with the factory white grease. From the shop manual it doesn't look that hard but trucks are like boats, what should be a 30 minute job normally takes 2 hours. I have finally learned to place a large plastic tub on top of the engine when working under the hood to hold my tools. With this being a 4x4 when I knock a tool off of the radiator it never falls out of the bottom of the truck. It's like it falls into a black hole in space. I end up spending as much time fishing my tools out of the engine bay as I do doing the repair.