# E-brake won't hold in reverse **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** dakota, dodge, brakes\ **Created:** [April 28, 2011, 11:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171 "2011-04-28T11:07:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 11:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171/1 "2011-04-28T11:07:30Z")
I have owned a 1988 Dakota for 15mo. now, and it has always had the same problem: the parking brake would hold fine forwards, but poorly in reverse (to the point that just over idle power would “break free.”) _I_ did a drum job on it 2 mo. ago (my first drum job), and put everything back the way I found it. I took it to a shop to diagnose the e-brake problem, and they said “you have a siezed cable to one side.” So, I let them fix that for me. The “not holding in reverse” problem has persisted, with a new wrinkle (or at least, me noticing something new): when backing up **immediately before** applying the brake, it seems adjusted “too lose,” both in terms of effort and holding power. So: is it possible the adjusters arte installed backwards? I tried to put everything back the way I found it, but it’s not beyond me to foul this up. Additionally, it seems they could have been on backwards to begin with, and I accurately replaced them in the same condition. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 12:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171/2 "2011-04-28T12:20:21Z")
I have always found that with the E=brake being in the rear drum brakes, they never hold in reverse. ---
**Author:** ![chaissos](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/chaissos/32/2347_2.png) [@chaissos](https://community.cartalk.com/u/chaissos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171/3 "2011-04-28T13:21:33Z")
While it’s possible the self-adjusters are installed backwards, I can’t really hazard a guess, as I can’t see them. The best thing for you to do is to get a maintenance manual, and verify the installation. For me, I’ve owned quite a few cars over the years (like lots of people), and by far the vast majority had manual transmissions (lived the majority of my life in Europe). E-brakes are for far more than just “E’s”, like parking everywhere you go, every day in a manual. Whenever I had one that didn’t work correctly (like what you decribe), I could always find something wrong. Either with the installation, shoes or drum itself. Something’s up, and you should fix it, or get it fixed. Good luck, Chase ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171/4 "2011-04-28T19:09:20Z")
It’s always possible that the adjusters are on the wrong side of the car. You can check them. They get longer when the tab pushes the star wheel downward. ---
**Author:** ![ignoramus9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@ignoramus9](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ignoramus9)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171/5 "2011-04-28T21:33:00Z")
did you take emery cloth to the drums when you had them off. It sounds like they might be glazed a little. The self adjusters should be installed so the teath are accessible through the brake adj. window on the inboard side of the backing plate. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/e-brake-wont-hold-in-reverse/64171/6 "2011-04-28T23:57:38Z")
There are many ways to screw up a brake job…With drum brakes, this usually a leading and trialing shoe, one a little longer (the lining material) than the other. The LONG shoe ALWAYS goes towards the rear of the car, the short shoe towards the front…The self-adjusting hardware is installed on the larger, rearward, shoe… [http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://o5.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/drum-brake.gif&imgrefurl=http://o5.com/tips-on-inspecting-a-brake-drum/drum-brake/&h=383&w=354&sz=60&tbnid=a5UXCHwGcAdxnM:&tbnh=234&tbnw=216&prev=/search%3Fq%3DDrum%2Bbrake%2Bpicture%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Drum+brake+picture&hl=en&usg=\_\_Kq9AHOuPlmjazhflCk\_DscK7BxM=&sa=X&ei=5f25TfStOq2y0QHK5Mz7Dw&ved=0CCcQ9QEwAA](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://o5.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/drum-brake.gif&imgrefurl=http://o5.com/tips-on-inspecting-a-brake-drum/drum-brake/&h=383&w=354&sz=60&tbnid=a5UXCHwGcAdxnM:&tbnh=234&tbnw=216&prev=/search%3Fq%3DDrum%2Bbrake%2Bpicture%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=Drum+brake+picture&hl=en&usg=__Kq9AHOuPlmjazhflCk_DscK7BxM=&sa=X&ei=5f25TfStOq2y0QHK5Mz7Dw&ved=0CCcQ9QEwAA)