Repair 7

How to Adjust the Rear Brakes on My 2001 GMC Safari

You can adjust the rear brakes on your 2001 GMC Safari right in your home garage. This adjustment should be done periodically to lengthen the life of your rear brakes, to improve brake function, and to restore the function of the parking brake. This adjustment can be done in less than an hour and requires only a few basic tools that can be purchased from your local auto parts retailer. The adjustment procedure basically reduces the gap between the shoes and the drums, resulting in a higher brake pedal height and faster braking times.

Instructions

1

Put on work gloves and safety goggles.

2

Position two wheel chocks in front of each front wheel and two wheel chocks behind each front wheel to keep the car from moving while you work on it.

3

Put the floor jack under the rear differential and raise up the Safari until its higher than the jack stands. Slide the jack stands under the vehicles axle tubes next to each of the rear wheels. Lower your 2001 GMC Safari onto the jack stands.

4

Look for a rubber plug in the backing plate behind the wheel. Remove the plug.

5

Insert a screwdriver into the hole and rotate the star-shaped adjuster upward at the same time spin the rear wheel in a forward motion. Keep spinning the wheel and rotating the adjuster until you feel a slight drag on the wheel. Remove the screwdriver and reinsert the plug. Repeat this procedure for the other rear wheel.

6

Raise the vehicle up off the jack stands and move them out of the way. Lower the vehicle to the ground and remove the wheel chocks. Take the GMC for a test drive to make sure the brake pedal height is higher and that the parking brake is tighter, clicking a maximum of six notches when you engage it.