I failed my inspection because my e-brake doesn't work. I've got the dreaded RrABS and Brake light on the dash and I think the guy saw that and tried all the brakes and failed me on the e-brake. I don't think the dummy lights and e-brake issue are related.

When it was inspected, you could pull the lever all the way up with no resistance. So, I tightened the adjuster and now I get good resistance. However, the brake doesn't hold the vehicle.

I took the rear rotors off and the e-brakes seems to work fine on both sides - cables aren't broken or anything.

The pads are worn but not down to the metal. I think my wife has driven it with the e-brake on and they looked a bit cooked. So I took some rough sandpaper and sanded the glaze off. Put it all back together and it still doesn't hold.

Do I need new pads?

Many vehicles with rear disc brakes have the E-brake built in, meaning a pad change there must be more precise than screwing the pistons all the way in and throwing pads in. Most have a "friction pin" technology (not knowing your vehicle make or year doesn't help much). But what usually should happen here is the piston should be rotated and pressed inward only to the point where the caliper AND pads fit semi snug upon the rotor. Too much Pad-to-rotor gap will not provide adequite E-braking within the travel of the calipers lever.
I have seen instances where the E-brake would be applied and released several (sometimes many,many) times which gradually adjusts this mechanism within the caliper.

It's a 95 Rodeo (See my signature).

The e-brake is a drum brake.

There should be some sort of adjuster wheel... Get the shoes adjusted to where it's just slightly making contact with the drum.
I usually adjust the shoes first and fit the drum when it's snug. Sometimes a rubber mallet helps to get it back in, especially when the drum has worn a lip at the outer edge.

You can tell if it's got more room to adjust by how far you can pull the parking brake lever.

*I have no experience with the dana 44 rear, so this method is based on the Isuzu 10-bolt and a few other import drum rears...

The D44 Isuzu used is still a disc-brake system... its the built-in parking brake that is a drum.

Built-in drum brake? Please elaborate, never heard of it. My D44 has a full drum rear brake... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

some rear axles have a disc for the pads (primary brakes) and a mini-drum for the e-brake.

Ok, I've seen those before where the drum faces inwards right... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

If the '95 is the same as the '96 look for small (`1") oval rubber plugs on the inside bottom of your rear axle. If you have these you may be in luck.

Jack up the rear and put the axle on jackstands.

Release the e-brake and loosen the adjustment nuts on the e-brake handle stem until there is alot of slack.

Use a regular screwdriver to rotate the toothed sprockets inside the rubber plug holes in an upward direction (ie place the screwdriver head at the bottom and pry the handle downwards driving the head upwards).

Continue this until you can no longer turn the rear wheel (ie the e-brake is engaged).

Back off the toothed sproket 1-3 turns until the wheel moves relatively smoothly.

Repeat for the other wheel then tighten the adjustment nuts on the e-brake handle stem until it takes about six "clicks" to engage the e-brake.

Best,

I just adjusted mine while turning the wheel by hand until I could hear the brake drag a bit then backed off one click. Brake handle now goes to 6 or 7 clicks depending on how hard you pull.

With drum rear brakes I was tought (as a mechanic at toyota) to spin the wheel by hand and adjust until the wheel will make one revolution then stop. Always seemed to work.