How to Replace the Emergency Brakes in a Cadillac Escalade

Determine which type of emergency brakes your Cadillac Escalade will need. Emergency brakes typically function by activating the regular braking system on the driving wheels. The emergency brakes for all versions of the Cadillac Escalade use the disc brakes on the rear wheels.

Raise the vehicle and remove the rear tire and wheel with a socket wrench. Loosen the nut on the equalizer with a socket wrench to relieve the tension on the parking brake cables. Remove the parking brake cable from the parking brake actuator lever.

Disconnect the rotor with a socket wrench and turn the adjustment screw in the notched adjustment nut to the home position. Remove the tips of the parking brake shoe from the slots and slide the shoe toward the retaining spring until the shoe disengages from the spring. This allows you to remove the parking brake shoe assembly from the backing plate.

Place one of the open ends of the parking brake shoe over the axle flange and rotate the shoe until it clears the flange. You can now remove the parking brake shoe assembly from your vehicle.

Align the slots in both the adjusting screw and tappet so they are parallel with the backing plate. Install the parking brake shoe assembly on the vehicle by placing an open end of the shoe over the axle flange. Rotate the shoe until it is behind the flange. Position the shoe on the inboard side of the actuator and slide it into place into the retaining spring.

Adjust the parking brake shoe to a clearance of 0.026 inch above the rotor using a brake adjustment gauge such as tool J21177A.

Complete the remainder of the installation by reversing the removal steps. Use a torque wrench to tighten the nut on the equalizer to 31 inch-lb.