well i think my emergency brake cable is froze. other than getting under there with a heat gun or torch to thaw it out do u guys suggest anything else ?? also is this a sign i should go ahead and replace the cables ?? thanks guys, scott

 

My bet rather than the cable is that the shoes are frozen to the drums. I've always been able to break them loose with just the truck's power.
Not so on passenger cars though, stalls the engine before the car will move, have to tow inside or use a heat gun.
I learned the hard way many years ago not to set the parking brake after driving on wet roads when it might freeze that night.

 

I've had shoes froze on cars too...... I hear the p brake cables on these trucks notoriously suck................

I just ahd mine replaced.

 

My shoes have frozen a couple times, 1st and reverse a couple times and they pop free.

 

still didnt get a chance to look at it but before my original post i did drive the truck. that being the case could it still be the shoes ?? i drove 25 - 30 miles got home and smelled hot brakes. even the rear wheels were getting hot. if it was the shoes shouldnt they have broke free when driving ?? truck seemed to go ok i guess they just arent releasing completely. to much cummins power + sticky rear shoes = worn out shoes real quick.... scott

 

And drums and melted rear wheel seals and overheated brakes=no stopping

 

Take a hammer and pound everywhere on your e brake cable. Mine stuck on me a couple months ago and a quick rap with the hammer and some WD 40 took care of it.

 

I've been fighting mine this winter too. Zero and single digit temps and launching a duck boat is hard on the shoes and tires when it comes time to move rig again. I was also froze to the ground, wet tires. I got it loose, but was a chore. Also, other than the obviously wet conditions those couple of trips. My cable hasnt been releasing all the way. The pedal pops and releases, but the cable does not come back, releasing shoes, for some reason. I have kneeled down and pulling handle, while shaking the cable under truck, got it to release. But, be prepared to bail back in if you're parked on a slope I just quit using the P brake until the temps came back up....now there back to normal operation.

 

My Ebrake pads are pretty worn on my 2002 with rear discs. Someone at a parts counter (not dealer) told me that the replacement pads were a dealer item but had a DELCO product number........ Can anyone substantiate the rumor?