Should parking brake provide any stopping power?

[2UZ-FE]

For as long as I had my 2003 V8 4Runner, the parking brake has never been able to provide any stopping power while in motion. I thought that maybe they were worn out or had an issue. Last winter both the parking brake cables seized due to our snowy and salty winters here.

I finally got around to getting a new pair of cables along with brand new everything for the rear ie. New rotors, parking brake shoes, pads, hardware kit etc. And got everything installed. The only thing I was unsure about was the 2 top return springs, there's a light duty one and a heavier duty one, I put the heavier one on the front shoe on both sides.

I adjusted the star wheel to the point where I could not turn the rotor, then backed off a few notches. Then I proceeded to adjust the cables via beneath the center console. I adjusted it until the 4Runner would not roll down my inclined driveway in neutral via 5-6 clicks of the push of the parking brake pedal.

But when I put it in drive or reverse, the parking brake doesn't hold and the 4Runner proceeds to move as if the parking brakes weren't even there. Unless I mash the parking brake pedal to the floor with all my weight, only then will it not move while in gear.

I brought the 4Runner up to 15MPH, shifted to neutral, and tried the parking brakes to see if it would slow or stop it, but no effectiveness. Which makes be a bit nervous knowing I have no backup system to stop the vehicle.

Is this just the way this system is designed? Only to hold the vehicles own weight while not in gear? Seems like a pretty stout system to provide such minimal holding power. On just about every other vehicle I've ever owned, the parking/hand brake brings the vehicle to skidding stop whenever applied.

 

[m85476585]

It should be able to hold the 4runner even if it's in gear idling. It's not meant to stop if you're moving, so it might not grip the same way as normal brakes, but a properly adjusted one should stop the vehicle from slow speeds anyway (but be careful about locking up the wheels and skidding, since it's hard to control and there's no ABS). Mine will hold even on extremely steep hills, like 30 degrees.

You should feel pressure on the parking brake pedal when you press it. If it goes all the way in easily, then it's not adjusted right.

The return springs shouldn't matter for this problem.

 

[m85476585]

It should be able to hold the 4runner even if it's in gear idling. It's not meant to stop if you're moving, so it might not grip the same way as normal brakes, but a properly adjusted one should stop the vehicle from slow speeds anyway (but be careful about locking up the wheels and skidding, since it's hard to control and there's no ABS). Mine will hold even on extremely steep hills, like 30 degrees.

You should feel pressure on the parking brake pedal when you press it. If it goes all the way in easily, then it's not adjusted right.

The return springs shouldn't matter for this problem.