2003-2009 Infiniti FX35 Parking Brake Problems and Adjustment

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The 2003-2009 Infiniti FX35 holds itself with a foot-operated parking brake pedal that pulls cables to a small set of brake shoes hidden inside each rear rotor, a design called drum-in-hat. When the pedal travels too far, the SUV rolls on a hill, or the rear wheels drag after release, the fix is almost always shoe adjustment, worn shoes, or a sticking cable. Adjust the shoes first, then the cable, never the other way around.

How the FX35 Parking Brake Works

Infiniti's owner's manuals for both the first-generation FX (2003-2008) and the 2009 redesign describe the same operation: to apply, fully depress the parking brake pedal; to release, firmly apply the foot brake, then depress the parking brake pedal again and it releases. The manual adds that you should confirm the brake warning light goes out before driving. There is no electronic parking brake motor on these model years. Everything is mechanical.

The pedal pulls a front cable to an equalizer, which splits the pull between two rear cables. Each rear cable runs to a lever inside a small drum brake assembly behind the rear hub. The inside of the rear rotor's center section (the "hat") is machined as a drum, and the parking brake shoes expand against it. Infiniti's parts catalog lists separate left and right rear parking brake assemblies and a replaceable parking brake shoe set for the FX35.

The key point: the rear disc pads and caliper do not hold the vehicle when parked. Only those small shoes do. Because they are rarely used hard, they wear slowly, but they sit in a damp, dusty space and can rust, glaze, or lose adjustment over the years.

Always confirm the shoe set against your VIN before ordering. The two generations use different assemblies.

Common FX35 Parking Brake Problems and Their Symptoms

• Pedal goes too far before it holds. The most common complaint. The shoes have worn or backed off, so the cable spends most of its travel taking up slack. Infiniti's own check is simple: from the released position, press the pedal slowly and firmly and check the travel; if it is outside the range printed in the owner's manual, it needs adjustment.
• Vehicle creeps on a hill with the brake set. The owner's manual maintenance checklist says to confirm the vehicle is held securely on a fairly steep hill with only the parking brake applied. If it will not hold, the shoes are out of adjustment, glazed, contaminated, or worn out.
• Rear wheels drag or a rear rotor gets hot after driving. Usually a cable seized in its sheath, a rusted equalizer, or shoes adjusted too tight. You may smell hot friction material from one rear wheel.
• Brake warning light stays on after release. This light serves both the parking brake and the low brake fluid warning. If it stays on with the pedal released, check that the pedal fully returned, then check the brake fluid level. Infiniti's manual says that if the light comes on while the engine is running with the parking brake not applied, stop the vehicle and have the system checked.
• Scraping or grinding from the rear at low speed. A broken shoe return spring or a shoe that has shed lining can rub the inside of the hat.

What Causes It

Brake and Front End, the trade publication for brake technicians, points to a handful of repeat offenders on any cable parking brake. Cables stretch over time, which shows up as extra pedal travel. Rusted equalizer linkages interfere with both application and release. Broken pivots can cause a loss of holding power even when pedal travel looks normal. Their advice on cables is blunt: modern cables have a coated inner wire and dry lubricant, and spraying solvents or oil into them tends to attract grime and shorten their life.

On an FX35 that has seen salt-belt winters, add corrosion inside the drum-in-hat: rust builds on the drum surface of the rotor hat and on the shoe adjuster, so the star wheel seizes and the shoes can no longer be expanded. Brake fluid or axle grease on the shoes will also kill holding power; contaminated shoes must be replaced, not cleaned.

How to Adjust the FX35 Parking Brake

The correct order matters. Brake and Front End states that on drum-in-hat systems the shoes are adjusted first using the star wheel at the backing plate, and the cable is tensioned only afterward. Tightening the cable to make up for loose shoes pulls the shoe levers partway on, which causes drag and noise.

1. Release the parking brake and support the rear safely. Raise the rear on a lift or jack stands, chock the front wheels, and remove both rear wheels.
2. Find the adjuster access hole. The rear rotor has a rubber-plugged access hole in its face. Rotate the rotor until the hole lines up with the star-wheel adjuster behind it.
3. Expand the shoes. Turn the star wheel with a brake spoon or small flat screwdriver until the rotor will not turn by hand. Wilwood's instructions for its own internal drum parking brake use the same approach: adjust the shoes outward until the drum cannot be rotated by hand.
4. Back it off. Turn the adjuster the opposite way the number of notches your service manual specifies, until the rotor spins with no more than a light, even rub. Wilwood notes some slight drag is fine; Brake and Front End describes backing off until the rotor turns free. Many manufacturers specify a drum diameter gauge for precise shoe spacing when the rotor is off.
5. Repeat on the other side, reinstall the access plugs, and only then check pedal travel.
6. Adjust the cable only if travel is still out of range. Set it to the factory travel spec, then confirm both rear wheels spin freely with the pedal released.
7. Break in new shoes. New or resurfaced shoes need a burnish procedure before they hold at full strength. Follow the procedure in the factory service manual rather than guessing.

If the star wheel will not turn, or the shoes are already expanded to the limit and travel is still long, the parts are worn or seized and adjustment will not fix it.

Parts to Replace Together

Because the parking brake drum is the inside of the rear rotor, any rear rotor replacement is also the moment to inspect the parking brake. Pull the rotor, check the shoe lining, springs and adjuster, and look at the drum surface inside the hat. A rotor with a scored or rust-pitted hat will never let the shoes hold properly.

• Rear rotors: if the hat drum is grooved or badly rusted, replace the rotor. For 2003-2005 FX35 models we carry the EBC GD Sport rear slotted rotors GD7219 and the EBC USR slotted rear rotors USR7219, or browse all brake rotors.
• Rear pads: the rotor comes off anyway, so check the pads. The EBC Yellowstuff rear pad set DP41666R fits 2003-2005 FX35 models.
• Front pads while you are at it: for 2006-2009 models, the EBC Greenstuff 6000 front pad set DP61671 is an SUV street compound. See all brake pads.
• Shoes and hardware: replace shoes as a set on both sides, and replace return springs and adjusters if they are rusted. Our brake hardware kits and brake shoes collections are the place to start.

How Hard Is the Job?

Shoe adjustment through the access hole is a moderate driveway job: mostly patience finding the star wheel and turning it the right direction. Shoe replacement is harder. You remove the caliper and bracket, pull the rotor (often rusted to the hub), then work the shoes, springs and adjuster off a backing plate that sits behind the hub. Photograph one side before disassembly and do one side at a time so you always have a reference. Cable replacement, if a cable is seized, adds work under the vehicle at the equalizer and cable brackets. If you are not comfortable with drum brake springs, this is a reasonable job to hand to a shop while you do the rotors and pads yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the FX35 use the rear disc pads as the parking brake?

No. The 2003-2009 FX35 uses separate parking brake shoes inside the hat of each rear rotor. The rear pads and caliper only work with the foot brake.

Why does my FX35 parking brake pedal go almost to the floor?

The parking brake shoes are out of adjustment or worn, or the cable has stretched. Adjust the shoes at the star wheel first, then the cable, and replace the shoes if the lining is thin.

Should I just tighten the parking brake cable?

Not as the first step. Tightening the cable to make up for loose shoes can hold the shoes partly applied and cause rear drag, heat and noise. Shoes first, cable second.

Do I need new parking brake shoes when I replace rear rotors?

Not always. If the lining is thick and clean and the springs and adjuster are sound, you can reuse them and readjust to the new rotor. If they are thin, glazed, oil-soaked or cracked, replace them as a pair.

Why is my brake warning light on even with the parking brake released?

On the FX35 the same light shows parking brake applied and low brake fluid. If the pedal is fully released, check the fluid level. Infiniti specifies DOT 3 fluid; if you have to add fluid often, have the system inspected for leaks or worn pads.

Can a stuck parking brake damage the rear rotors?

Yes. A dragging shoe heats the rotor hat, can overheat the rear brakes and wears the lining quickly. If one rear wheel is hot after a drive, inspect the parking brake cable and shoes on that side.

Sources

1. Infiniti 2004.5 FX45/FX35 Owner's Manual - foot pedal apply and release, brake warning light function, parking brake travel and hill-hold checks, DOT 3 fluid
2. Infiniti 2009 FX50/FX35 Owner's Guide - 2009 foot pedal operation and DOT 3 fluid
3. Genuine Infiniti FX35 parking brake shoe catalog - OEM shoe set and rear parking brake assembly part numbers by year
4. Brake and Front End - Adjusting Parking Brakes - shoes before cable on drum-in-hat, cable stretch, equalizer rust, over-tightening drag
5. Wilwood - How to Adjust the Internal Parking Brake - star-wheel expand-then-back-off method