2005-2010 Jeep Commander Parking Brake Problems and Adjustment

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

The 2006-2010 Jeep Commander (production began in early 2005) uses rear disc brakes with a small drum brake built into the hat of each rear rotor, and that drum is what holds the vehicle when you set the parking brake. Most Commander parking brake complaints - a brake that will not hold on a hill, a control that travels too far, or a rear rotor that will not come off - trace back to those drum-in-hat shoes being out of adjustment, rusted, or worn, or to stretched cables. The good news is that the adjustment is a simple job you can do with the wheels off the ground and a brake spoon.

How the Commander parking brake works

The service brakes on the rear axle are ordinary calipers and pads clamping the rotor. The parking brake is a separate mechanical system. A front cable runs from the driver's control back to an equalizer, which splits the pull evenly between a left and a right rear cable. Each rear cable pulls a lever that spreads a pair of small brake shoes against the machined drum surface on the inside of the rotor hat. The Mopar parts catalog lists a front cable, separate left and right rear cables, and a drum shoe and lining kit for every Commander model year, which confirms this layout on the XK.

One thing surprises owners who have worked on older drum brakes: drum-in-hat parking shoes are set by hand with a star-wheel adjuster reached through an access hole. As the shoes and drum wear, or as rust builds up, the adjustment drifts and needs to be reset during brake service.

Common Commander parking brake problems and symptoms

Will not hold on an incline

This is the most common complaint. If the control travels a long way before it gets firm, the shoes are usually too far from the drum. If the travel is normal but the vehicle still creeps, look for glazed or contaminated shoes, or a rusted equalizer. Brake and Front End notes that broken or rusted equalizer pivots can give normal travel with a brake that still will not hold on a slope.

Rear rotor stuck on the hub

When the parking brake is rarely used, rust builds up inside the drum and the shoes effectively lock the rotor in place. Owners often find this when they go to replace rear pads or rotors. Hammering the rotor off can bend the shoes and hardware; the right move is to back the adjuster off first (covered below).

Dragging, heat, or a burning smell from one rear wheel

Drum-in-hat shoes adjusted too tight, or a cable that has seized in its housing and will not return, can leave the shoes rubbing the drum. Feel both rear wheels after a drive: one noticeably hotter than the other points to a dragging parking brake or a sticking caliper on that side.

Uneven hold side to side

If one wheel locks and the other spins freely with the brake set, suspect a seized cable on the free side, a rusted equalizer, or unequal shoe adjustment.

Vehicle rolled while parked

Not every rollaway is a parking brake fault. NHTSA recall 13V175000 covers 2006-2010 Commanders built from January 31, 2005 through March 10, 2010: a transfer case electrical failure could let the transfer case shift into neutral, and the vehicle could roll away. The remedy is a dealer software reflash of the final drive controller. Check your VIN on the NHTSA recall site, and treat a correctly working parking brake as your backup every time you park.

How to adjust the drum-in-hat parking brake

The procedure below follows the drum-in-hat method that Brake and Front End documents for the Jeep Wrangler JK, which uses the same style of parking brake. Always confirm details in the factory service manual for your Commander.

1. Park on level ground, chock the front wheels, and fully release the parking brake.
2. Raise the rear of the vehicle and support it on jack stands so both rear wheels turn freely. Remove the rear wheels if you want better access.
3. Loosen the cable adjuster until the cables have slack, so the cables are not holding the shoes apart while you set them.
4. Remove the rubber plug from the access hole in the brake backing plate (on some designs the hole is in the rotor hat).
5. Insert a brake spoon or flat screwdriver, engage the star wheel, and turn it while spinning the rotor until you feel light drag.
6. Back the star wheel off just until the drag disappears and the rotor spins freely. Do not leave the shoes dragging.
7. Repeat on the other side with the same amount of adjustment, then reinstall the plugs.
8. Take up the slack at the cable adjuster, set and release the brake a few times, and confirm both rear wheels spin freely when released.
9. Lower the vehicle and test that the parking brake holds on a gentle incline.

If you spin the star wheel and the drag increases when you meant to loosen it, you are turning it the wrong way. Brake and Front End also cautions against backing off by feel alone when a manufacturer specifies a drum-diameter gauge, because shoes that are close to dragging can expand with heat and start to rub.

When adjustment is not enough: parts to replace

Adjustment only fixes clearance. It will not restore shoes that are glazed, soaked with grease or brake fluid, or worn thin, and it will not fix a cable that has seized or stretched to the end of its adjustment. Brake and Front End recommends replacing a cable that needs maximum adjustment rather than trying to lubricate it, since spraying lubricant into the housing tends to trap dirt.

The rear rotor is also part of the parking brake on this Jeep, because its hat is the drum. When you replace rear rotors, inspect the parking shoes at the same time; as a Brake and Front End video puts it, you would not replace a drum without looking hard at the shoes. A new rotor with old, hardened shoes often gives a weak parking brake.

• Rear rotors: for the 3.7L Commander we carry the EBC 3GD slotted rear rotor set for the Jeep Commander. Check the drum surface inside the hat for scoring before reusing any rotor.
• Rear pads: pair new rotors with the EBC Extra Duty rear pad set for the Commander.
• Front pads, if the front axle is also due: EBC Greenstuff 6000 front pads for the Commander.
• Springs, clips, and adjuster hardware: see our brake hardware kits, or browse all brake parts.

How hard is the job?

An adjustment is a beginner-to-intermediate job: jack stands, a brake spoon, and patience. Replacing the parking shoes is harder. The rear caliper and rotor must come off, and the shoes, springs, and adjuster sit in a tight space behind the rotor, so the work is fiddly. Take a photo of one side before disassembly and do one side at a time so you always have a reference. Cable replacement is mostly under-vehicle work with rusted fasteners on older Commanders, so penetrating oil and time help. Keep brake cleaner overspray and grease off the shoe linings; a contaminated lining will not hold and has to be replaced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Jeep Commander have rear drum brakes?

No. The Commander has rear disc brakes for normal stopping. The only drum is the small parking brake drum formed in the hat of each rear rotor.

Does the Commander parking brake adjust itself?

The drum-in-hat shoes are set manually with a star-wheel adjuster through an access hole. Check the adjustment whenever you do rear brake work or notice extra travel.

Why will my rear rotor not come off?

Usually the parking shoes have rusted to the drum or a lip has worn into the drum. Remove the access plug and back the star wheel off a few clicks, then tap the rotor lightly to free it.

Should I replace parking brake shoes when I replace rear rotors?

Inspect them every time. If the lining is thin, glazed, cracked, or contaminated, replace them while the rotor is already off, since doing it later means taking the rear brakes apart again.

Can a dragging parking brake damage my rear brakes?

Yes. Shoes that drag create heat in the rotor hat, which can glaze the shoes, overheat the rotor, and wear the rear pads faster. Adjust so the rotor spins freely with the brake released.

Is there a recall related to my Commander rolling while parked?

NHTSA recall 13V175000 covers a transfer case that could shift to neutral on 2006-2010 Commanders. Check your VIN with NHTSA or a dealer.

Sources

1. Brake and Front End - Jeep Wrangler JK Brake Job - drum-in-hat parking brake adjustment steps
2. Brake and Front End - Parking Brake Diagnostics, Repair and Maintenance - star-wheel adjustment, cable replacement, equalizer failures
3. Brake and Front End - Removing a Rear Rotor Stuck on the Parking Brake - access plug, backing off the adjuster
4. Brake and Front End - Rear Rotor Parking Brake Service - inspect shoes when replacing the rotor drum
5. NHTSA recalls - Jeep Commander - recall 13V175000, transfer case neutral and rollaway risk
6. Mopar OEM parts catalog - Commander parking brake cables - front, left rear and right rear cable layout
7. Mopar OEM parts catalog - parking brake shoe - drum shoe and lining kit listed for 2006-2010 Commander