By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse
If the parking brake on your 2009-2021 Nissan 370Z will not hold the car on a hill, or the lever pulls up much higher than it used to, the problem is almost always the small drum brake hidden inside each rear rotor. Those shoes wear, glaze or lose adjustment over time, and the fix is usually a shoe adjustment through the rotor, a break-in of the shoes, and a cable adjustment at the lever, in that order.
This guide explains how the 370Z parking brake works, how to tell which part has failed, how adjustment is done, and when you need new parts instead of an adjustment.
How the 370Z Parking Brake Works
The 370Z uses a traditional hand lever between the seats, not an electronic parking brake. Nissan's owner's manual describes it simply: pull the lever up to apply it, and to release it you firmly press the foot brake, pull up on the lever slightly, push the button and lower it all the way. The brake warning light on the dash doubles as the parking brake indicator and must go out before you drive.
The lever pulls steel cables that run to the rear wheels. At each rear wheel, the cable spreads a pair of small brake shoes against a machined drum surface cast into the inside of the rear rotor's center section, the "hat." This design is called drum-in-hat. The rear disc pads and caliper do the stopping when you drive; the shoes inside the hat only hold the car when it is parked.
Because those shoes are applied only when the car is stationary, they wear slowly but they also sit unused for long periods. That combination is why the most common 370Z parking brake complaints are weak holding and a lever that travels too far, rather than a sudden failure.
Common 370Z Parking Brake Problems and Symptoms
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Lever pulls up much higher than normal | Shoes worn or backed off; cable stretched | Adjust shoes at the star adjuster, then adjust cable at the lever |
| Car rolls on a slope with the lever fully up | Glazed or worn shoes, rust on the drum surface, oil or fluid on the shoes | Adjust and break in shoes; replace shoes if contaminated or thin |
| Rear wheel drags or gets hot after driving | Shoes adjusted too tight, cable sticking, shoe hardware hung up | Back the adjuster off, free or replace the cable |
| Brake light stays on with the lever down | Lever not fully released, low brake fluid, or a switch issue | Release fully, check fluid level, then have the system checked |
| Scraping or rattling from the rear with the lever released | Loose shoe spring or hardware inside the hat | Remove the rotor and inspect the shoe hardware |
Two warnings from Nissan are worth knowing. First, a chime sounds if the car is driven above about 4 mph with the parking brake applied, and the manual warns that driving with the parking brake not fully released can cause brake failure. Second, if the brake warning light comes on while the engine is running and the parking brake is released, Nissan says to stop and check the brake fluid level, because the same light warns of low fluid. Do not assume a lit brake light is just the parking brake.
What Causes the Parking Brake to Lose Holding Power
Shoe wear and lost adjustment
As the shoe lining wears, the gap between the shoes and the drum surface grows, and the lever has to travel farther to take up that gap. Because the parking brake is applied so rarely, that gap is normally closed by a manual adjustment at the star adjuster inside the hat rather than by tightening the cable.
Glazing and rust on the drum surface
The drum surface inside the hat is bare cast iron. If the car sits, especially in wet or salted conditions, that surface rusts and the shoes glaze from light use. Nissan's owner's manual calls for a parking brake break-in whenever the stopping effect of the parking brake is weakened, and whenever the shoes, drums or rotors are replaced. That tells you weak holding from glazing is expected, and the cure is to bed the shoes back in, not to keep tightening the cable.
Cable problems
The rear cables run under the car and are exposed to water and road salt. Nissan's maintenance schedule lists brake lines and cables as a regular inspection item, and its corrosion section notes that deicing chemicals accelerate corrosion of underbody parts including brake cables. A cable that is seized in its housing will not release fully, which drags the shoes; a stretched cable leaves the lever high.
Contamination
If a rear axle seal or a rear caliper leaks, fluid can reach the shoes. Contaminated lining does not recover with adjustment or bedding; the shoes must be replaced and the leak fixed first.
How the 370Z Parking Brake Is Adjusted
Adjustment happens in two places, and the order matters. Adjust the shoes first, then the cable. Tightening only the cable at the lever to make up for worn or backed-off shoes hides the real problem and can leave the brake dragging.
- Safety first. Chock the front wheels, raise the rear of the car and support it on stands. Release the parking brake lever fully.
- Slacken the cable. Back off the cable adjusting nut at the lever (under the console trim) so the cable is slack. If the cable is left tight, you cannot set the shoes correctly.
- Adjust the shoes through the rotor. Remove the rear wheel and the rubber plug in the rotor hat. Rotate the rotor until the access hole lines up with the star adjuster, then turn the adjuster with a flat screwdriver to spread the shoes until the rotor will not turn by hand. Back the adjuster off until the rotor turns freely. Wilwood's instructions for the same style of drum-in-hat brake describe this method and note that slight drag is acceptable. Repeat on the other side.
- Break in the shoes. Nissan specifies the parking brake break-in procedure in the vehicle service manual and recommends a dealer do it. It is done whenever holding power is weak or new shoes or rotors went on. Follow the factory procedure rather than improvising.
- Adjust the cable. With the shoes set and broken in, tighten the cable at the lever until the lever stroke is within the factory specification in the service manual, then confirm both rear wheels turn freely with the lever down.
- Verify. Check that the brake warning light comes on when the lever is raised and goes out when it is lowered, and test holding power on a gentle slope.
If the shoes will not reach the drum surface even with the adjuster fully extended, or the rotor drags no matter how far you back it off, something else is wrong: worn shoes, broken hardware, a stuck cable or a drum surface worn beyond spec. That calls for removing the rotor and inspecting.
When You Need Parts, and What to Replace Together
An adjustment fixes most complaints. Replace parts when you find:
- Thin, cracked or fluid-soaked shoes. Replace them as a pair per axle, with new springs and hardware.
- A drum surface that is deeply scored or worn. The drum is part of the rear rotor, so the fix is a new rotor. Replace both rear rotors and the rear pads together so the axle brakes evenly. We carry the DBA Street Series T2 slotted rear rotor for the 370Z with Sport brakes, and for the front of Sport-package cars the DBA 5000 Series T3 two-piece front rotor. Browse more in our brake rotors and brake pads collections.
- A seized or frayed cable. Replace it rather than freeing and reusing it.
- Tired hardware. Springs and clips lose tension and can let a shoe rattle or drag; a brake hardware kit is cheap insurance when the hats are off.
The 370Z was built with more than one brake package, and Sport and NISMO cars use different rotors and calipers than base cars, so confirm your package before ordering rotors. Nissan also specifies a different brake fluid for NISMO models than for other 370Z models, so check your owner's manual before topping up.
How Hard Is This Job?
Shoe and cable adjustment is a moderate DIY job with basic hand tools, a jack and stands. The fiddly part is finding the star adjuster through the small access hole and turning it the right way. Replacing shoes is harder: the rear caliper and rotor come off, and the springs and hold-down hardware must go back exactly as they came out. The break-in procedure and the lever stroke specification are in the factory service manual; if you do not have it, this is a reasonable job to hand to a shop.
The parts that fix this — verified to fit your Nissan 370Z Parking
- 2010-2019 Nissan 370Z Front & Rear Brake Kit - Callahan — $774.99
- Front & Rear Brake Disc Rotors and Pads Kit Sedan for Nissan 370Z INFINITI G37 — $507.99
- Front Rear Brake Rotors Pads Kit for Nissan 370Z 350Z Infiniti G37 G35 EX35 — $292.99
Ships from our Circleville, OH warehouse. Free shipping over $75.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 370Z have an electronic parking brake?
No. The 370Z uses a mechanical hand lever with cables to small drum shoes inside the rear rotors.
Why does my 370Z parking brake lever pull up so high?
The shoes inside the rear rotor hats have worn or backed off, or the cable has stretched. Adjust the shoes at the star adjuster first, then take up any remaining slack at the cable adjuster by the lever.
Will new rear pads fix a weak parking brake?
No. The rear pads handle normal braking; the parking brake uses separate shoes inside the rotor hat. New rotors do give the shoes a fresh drum surface, but the shoes still need adjustment and break-in afterward.
Do I need to break in the parking brake after replacing rear rotors?
Yes. Nissan calls for a parking brake break-in whenever the shoes, drums or rotors are replaced, and whenever holding power has weakened. The procedure is in the factory service manual.
Can I just tighten the cable at the lever?
It may seem to work at first, but it hides worn or backed-off shoes and can leave the brake dragging. Set the shoes first, then adjust the cable.
My brake warning light stays on with the lever down. Is it the parking brake?
Maybe, but the same light warns of low brake fluid. Make sure the lever is fully released, then check the fluid level. If it is correct and the light stays on, have the system checked.
Sources
- Nissan 2019 370Z Owner's Manual - hand lever apply and release, brake warning light and parking brake chime, parking brake break-in requirement, NISMO vs standard brake fluid, brake lines and cables inspection and corrosion
- Wilwood: How to Adjust the Drum Internal Parking Brake - star-wheel adjustment through the drum-in-hat access hole, back off until it turns freely, slight drag acceptable
- Professional Motor Mechanic: Handbrake Shoe Fitting - drum-in-hat shoe inspection for wear, corrosion and drag, adjustment and bedding after shoe or disc replacement
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