If you are talking rear drum, that is for the brakes themselves, not the e-brake, which happens to use the same shoes. The e-brake adjustment would be on the cable in that case.

 

Funny you should say that, had to special order the hardware kit, it came with an oval plug, yet I have a circular hole (haven't knocked out the metal knockout disc yet, figured I'd leave it as-is for now). Still interested in the topic though and how I might correct this situation. Thanks for the feedback!

 

So I know this thread is from awhile ago, but just in case anyone stumbles upon it again with a similar problem I have found a definitive answer. I have a 2006 5-spd with the 4.2l, this truck does not have an external adjuster but what it does have is a parking brake drum independent from the rear disc assembly. People have advised that you need to adjust the star wheel on the drum; this is true, but there is no need to remove the plug and get up close and personal with the wheel to do so. My e-brake was terribly loose so I asked my dad what to do and he showed me a trick from when he grew up. First, get a baseline test for how well the parking brake holds: set it as hard as you can, put the truck in first with the engine on and slowly let out the clutch. See how far you need to let it out to get the truck almost to the stalling point, also note if the truck is able to roll forward at all when you do so. Once that's done, release the brake and drive to the end of an empty road, parking lot, or long driveway. Put the truck in reverse and get some speed up, maybe 10 mph. Now bump it in neutral and hold the parking brake lever out so it can't lock. Pump the parking brake as hard as you can, several times, until you stop completely. Then do it again. After a couple of these runs, test the parking brake in the same manner as before. Due to the ratcheting nature of the star wheel, you should have a much tighter parking brake as compared to your original test.

 

Good advice, but that only works on self-adjusting drum brake assemblies (and in that instance, for the record, will work in both forward and reverse with the conventional brakes as long as the cable that actuates the adjusting lever stays intact... That's usually the failure point, but I digress...). The parking brakes on these trucks are not self-adjusting and will not adjust on their own. Ever.