Parts for your 2012 Holden Commodore-Brake shoes

2012 Holden Commodore brake shoes — what they do and when to service them

Brake shoes are relevant to the 2012 Holden Commodore. While the VE Series II runs disc brakes with pads for the main braking at all four wheels, it uses a separate “drum-in-hat” parking brake built into the rear brake rotors — and that parking brake uses brake shoes. This setup is documented in the GM Holden VE Series II Service Manual (Brakes – Parking Brake, drum-in-hat design), is echoed by the Haynes Holden Commodore VE 2006–2017 manual, and is supported by rotor manufacturers’ catalogues noting the integrated parking-brake drum in the rear disc rotors for VE Commodore models.

On this Commodore, the brake shoes live inside the “hat” section of the rear rotors and clamp outward against a small internal drum when the handbrake is applied. Their job is to hold the car steady when parked, especially on hills, without adding wear to the main brake pads and rotors. Because they’re only used for holding, not for high-speed stops, they tend to wear slowly but can glaze, corrode, or delaminate if neglected or contaminated by grease or brake fluid.

Good servicing practice is to inspect the park-brake shoes whenever the rear rotors or pads are off, or roughly every 40,000–60,000 kilometres. If the linings are thin, cracked, oil-soaked, or the springs and clips look tired, replace them as a set on both sides. It’s smart to fit a hardware kit (springs/clips) at the same time, clean the inside of the rotor drum surface, and lightly scuff (deglaze) both the drum and shoe linings before reassembly. After fitting, adjust the star wheel so the shoes sit close to the drum without dragging, then check handbrake lever travel and holding power on a safe incline.

• Common signs they need attention: poor holding on a hill, excessive handbrake lever travel, scraping or grinding from the rear when the handbrake is applied, or uneven hold left to right.
• Helpful tips: avoid driving with the handbrake partially on, keep the rear rotors’ hat section clean, and re-check the adjustment after the first few drives to account for bedding-in.

A quick bed-in helps: with a safe, empty road, roll at low speed and apply the handbrake lightly for a second or two a few times, letting things cool between goes. That seats the linings to the drum so the handbrake holds properly — just don’t overdo it or create heat spots.

Popular questions about 2012 Holden Commodore brake shoes

Do 2012 Commodores have brake shoes or pads?
They have both. The main brakes use pads clamping on discs at the front and rear. The parking brake is separate and uses small brake shoes inside the “drum-in-hat” section of the rear rotors to hold the car when parked.

How often should the park-brake shoes be replaced?
There’s no fixed interval because they wear slowly. Inspect them whenever the rear rotors or pads are serviced, or about every 40,000–60,000 km. Replace if the linings are worn, glazed, cracked, contaminated, or if the hardware is tired and the handbrake won’t hold properly even after adjustment.

How is the handbrake adjusted on a 2012 Commodore?
With the rear wheels off and the rotor access aligned, turn the star-wheel adjuster to bring the shoes close to the drum until there’s slight drag, then back it off so the wheels spin freely. After that, check lever travel in the cabin and tweak if needed. Always confirm the car holds firmly on a safe slope.