Emergency Brake Adjustment
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,881
Likes: 9
From: staten island ny
Emergency Brake Adjustment
Last minute rush to get some projects in before the dead of winter sets in. Just finished the pass side headlight actuator replacement. Took less than an hour even though a guy with a 74 cpe stopped by to BS. ANyway, want to try adjusting the emergency brake and see if I can get it to work. The chevy manual mentioned getting both rear wheels off the ground. Is this correct? Anybody done this job ? Mine doesnt grab very well if at all and I realize I may need the pads as well but if someone can steer me in the right direction I would appreciate it. Either that or pick a different project, hmmmmm, kick panel vent door seal or my digital guage conversion maybe? Never ends does it?
Thx ESU in NY, Happy Turkey Day to All!
Any NY vette owners that watch the blowing up of the Parade balloons in upper manhattan the night before the parade let me know, I'll be working there that night and we can say hello.
Thx ESU in NY, Happy Turkey Day to All!
Any NY vette owners that watch the blowing up of the Parade balloons in upper manhattan the night before the parade let me know, I'll be working there that night and we can say hello.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,665
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
There is an adjustment screw in line with the parking brake cable, it allows you to make the cable 'shorter'. It lives under the car so you probably have to lift the rear wheels to get to it, unless you are really skinny. If the adjustment is at its limit, like it was on mine, its probably because the cable is stretched and needs to be replaced.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
From: Pasadena Maryland
There is no adjustment on the pads themselves. I doubt very much if you need new shoes. The pads last forever, however the hardware doesn't. They sell a stainless steel hardware kit to replace the junk that is in there. The engineer that thought up that setup must of had a hangover that day.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 7
From: Ontario
Yes there is adjustments at the pads along with the cable equalizer mentioned in the above post.
There is a good proceedure in most of the service books like Haynes. However you basically backoff the cable equalizer under the car, then adjust the parking brake asdjuster screw at each wheel so that it is 6-8 notches away from being locked. Then take the slack out of the cable by retighting the equalizer...but not enough to cause the levers at each wheel from moving. You can reach the adjusters by rotating the disk until the adjuster can be seen through a hole in the front of the rotor. Move the adjuster until the brake locks, then backoff 6-8 notches.
There is a good proceedure in most of the service books like Haynes. However you basically backoff the cable equalizer under the car, then adjust the parking brake asdjuster screw at each wheel so that it is 6-8 notches away from being locked. Then take the slack out of the cable by retighting the equalizer...but not enough to cause the levers at each wheel from moving. You can reach the adjusters by rotating the disk until the adjuster can be seen through a hole in the front of the rotor. Move the adjuster until the brake locks, then backoff 6-8 notches.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
There are two forms of adjustment for the parking brake. One is in the cable, the other is in the drum itself.
My technique is to get the rear up the air (the car's rear that is, not mine!) and tighten the cable until all the slack is gone. That is, after three clicks on the lever I expect to see the levers that go through the backplate start to move.
Then, with the wheels off, I peer through the little inspection window in the drums and find the adjuster star wheel. I crank this over until the shoes are binding on the drum, then back it off a couple of notches. repeat on the other side of the car and you're done!
I think the reason for getting both wheels off the ground is to do with having a limited slip differential, but transmissions and posi aren't my thing.
By the way, even when it's correctly adjusted the parking brake is only marginally effective - it was never one of GM's best ideas!
John
My technique is to get the rear up the air (the car's rear that is, not mine!) and tighten the cable until all the slack is gone. That is, after three clicks on the lever I expect to see the levers that go through the backplate start to move.
Then, with the wheels off, I peer through the little inspection window in the drums and find the adjuster star wheel. I crank this over until the shoes are binding on the drum, then back it off a couple of notches. repeat on the other side of the car and you're done!
I think the reason for getting both wheels off the ground is to do with having a limited slip differential, but transmissions and posi aren't my thing.
By the way, even when it's correctly adjusted the parking brake is only marginally effective - it was never one of GM's best ideas!
John
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,078
Likes: 0
From: Santee CA
Originally Posted by djgrelli
The engineer that thought up that setup must of had a hangover that day.
Try it with a Jaguar IRS.
Because of the way that the brake pads are, the only way to get to change the brake pads or adjust the parking brake is to drop the rear end (the discs and calipers are located right next to the rear differential).
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 4,312
Likes: 70
From: Clearwater FL
Put the rear of the car in the air and take off the wheels.
Reach inside the car and pull up on the e-brake handle about 6 or 7 clicks.
Turn the adjuster on the bottom of the parking brake mechanism. The pads will start to spread out. Keep turning the spindle until it gets tight.
You can also take some adjustment out of the cable too. Once you get it tight, release the cable and spin the spindles again to make sure they free up. You can pull and release the handle a couple times to make sure it's working properly.
Reach inside the car and pull up on the e-brake handle about 6 or 7 clicks.
Turn the adjuster on the bottom of the parking brake mechanism. The pads will start to spread out. Keep turning the spindle until it gets tight.
You can also take some adjustment out of the cable too. Once you get it tight, release the cable and spin the spindles again to make sure they free up. You can pull and release the handle a couple times to make sure it's working properly.
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Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 220
Likes: 0
Be advised that the star adjuster is not always easily accessible. Some outfits do not line up the hole in the spindle with the hole in the rotor when they are trying to minimize rotor runout. You have to remove the caliper and the rotor to reach the adjuster or drill a new hole in the spindle flange.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,126
Likes: 0
From: Hudson Falls, N.Y. 76 Vette Modified L-48
Originally Posted by Van Steel
Put the rear of the car in the air and take off the wheels.
Reach inside the car and pull up on the e-brake handle about 6 or 7 clicks.
Turn the adjuster on the bottom of the parking brake mechanism. The pads will start to spread out. Keep turning the spindle until it gets tight.
You can also take some adjustment out of the cable too. Once you get it tight, release the cable and spin the spindles again to make sure they free up. You can pull and release the handle a couple times to make sure it's working properly.
Reach inside the car and pull up on the e-brake handle about 6 or 7 clicks.
Turn the adjuster on the bottom of the parking brake mechanism. The pads will start to spread out. Keep turning the spindle until it gets tight.
You can also take some adjustment out of the cable too. Once you get it tight, release the cable and spin the spindles again to make sure they free up. You can pull and release the handle a couple times to make sure it's working properly.
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 220
Likes: 0
GM manual says to put the adjusting tool in the hole in the rotor and raise your hand away from the floor to tighten the shoes. The previuos person to work on my car put the adjusters in backwards so the adjustment procedure was opposite of the manual.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,881
Likes: 9
From: staten island ny
Originally Posted by kb2fzq
Thanks, that helps....another spring project...( I'm gonna have to retire to get all this junk done 
)
)ESU
