Emergency Brakes Question
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,063
Likes: 79
From: West Chester PA
Emergency Brakes Question
Well, its always something. Drove the car this weekend about a hundred miles or so. First real mileage of the season. A very noticible squeeling noise started coming from the rear. The noise changes pitch or disappears when I apply the emergency brake while the car is rolling. When I release the emergency brake the squeeling starts again. The regular brakes, when applied, don't make any change in the sound. It squeeks with the brakes on or off. I'm sure the emergency brakes need rebuilt. Can someone tell me the way to back off the emergency brake shoes in the meantime? Thanks. I might add that I never use the emergency brake since I know its marginal at best. Someone who shall remain nameless pulled the handle all the way up recently. Never had this sound in the last three years.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
Re: Emergency Brakes Question (Bill W)
Pretty common for them to stick when not used often. You will need to get them loosened up. Remove the wheels, look at the rotors there should be two open holes in the rotors to adjust the brakes. Unfortunatly many times they are covered because someone has installed the rotor wrong. Even then it is unlikely that they will adjust because the adjuster or the lever at the top will be frozen. But you can try. When you have the wheel off look over behind and under the caliper and find the cable going to the brake actuator lever. Use a punch or screwdriver and drive the lever back to unload the brake. Like I said it a chance, but sometimes non of this works and you have to disassemble the thing and rebuild them .
