Problem with adjusting the E-brake
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh PA
Problem with adjusting the E-brake
I rebuilt the trailing arms and just need to adjust the e-brake. When I adjust the e-brake with the car in the air it works great, but when I drop it down, I am assuming the cable pulls tighter, I hear a pop and the brake level is loose.
The brake shoe is popping off of the expansion lever that the cable connects to inside the drum. I am not sure why. The parts are all new.
I think I am going to try setting it back up and adjusting it loose, then put the rear wheels on ramps and adjust it tight with the cable adjust.
Wondering if I am on the right track by adjusting or is something else wrong. The passenger side's drum works fine with no slip off the level problem. It seems to be harder to slip off if I bend the arrow shaped washer towards the shoe and use 2 of those washers???
Any tips are appreciated. Thanks
The brake shoe is popping off of the expansion lever that the cable connects to inside the drum. I am not sure why. The parts are all new.
I think I am going to try setting it back up and adjusting it loose, then put the rear wheels on ramps and adjust it tight with the cable adjust.
Wondering if I am on the right track by adjusting or is something else wrong. The passenger side's drum works fine with no slip off the level problem. It seems to be harder to slip off if I bend the arrow shaped washer towards the shoe and use 2 of those washers???
Any tips are appreciated. Thanks
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh PA
I do not have AIm or know what that is. I did a search but was not very helpful.
Pulled this out of an online manual, but I am not sure what year it is for:
PARKING BRAKE
ADJUSTMENT
The parking brake is a conventional drum
brake located in the rear wheel disc. Adjustments
are similar to those for a regular drum
brake.
1. Block the front wheels. Jack the rear
wheels off the ground and remove the wheels.
Release the handbrake.
2. Rotate the disc until the adjusting screw
can be seen through the hole in the disc.
3. Loosen the parking brake cables at the
equalizer until they go slack. Insert a screw
driver and adjust with an up-and-down mo
tion.
4. Tighten the adjuster until the disc can
not move, then back off six to eight notches.
5. Apply the parking brake to the fourth
notch. Tighten the cables at the equalizer to
-yve a light drag with the wheel mounted.
6. Release the parking brake and check for
no drag condition.
Goofy 6 to 8 notches and 4 click setup could be my problem. I was making it tight in both places and dropping the car. Still need to give this a try or confirm the procedure.
Thanks
Pulled this out of an online manual, but I am not sure what year it is for:
PARKING BRAKE
ADJUSTMENT
The parking brake is a conventional drum
brake located in the rear wheel disc. Adjustments
are similar to those for a regular drum
brake.
1. Block the front wheels. Jack the rear
wheels off the ground and remove the wheels.
Release the handbrake.
2. Rotate the disc until the adjusting screw
can be seen through the hole in the disc.
3. Loosen the parking brake cables at the
equalizer until they go slack. Insert a screw
driver and adjust with an up-and-down mo
tion.
4. Tighten the adjuster until the disc can
not move, then back off six to eight notches.
5. Apply the parking brake to the fourth
notch. Tighten the cables at the equalizer to
-yve a light drag with the wheel mounted.
6. Release the parking brake and check for
no drag condition.
Goofy 6 to 8 notches and 4 click setup could be my problem. I was making it tight in both places and dropping the car. Still need to give this a try or confirm the procedure.
Thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
That's AIM, with a capital "i", not a small "L". The proceedure sounds about right. I'd still get the AIM or the Assembly Manual, either on paper or CD. It, along with the FSM or Factory Service Manual, are MUST HAVE when working on these quirky cars!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
I have to add this, on my car, on the driver's side the adjuster was installed backwards, by the previous owner, so that the adjustment was the OPPOSITE motion to tighten it, as the passenger side! I did not want to repeat the wrestling match, that it took to get the rotors, back on over the parkinv brakes! What a pain that was. Just saying, pay attention to what motion it takes the screwdriver adjustment, to tighten that particular drum. In fact, I did it two or three times, just to make sure. Then I adjusted the cable. It was almost there on the first try and recently, readjusted the cable again and now have good parking brakes.
