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Lets start by saying I've read the FSM and followed the instructions. Car is a 93 6 speed. I would like the parking brake to hold the car when it's sitting, not just the transmission. Rear brakes are in new condition. The parking brake is working but it isn't tight enough to hold the car. I've gone through the adjustment process according to the FSM multiple times but it isn't tightening up any. I have the seat out and the cover off of the mechanism and I can't find anything wrong with it other than it won't self adjust like it's supposed to. FSM doesn't go into any more detail beyond the adjustment process. Am I missing something?
Check the front cable, the outer sheath can collapse, allowing the e brake to release, or certainly lose tension.
this has happened on my 1989, replaced the front cable, now the E Brake holds great.
So I've looked into this further by getting the rear end in the air and looking at the calipers. When I pull the parking brake lever the arms on the calipers are bottomed out, so it's pulling as far as it physically can. The pads still have about 3/16 of an inch thick left and the rotors are almost new but the parking brake is somehow still not tight enough to hold the car. I guess new brake pads would solve the problem but it just seems odd that the system doesn't still work with this much pad left.
You said the rear brakes "are in new condition" and then you say you have 3/16" on the pads, which is certainly enough. When you step on the brakes, do the calipers close enough to have the pads contact the rotors and stop the wheels from turning? If they work with the brake pedal, then like was said above, the cables may be stretched and the calipers don't close enough. Changing the brake pads won't fix that. There is a reason for being able to adjust the rear emergency brake, just because of that - the cables stretch out over time. When you get to the limit of adjustment, you have no choice but to get new cables.
I understand that but when looking at the calipers, with the parking brake applied, the arms on the caliper are bottomed out against the caliper housing. That bottoming out won't allow new cables to pull it any tighter.
Installed new brake pads and new 3 cable set. Everything is new back there. I yank the brake handle and the actuating arms on the back of the calipers are bottoming out but still not enough grip to hold the car. I'm going to have to start cranking on those adjusting screws on the calipers. There's nothing else left.
Parking brake help
