Changed my rear brake pads and now my e-brake won't hold.

I pumped the handle about 60 times as the corvette project book said - no luck. This book mentions a hex wrench adjustment for the caliper piston - is this the solution?

 

A similar thing happened with my 96 after changing the calipers out. It works, but has very low clamping force when pulled all the way up. I have monkeyed with it in the same fashion you did with no luck...Subscribed to this thread.

 

1 Make sure the pads are seated or bedded and work fine in regular braking.

2. If (1) is already done, check linkages underneath and make sure the cables are a little loose when off, and tighten up good when applied. There may be some play that needs to be tightened up or a disconnected cable someplace down there.

 

I don't think the cables would have miraculously loosened underneath the car when he wasn't working anywhere near them and bedding in would have nothing to do with the tension felt on the lever.

 

Bump for this issue...Still waiting for Corvettetroubleshooting.com to come online so I can try to figure it out...

 

Cables stretch over time. Putting new pads on re-locates the position of the caliper to the mounting bracket on the slider pins. Either affects the amount of pressure per a given position of the handle. The bedding suggestion is just to make sure the pads have their best hold.

But, I thought there was a turnbuckle underneath to take the slack out of the cables...musta been thinking about other cars I've had, as I looked at my 92 the other day and don't see any. So unless cycling the handle all those times is supposed to automatically adjust it with some internal ratcheting mech I don't see how they can be adjusted for the stretch. RnR the cable? Maybe I'll look at the p-brake handle I pulled off

Anyway, free bump to the top so see if anyone else has any suggestions.

 

On later cars from 86 or 88 onward the mechanism is supposed to be automatically adjustable via the handbrake lever. Followed the procedure repeatedly without luck...Handbrake worked great before the brake job, I changed the pads earlier in the year and it still worked fine, this time the calipers were changed along with the rotors. That's when it stopped working very well...

 

Your Brake lever "free-play" is out of adjustment, this happens any time major Caliper work is performed, I went through this on my 95, in fact my L/H 6mm x 16mm set screw in the caliper was missing, this caused the brake to drag.

The adjustment procedure is kind of involved, so I recommend a FSM. Once competed my parking brake worked great.

 

I looked over the section in the FSM on adjustment, and I didn't understand it. I am a mechanical engineer and the way it was worded was nearly impossible to follow.

My mechanic (who exclusively works on Corvettes) did not understand it either. Can you please elaborate on how to go about performing the adjustment?

 

It's hard to make any sense out of it, I used a FSM, Haynes, and the instruction sheet that came with the caliper overhaul kit.

I'll try to post a scanned instruction sheet if Necessary, I'm very challenged when it comes to posting pic's..

- Remove the parking brake "hand lever" cover.

- while gently Applying force on the brake lever, locate and disengage the auto adjuster wratchet style "pawl" using a bent piece of .080 welding rod. Now gently rotate the entire auto adjuster assembly with the hand lever downward until a 1/8" punch can be inserted through the auto adjuster lock out hole.

- With both rear tire's removed, locate and remove brake lever return spring. (at caliper) http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/199...e_caliper.html

- At this point there should not be any tension in the parking brake cable assembly. While an assistant lightly pumps the brake three times, and then holds the brake down, lighty rotate the lever until it becomes hard, at this point measure the...lever to caliper air gap, this should be .050-.100 / .070 nominal.

- If adjustament is necessary locate the allen head set screw on the same end of the caliper, but on the other side of the caliper piston. Remove this screw completly, clean the threads of old lock-tight, reinstall set screw (with out) lock-tight for a dry run. adjust the set screw, and check brake lever "free travel" remember to have assistant pump and hold brakes for each test.

- lock tight set screw with "blue" and set to final clearance.

- After both rear calipers have been adjusted/checked, reinstall brake lever return springs.

- remove lock out punch at auto adjuster, and exercise the hand brake a few times.


mike