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I've tried to follow the manual to put the parkbrake handle I service mode it's not very clear and it dosnt seem to relate to the handbrake lever I have can any one give me an idiots guide 😂
It talks about putting s nail in a hole I don't have a hole in the position the manual shows then it talks about a peice of wire to release the pawl so the cable has slack and can be disconnected. This is my handbrake
I need them to automatic adjust adjust after doing the brake caliper lever settings mine is an 88 C4 vette with handbrake as part of the brake caliper
thanks
👍
Last edited by Simon Dickens; Jan 23, 2019 at 12:53 PM.
What I originally found was that the cable for the n/s left hand caliper wasn't in the spring steel bracket see picture I'm not sure if the bracket has been damaged as not sure what shape it should be ? A picture would be excellent
Also what purpose does it serve by flexing as this hsppenscwhen the handbrake is applied the flexing stops the cable pulling at full power as the bracket flexes unless I'm not understanding it properly I would have thought it should be rigid so the full force of pulling on the handbrake pulls on the handbrake lever
all the pads are like new and adjusters are free the o/s is working after connecting the cable back into the bracket but the near side dosnt grip the disc any help advice great fully received 👍
Thanks in advance last hurdle to pass the mot it failed on no handbrake 😂
I'm not really sure what your issue/issues are. If your looking to release the cable for a brake job the hole you need to use is right there in your picture. You will see where to insert the nail as you move it. There is a hole to grab the adjuster and then another hole to lock it back open in the stationary bracket. To readjust the parking brake after your done you just remove the nail and apply the parking brake 3 times to let the automatic adjuster do it's thing.
Yes, the adjustments are made inside the handbrake mechanism under the cover. Do you have the factory service manuals for the 1988 C4? It explains how to adjust the mechanism in detail with pictures. I have a 1988 C4 Coupe and have had fun working on my parking brake. I had trouble getting the adjuster to work properly so I read the manual and then oiled it liberally with a good penetrating oil. On the parking brake assembly there is a little hole in which you put a drill bit or whatever fits and that was important to do. I used cable lube for a motorcycle to free up the cables as they were not too bad in my case.
If the parking brake cable is disconnected from the caliper It can be a pain in the butt to get it connected after having removed it. It is one of the better parking brakes used on older Corvettes when it works. I chose the 1988 over earlier C4's because of the improvements to the brakes only to learn that the 1988 C4 has a one year only master cylinder and has a really strange ABS system.
If you have any more questions, fire away! I hope that this helps you a bit with your Corvette. It should not be hard getting it by the MOT once the self adjuster is set to work properly.
Thanks for the reply Chris
to be clear in my photo of the handbrake there is a small hole on the plate behind the lever pprox top left in the picture this is where the cover screw fits but in the manual it shows the nail / pin there ?
On the parking lever next to the blue part of the label writing at 12 o clock there is a larger hole 4- 5mm hole At the bottom left in the picture there is a lever with a hole in it bottom left of the picture .
are these the two holes to align and put a nail in ?
finally I has the cables off had assistant apply foot pressure to brake just enough to lock discs then adjusted the handbrake levers so when closed I have 0.6mm gap I then refitted the cables and springs took the pin out of the holes the larger ones pressed the brake pedal held the pressure then pulled the handbrake on and off three times
is this the correct way to do it ?
all the pads are new discs good cables all free nothing seized I did find the first time I did this process the cable going to the n/s wasn't in the spring metal clip
but the o/s handbrakecworked great I fitted the cable back into the bracket but the bracket flexes a lot ,so it's seems whilst the cable moves and pulls on the n/s caliper lever it dosnt apply enough pressure on the pads to grip the disc on the n/s.
do I need to disable the parking brake back to service mode then repeat the automatic adjustment procedure On the handbrake lever again ?
any ideas theory welcome I don't understand why the spring steel bracket flexs I would have thought this should be rigid ?
if I get this bit fixed I can take it back for mot re test
it needed 4 new tyres day running lights fitting and a few small bits 👍
Pretty happy with that fir a car car that hasn't run in years 😁😂
I'm really struggling to get handbrake to work properly
it wasn't working at all at first .
its a 1988 c4 with handbrake levers in the calipers.
heres what I have checked and done so far .
took rear calipers checked the slides all free and moving, checkedvthe brake pads nice and level almost new I'm guessing have about 6-7 mm pad material, levers all move free and adjuster screws.
the only anomiliy I found was that the cable for n/s left hand brake caliper was not located into the spring steel mounting bracket.
i think it was a bit damaged (possible impact damage)
i could not find a picture of one so have reshape fit to what I think it should be.
Now this bit I'm not sure if I have done it correct as it's not very clear in the manual.
i moved the handbrake to the down position then pulled back the lever with a pick that located on the teeth on the handbrake ratchet and was then able to push it down some more to give about 3inches of free play in the cable I put a pin in it and also in the other hole to lock the handbrake.
Next I removed the handbrake return springs on the calipers and detached the cables. then I had my friend to apply a constant light pressure on the brake pedal engine off until the caliper side gripped the disc/rotors.
then I set the clearance gap on the caliper lever to caliper body to 0.65mm put the cables and springs back on .(should this be set with the cables and return springs still on the car ?) as the manual dosnt say?
i then removed the holding pins in the handbrake pressed the brake pedal held it down then put the handbrake on and off 3 times.
this resulted in the o/s r/h side handbrake now worked 4 clicks and disc won't turn but the n/s dosnt lock the disc /rotor if I put 8/9 clicks on handbrake it puts some force on the n/s brake but you can still turn it by hand so not enough . The only other thing I have noticed is the spring bracket bends a lot when the handbrake is applied fully 8/9 clicks about 1.5 inches approx is this normal ?
ive hit the bottle tonight need a few beers 🍻 😂
i cant figure what I'm missing to make it work
I'm either doing something wrong with the setting up procedure or I'm missing something ?
its the last job to get the mot itvtesting me lol😤😡
only other her things I can think of are is it critical to have new brake pads for the setup adjustment to work
is there something on the brake caliper I need to check with the pad pivot mechanism,stretched handbrake cable to the n/s lefthand side ?
Handbrake woes
