Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake???
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake???
My parking brake doesn't do hardly anything. This wouldn't bother me much since my car is an auto, but unfortunately my car will not pass state inspection unless it will hold the car in gear to 1000rpms. This it will not do. It can hold the weight of the car in neutral on a slight incline, but that is about all it will do. Who can help me with the procedure for this. I have both a haynes manual and chiltons and both tell different ways, niether of which make since at all to me, thanks to their crappy diagrams.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 669
Likes: 0
From: memphis tn
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (Wheelman)
try pulling the parking brake lever and releasing it many times w/ the car in park. it should self adjust.. if not , you have caliper problems..
no one has used a c-clamp on your rear calipers, have they?
no one has used a c-clamp on your rear calipers, have they?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (neverendingproject)
try pulling the parking brake lever and releasing it many times w/ the car in park. it should self adjust.. if not , you have caliper problems..
no one has used a c-clamp on your rear calipers, have they?
no one has used a c-clamp on your rear calipers, have they?
The chiltons manual says to use a c-clamp to compress the pistons back into the bore when changing pads. I have done this before. Will this mess something up? And yes i have tried the self adjusting method and it isn't working for me for some reason. The brakes themselves work fine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6,097
Likes: 0
From: High Plains Drifter Fayetteville, AR
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (Wheelman)
When you pull up on the handle does it make a ratcheting noise? If not, then you need to clean the handle assembly.
It should be self-adjusting, but needs the ratcheting action to do so.
Pull the seat, pull the handle cover and stuff a bunch of rags around the assembly.
Use parts cleaner and a pick to remove all the old grease from the assembly and the gear teeth.
Once it's clean, re-lube it and reassemble the cover and seat. It should start ratcheting now.
Pull up HARD on the handle several times and it should be adjusted.
I just had to do this a couple weeks ago. :cheers:
It should be self-adjusting, but needs the ratcheting action to do so.
Pull the seat, pull the handle cover and stuff a bunch of rags around the assembly.
Use parts cleaner and a pick to remove all the old grease from the assembly and the gear teeth.
Once it's clean, re-lube it and reassemble the cover and seat. It should start ratcheting now.
Pull up HARD on the handle several times and it should be adjusted.
I just had to do this a couple weeks ago. :cheers:
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 669
Likes: 0
From: memphis tn
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (JCAIRE2)
i haven't actually looked at a rear caliper on an 89, however, every car i have ever seen w/ the integral parking brake in the caliper required screwing the piston in, not pressing... the pistons are usually 2 pieces. when you pull the brake lever it actually unscrews the outer part of the piston.. im afraid that when you pressed the pistons into the bores you likely damaged them...
to verify that yours are this type of caliper, did the pistons have 2 or 4 notches in them or were they hollow?
to verify that yours are this type of caliper, did the pistons have 2 or 4 notches in them or were they hollow?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 6,694
Likes: 3
From: Less Talk, More WOT | Houston TX
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (JCAIRE2)
It still makes a ratcheting noise when it comes up and the light on the dash still comes on but it wont self adjust!!!! :rant:
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 6,097
Likes: 0
From: High Plains Drifter Fayetteville, AR
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (Wheelman)
It still makes a ratcheting noise when it comes up and the light on the dash still comes on but it wont self adjust!!!! :rant:
Pro
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 670
Likes: 1
From: charlotte nc
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (JCAIRE2)
If you used a c-clamp on the rear caliper with integral parking brake type, you have damaged the caliper and will have to replace them. That is the likely cause of your parking brake problem. good luck
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 8,991
Likes: 2
From: Hanger 18 Taxachusetts
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (dwestsr)
I don't have the answer to this either but have the same issue.
The dealer did the brakes about 1.5 years ago with the previous owner.
I fail the inspection so I took the car back to the dealer that did the work.
They told me it met GM specs ?? :skep:
It held the car on an incline and it holds in drive. But it wont hold at 1200rpm.
I took this info tot he inspection station and finally got the to believe that it does what GM designed it to do so how can I make it better than design and got my sticker.
Not sure what to do this year as I will go thru the same BS ??
As a stop gap idea, several others I talked to also did this.
Go to the hardware store and get one of those cable end clamps. Clamp it over the 'common' brake cable and tighten it slightly. This will put a bend in the cable effectivly shortening it. So now the brake should apply harder and pass. You can them remove the clamp.
Sneaky but should get you by until a real solution is found??
JMO as I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night :D
The dealer did the brakes about 1.5 years ago with the previous owner.
I fail the inspection so I took the car back to the dealer that did the work.
They told me it met GM specs ?? :skep:
It held the car on an incline and it holds in drive. But it wont hold at 1200rpm.
I took this info tot he inspection station and finally got the to believe that it does what GM designed it to do so how can I make it better than design and got my sticker.
Not sure what to do this year as I will go thru the same BS ??
As a stop gap idea, several others I talked to also did this.
Go to the hardware store and get one of those cable end clamps. Clamp it over the 'common' brake cable and tighten it slightly. This will put a bend in the cable effectivly shortening it. So now the brake should apply harder and pass. You can them remove the clamp.
Sneaky but should get you by until a real solution is found??
JMO as I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night :D
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 926
Likes: 2
From: chandler az
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (corvette-pilot)
You did not damage the rear caliper. The e-brake uses a lever to press on the back of the brake pad. (The old style has a ratchet in the piston. ) The e-brakes on these cars are not very good. at 1000 rpms the car is producing a crapload of torque.
Drifting
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,581
Likes: 2
From: The Motor City
Re: Proper procedure for adjusting parking brake??? (brookman)
Here's the adjustment procedure via the service manual:
http://members.rogers.com/thecorvettekid/parkbrake.PDF
Hope it helps.
Good luck.
[Modified by TheCorvetteKid, 1:15 AM 10/4/2003]
http://members.rogers.com/thecorvettekid/parkbrake.PDF
Hope it helps.
Good luck.
[Modified by TheCorvetteKid, 1:15 AM 10/4/2003]
