Need parking brake help
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Need parking brake help
OK, so yesterday I was putting on my new drilled and slotted rotors(pics to come in another thread) front went like clockwork. When I got to the back, did everything like normal: wheel off, caliper off, bracket off, parking brake dis-connected, and unbolted. Neither wheel would come off! WTH?!? 
Beat both drivers and passengers side rotors like they owed me money 
) , and they still wouldn't come off. Finally, out of sheer PO'd ness, I took and pried the rotors off with a pry bar.(carefully of course) Both side parking brakes were locked tighter than my wallet near a panhandler 
. Had to dis-mantle each side, of course they were shot, and put everything back together without the parking brakes.
Any ideas as to why they would have been locked on like that? I've never seen BOTH sides do that at the same time. Did I miss something? Gimme your input.
TIA
Tim D.
Side note: Shot Gene an e-mail to get the new parking brakes ordered. He shot me one back........guess who forgot to give him the year, make, and model? DOH!
Beat both drivers and passengers side rotors like they owed me money ) , and they still wouldn't come off. Finally, out of sheer PO'd ness, I took and pried the rotors off with a pry bar.(carefully of course) Both side parking brakes were locked tighter than my wallet near a panhandler . Had to dis-mantle each side, of course they were shot, and put everything back together without the parking brakes.Any ideas as to why they would have been locked on like that? I've never seen BOTH sides do that at the same time. Did I miss something? Gimme your input.
TIA
Tim D.
Side note: Shot Gene an e-mail to get the new parking brakes ordered. He shot me one back........guess who forgot to give him the year, make, and model? DOH!
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,055
Likes: 9,817
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
When the parking brake is adjusted properly it will drag on the drum part of the rotor if there is any corrosion or dirt between the area where the parking brake normally contacts the drum and the edge of the drum. With it being as hard as you describe it sounds like most of your problem was due to corrosion between the hub and the rotor. When you get corrosion there it usually takes a BMFH to get the rotors loose. Another way to get them loose is to loosen the wheels slightly on the lug nuts and drive the car in figure 8s. This usually applies enough force to the rotor to break the corrosion.
Bill
Bill
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,747
Likes: 224
From: Hillsboro Oregon
Getting the new parking brakes back on may be a real PITA.......the internal spring wire is very hard to get aligned in very little space.
Don't ask how I know
Do a search, there are several good threads on this that helped me a lot
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1787613
Don't ask how I know
Do a search, there are several good threads on this that helped me a lot
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1787613
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Getting the new parking brakes back on may be a real PITA.......the internal spring wire is very hard to get aligned in very little space.
Don't ask how I know
Do a search, there are several good threads on this that helped me a lot
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1787613
Don't ask how I know
Do a search, there are several good threads on this that helped me a lot
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1787613
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
When the parking brake is adjusted properly it will drag on the drum part of the rotor if there is any corrosion or dirt between the area where the parking brake normally contacts the drum and the edge of the drum. With it being as hard as you describe it sounds like most of your problem was due to corrosion between the hub and the rotor. When you get corrosion there it usually takes a BMFH to get the rotors loose. Another way to get them loose is to loosen the wheels slightly on the lug nuts and drive the car in figure 8s. This usually applies enough force to the rotor to break the corrosion.
Bill
Bill
It's all OK now. I took the BMFH and beat them bastiches like they owed me money! Thanks for the tip.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,332
Likes: 31
From: Silver Spring MD
Got my PB Spring on with spring hooks and thru the hub hole
I spent HOURS trying to get the PB spring over both retainers and finally got a small spring hook. Hooked one of the ends of the spring and had it on the shoe. Then used the spring hook and a flashlight to ease the other end of the spring OVER the raised section of the retainer. This is a FUN JOB. I didn't have success until I went thru the EXTRA HOLE in the hub. The GM service manual says something llike replace the spring. Like its so easy a child could do it. LOL
BIGHANK
BIGHANK
