What is it about the hand brake on the C5 that makes it so undependable? I have to park my 6 speed in Reverse because the hand brake sometimes releases itself. It may hold every time for a month or so, and then at times it feels as though the cable has come disconnected.

Any thoughts?

 

The grease dries out causing the ratchet parts to bind, check the archives for details on how to fix.

 

I removed mine completely....never used it. Of course, I have an automatic.

 

It does sound like the problem is in the ratchet mechanism. Thanks for the tip. As much as I'd like to remove it altogether, I doubt it would pass inspection! I'll check the archives.

 

Is the problem in the handle rachet or is it back by the wheels? Most of the time my handbrake works fine, other times I pull it up and you can hear and feel the handle rachet but the park brakes haven't engaged.

 

This is an old post but should help. Sorry don't know who posted or I'd give him credit. The original has pictures

These are easy to fix and probably one of the most misunderstood pieces of equipment in your car. There are TWO ratchet assemblies in the HANDLE. One for holding the handle in position and a separate one for applying tension to the cable. The only "automatic adjuster" is in the handle and NOT the drum. The star adjuster in the drum is only for initial shoe adjustment when installing your rotor. If the pawl in the handle is lubricated properly, it will automatically adjust as the handle is normally operated, by the internal pawl grabbing the next tooth on the ratchet as the lining on the shoes wears over time.

I had my wife operate the Brake handle while I watched the cables where they hook up to the lever at the outside of the backing plate...there was NO movement at either wheel. So, the problem had to be in the handle. Thanks go to 'Fast one' who pointed out that the handle has a ratchet system FOR THE CABLE tension. It gets dirty and needs to be cleaned and lubed. First remove the console to be able to remove the E-brake boot. Go here to see how to do this: http://www.vetteessentials.com/inst...ezel_howto.html
You only have to go thru stepf 3F to do what is required. It takes about a half hour. After you have the E-brake boot loosened (2 10mm nuts) and pulled up, remove the passenger seat by unscrewing the four 15mm nuts that hold the seat and unplug the power to the seat. Then pull back the carpet from the handle assembly to reveal the 3 mounting screws. (#40 Torx screw) Disconnect the E-brake warning light connector and remove the three mounting screws...they are very tight:

Next, rotate the assembly to see the side where the internal ratchet assy is. You will see the pawl that is most likely frozen open, like mine was.

I used acetone to break the old grease free and clean the pawl and spring assembly. Then I lubed it with some very slick machine oil that I had and worked the pawl back and forth until it was totally free. The pawl should rest on the ratchet teeth as shown in this picture:

Reassemble and enjoy the difference! Thanks to all who helped me diagnose this problem.
Note: I should add here, that although my original problem was the handle not putting any tension on the cables at all, the car now holds, but still does not hold like it should. It is because of the condition of the shoes, which is a separate issue. On my car, the shoes have plenty of lining and are adjusted properly, but since the handle did not work, the parking brake had not been used for years and as a result, the linings (although thick) look very nasty. I ran the car up the driveway with the E-brake partially applied to try and seat the shoes properly, and it seemed to help a little. Hopefully over the weekend I will see some improvement with further use.

 

I adjusted mine a few years ago at the star wheel adjuster, still works perfect every day.