Emergency brake adjustment??
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 780
Likes: 2
From: Long Island, NY
Emergency brake adjustment??
My emergency brake seems not to be working(no grip!) is this an
adjustment that i can fix or need to be sent to the dealer?
Also, could this be a sign that i need new brakes? they look like
they have plenty of meat...
Thanks
Chris
adjustment that i can fix or need to be sent to the dealer?
Also, could this be a sign that i need new brakes? they look like
they have plenty of meat...
Thanks
Chris
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 2,483
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington DE
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (1997C5VTBOY)
Yes Chris, there is a way to adjust your emergency brake so that it works again! :) You must remove the rear calipers and rotors, then you will see the emergency brake shoes. There is a small "star" wheel at the base of one end of the brake shoe. You must rachett the star wheel so that it expands the diameter of the brake shoe to get the emergency brakes to work again.
You'll be able to figure out which way to turn the star wheel because it will turn in one direction but not in the other. DO NOT turn the star wheel too many clicks at a time. If you do, you won't be able to get the rotor back over the expanded emergency brake shoes. It is very difficult to turn the star wheel to un-expand the brake shoe (I know because I made this mistake).
If you turn the star wheel 3 or 4 clicks, then test to see if the rotor will fit back over the shoe. If it does then pull up the emergency brake lever and check its position relative to what it was before the adjustment. Do both sides before making the emergency brake lever compairson.
Good luck I hope all goes well. :seeya
You'll be able to figure out which way to turn the star wheel because it will turn in one direction but not in the other. DO NOT turn the star wheel too many clicks at a time. If you do, you won't be able to get the rotor back over the expanded emergency brake shoes. It is very difficult to turn the star wheel to un-expand the brake shoe (I know because I made this mistake).
If you turn the star wheel 3 or 4 clicks, then test to see if the rotor will fit back over the shoe. If it does then pull up the emergency brake lever and check its position relative to what it was before the adjustment. Do both sides before making the emergency brake lever compairson.
Good luck I hope all goes well. :seeya
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (1997C5VTBOY)
My emergency brake seems not to be working(no grip!) is this an
adjustment that i can fix or need to be sent to the dealer?
Also, could this be a sign that i need new brakes? they look like
they have plenty of meat...
Thanks
Chris
adjustment that i can fix or need to be sent to the dealer?
Also, could this be a sign that i need new brakes? they look like
they have plenty of meat...
Thanks
Chris
You need to remove the caliper and the caliper bracket to remove the rotor.. the caliper bracket bolts are very hard to remove . they require 150 ft pounds of torque.. when i adjusted mine... I need to make 43 clicks of the star adjuster .. at the time my car had less than 5000 miles on it.. This is an easy fix , if you have ever done shoe brakes.. My e brake handle locks up about 1/3 of the way.. it use to go almost verticle. now it is abouyt half that distance.. once you get the e brake tight .. then you can use the auto adjust feature.. designed in.. but it will not work if your e brakes are far out of adjustment..
the e brake auto adjust feature..: let your car roll backwards.. and using the e brake lever only pull up.. this will adjust the star one click... you can not over adjust using this method... do this about three times every month or two.. I did mine last year and it works perfectly..
Good luck
Bill (Evil-Twin)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,331
Likes: 39
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (Jim 47)
A few notes of caution:
Do Not check the e-brake (pull up on the handle) while the rotor is off!
Also you may have trouble sliding the rotor off the e-brake shoes. If you get resistance from the rotor, just keep pulling on it. I though my drivers side would never come off and then boom it just came off. I had no problems with the pass. side, it slide right off.
Jim's post said to turn the star wheel 3-4 times Bill's said he turned his 43 times...looks like a typo somewhere, I'd go with Jim's cautious approach 1st.
Finally, If your shoes are below spec (worn out) adjusting might not help and you would need to replace the e-brake shoes. The e-brake setup is kind of interesting in that you actually have both disc and drum brakes on the back.
Do Not check the e-brake (pull up on the handle) while the rotor is off!
Also you may have trouble sliding the rotor off the e-brake shoes. If you get resistance from the rotor, just keep pulling on it. I though my drivers side would never come off and then boom it just came off. I had no problems with the pass. side, it slide right off.
Jim's post said to turn the star wheel 3-4 times Bill's said he turned his 43 times...looks like a typo somewhere, I'd go with Jim's cautious approach 1st.
Finally, If your shoes are below spec (worn out) adjusting might not help and you would need to replace the e-brake shoes. The e-brake setup is kind of interesting in that you actually have both disc and drum brakes on the back.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (Gary2KC5)
A few notes of caution:
Do Not check the e-brake (pull up on the handle) while the rotor is off!
Also you may have trouble sliding the rotor off the e-brake shoes. If you get resistance from the rotor, just keep pulling on it. I though my drivers side would never come off and then boom it just came off. I had no problems with the pass. side, it slide right off.
Jim's post said to turn the star wheel 3-4 times Bill's said he turned his 43 times...looks like a typo somewhere, I'd go with Jim's cautious approach 1st.
Finally, If your shoes are below spec (worn out) adjusting might not help and you would need to replace the e-brake shoes. The e-brake setup is kind of interesting in that you actually have both disc and drum brakes on the back.
Do Not check the e-brake (pull up on the handle) while the rotor is off!
Also you may have trouble sliding the rotor off the e-brake shoes. If you get resistance from the rotor, just keep pulling on it. I though my drivers side would never come off and then boom it just came off. I had no problems with the pass. side, it slide right off.
Jim's post said to turn the star wheel 3-4 times Bill's said he turned his 43 times...looks like a typo somewhere, I'd go with Jim's cautious approach 1st.
Finally, If your shoes are below spec (worn out) adjusting might not help and you would need to replace the e-brake shoes. The e-brake setup is kind of interesting in that you actually have both disc and drum brakes on the back.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,435
Likes: 918
From: CONCORD NC
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (Evil-Twin)
It took me about 43 clicks (not full turns, just clicks) to get mine adjusted on my 98' convertible as well. It took a little abuse to get the rotors back on, but now the e-brake works great!
Dave
Dave
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 933
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clara Ca
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (Gary2KC5)
Before going to the full bore adjusting by yanking rotors off, worth a try to use the self adjuster by slowly lifting handle, click by click ( not yanking handle straight up) till handle stops.
Do that several times and see if the adjuster tighten up the slack and the handle does not lift as high.
Do that several times and see if the adjuster tighten up the slack and the handle does not lift as high.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 21,325
Likes: 3,841
From: small town in S.E Pa. PA
St. Jude Donor '03-'04
Re: Emergency brake adjustment?? (team-zr1)
Before going to the full bore adjusting by yanking rotors off, worth a try to use the self adjuster by slowly lifting handle, click by click ( not yanking handle straight up) till handle stops.
Do that several times and see if the adjuster tighten up the slack and the handle does not lift as high.
Do that several times and see if the adjuster tighten up the slack and the handle does not lift as high.
you need to Yank on the lever ( Not click by click ) this causes the whole shoe brake system to flex .. causing the adjuster star to ratchet one click... This will not work if you can not lock the brakes up... that's why I said .... you need to take off the rotors to make the adjustment.. Once the rotors are able to lock up .. the auto adjust system will work... this sytem has been around for 30 years on self adjusting shoe brakes.
You need to be moving backwards, slowly.. and Yank on the lever,, about three times every other month will keep the e brake adjusted properly..you can not over adjust with this system....
The original poster of this thread stated he has "NO grip" with his E Brake, therefore Auto adjust will never work..
[Modified by Evil-Twin, 10:36 AM 11/1/2001]
