Hey guys

I have a 99 corvette and the parking brake is no longer working. At times it catches and other times it does not. The "BRAKE" light does not come on anymore on the cluster ( well, once every 15 times or so )

I think the cables are loose and need to be adjusted. Can someone link me to a thread with pictures on how to adjust them.

We took the rear rotors off and adjusted everything ( shoes look good ) but when we pull up on the ebrake, it feels "loose".

I appreciate the help ahead of time!

 

There is a limited amount of adjustment available in the cable. To adjust cycle the E brake handle completely three times in succession. If that does not solve the problem you will most likely need to replace the shoes. Replacement of the shoes is rarely necessary unless the E brake has been abused.

 

The shoes were inspected and have good life - Is there an adjustment under the armrest console area on the inside of the car?

 

No, the only adjustment is the auto adjuster which is activated as I described. It could be possible that the cable has been stretched beyond the adjustment range and needs replacement.

 

The adjuster on the E Brake handle is ONLY used to keep tension on the cables. The adjustment is on the brake shoe. Theres a toothed wheel that needs to be "MANUALLY" adjusted. Theres ZERO auto adjusters on a C6 or C6.

You have to pull the wheel, remove the caliper and bracket assy and then the rotor. Adjust the shoes so there a very slight drag on the drum when you reinstallit. WARNING! If you get the drum too tight, you will NOT get it off again until the brake shoes wear down further!:

Park Brake Adjustment
Tools Required
J 21177-A Drum to Brake Shoe Clearance Gauge


Important
Park brake adjustment is not necessary after replacing the park brake lever or park brake cables. The park brake cables are tensioned automatically by cycling the park brake lever three times.


Apply and fully release the parking brake three times.
Verify that the parking brake lever releases completely.
Turn ON the ignition. Verify that the red BRAKE warning indicator lamp is off.
Turn OFF the ignition.
Raise and support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle in General Information.
Remove the rear tire and wheel assemblies. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in Tires and Wheels.




Important
Do not operate the park brake lever with the rear disc brake rotor removed.


Remove the rear disc brake rotors. Refer to Brake Rotor Replacement - Rear in Disc Brakes.



Place the inside measurement contacts of the J 21177-A at the widest point of the drum portion of the brake rotor (1).
Tighten the set screw on the tool in order to ensure the proper measurement when removing the tool from the drum.



Position the outside measurement contacts of the J 21177-A over the park brake shoe (1) at the widest point.

Important
If the gap between the adjuster nut and the adjuster screw exceeds 5 mm (0.25 in) during the adjustment procedure, the park brake shoe must be replaced.


Adjust the park brake shoe-to-drum clearance by rotating the adjustment nut on the park brake actuator. Specification
0.38 mm (0.015 in)

Install the rear brake rotors. Refer to Brake Rotor Replacement - Rear in Disc Brakes.
Install the rear tire and wheel assemblies. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in Tires and Wheels.
Apply and release the park brake lever three times .
Apply the park brake lever. Inspect the rotation of the rear wheels:
The wheels should not rotate forward.
The wheels should drag or not rotate rearward.
If the rear tire and wheel assemblies rotate forward or do not exhibit drag rearward, repeat the adjustment procedure.
Release the parking lever. Verify that the wheels rotate freely
Lower the vehicle

 

Good stuff Bill,i'm having the same issue.Thanks for the post

 

I too have the exact same issue, parking brake might as well be a aimed towards the sky. I have drilled/slotted brakes GM upgrades, I was just waiting to wear my stock set down a little more before I replaced them, but the ebrake is really a dead stick. Good information on this for adjustments, thanks.. Great forum with great members... Keep it up guys... thanks.