Parking brake woes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2014
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From: Vernon Tx
Parking brake woes
Hey everyone, I have a question on parking brake adjustments. The brake wouldn't hold when I went for an inspection so, as I was changing to brakemotive rotors, I adjusted the parking brake shoes out some I both sides. I tested it by pulling the e brake cable and I could not turn the rotors by hand. After I put everything back together, I tried it out and the parking brake held with the car in gear, but only held once or twice. I decided to adjust the shoes out again, checked it the same way, and the car did not hold one time. What's wrong? Do I need new shoes? Am I not adjusting it out enough? Should I try to adjust the cable and if so then how? I need to get my inspection!
Jody
Jody
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Hey everyone, I have a question on parking brake adjustments. The brake wouldn't hold when I went for an inspection so, as I was changing to brakemotive rotors, I adjusted the parking brake shoes out some I both sides. I tested it by pulling the e brake cable and I could not turn the rotors by hand. After I put everything back together, I tried it out and the parking brake held with the car in gear, but only held once or twice. I decided to adjust the shoes out again, checked it the same way, and the car did not hold one time. What's wrong? Do I need new shoes? Am I not adjusting it out enough? Should I try to adjust the cable and if so then how? I need to get my inspection!
Jody
Jody
You'll know when you have it right when your brake handle comes up 13 clicks and it's "tight". The handle will be at a 45° angle.
HTH
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Hilton NY
Have you ever cleaned and lubed the parking brake handle assembly? The old grease hardens with age and can prevent the internal ratchet parts from operating as designed. The best way to do this is to remove the assembly and clean it with solvent then lube it with Mobil 1 grease. I did this ten years ago and the parking brakes have worked without fail ever since. Some have sprayed oil into the area without removal with successful results, check the archives.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: Walhalla South Carolina
I have read that you need to adjust the ebrake until it is pretty hard to slip the rotor back on over the shoes. If the rotor slides on with little resistance U don't have it adjusted enough. I adjusted mine and they hold but these ebrakes aren't the best design. Make sure U don't pull the shoes to hard and dislodge the long curved spring. It is a pain to get back in place. U can disloged it when u adjust brakes until rotor is hard to get over shoes and if U try and remove the rotor again this is when I dislogded mine.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Hilton NY
If you had the shoes adjusted so they held and now they don't I would suspect that the ratchets in the handle assembly are binding. The grease GM used in this application and several others sticks well to parts but tends to dry out in time. When the internal parts of the handle assembly are working, the slack will be taken out of the cable and shoes after a few pulls of the handle, after that the system will be tight with one pull. The shoes can't be excessively loose though.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: Vernon Tx
I can definitely hear the ratchet sound when I pull the handle. Is there a way to grease these parts without removing the passenger seat? The how to I read called for that and I just don't want to if I don't have to.
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Le Mans Master
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From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
You are not adjusting the brake enough. The link below is how to properly adjust the parking brake.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1578483712
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1578483712
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
You are not adjusting the brake enough. The link below is how to properly adjust the parking brake.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1578483712
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1578483712
Good info there.
One additional thing everyone should keep in mind of course: this brake is NOT an "emergency" brake. It may be used of course in an emergency situation (better than nothing), but it is not designed for an "emergency" situation. It is a parking brake to keep the car from rolling from a dead stop on hills, inclines, etc.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: Vernon Tx
Took off today to work on the race car and finished up early so I came to adjust my brakes again. Started on the passenger side and adjusted out until I could just barely get the rotor on. Came to drivers side and there seem to be a problem with the cylinder. The wheel that you turn won't spin independently of the part on top where the parking brake shoes bracket sits. Sorry if that's clear as mud. Is there anywhere I can buy a full kit, cylinder and shoes, and not break the bank?
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
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From: Walhalla South Carolina
Can u take the adjuster off and clean it up, the wheel should turn, nothing to wear out really on this set up, not even the shoes since they never touch except when car is stopped, supposibly n an ideal world. Good luck
Team Owner
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
The shoe should last the life of the car. 
The only GM OE hardware "kit" (that also contains the shoe) available that would contain the parts needed (adjuster wheel, etc) is approx $150 (~), depending on where you buy it.
I would at least try to disassemble, clean, and lightly lube the adjuster first. It consists of item numbers 6,7,9, and 10 in this illustration:
Le Mans Master
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From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
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Are you sure you are turning them the right way? If I remember correctly they turned counter clockwise. I also had to sparingly spray some cleaner and wd40 on mine to get it moving. I then used a screwdriver and lightly tapped it with a hammer. Once it got moving all was well.
Team Owner
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Either of these are available at almost all AP stores. Personally I prefer the Sta-Lube since it's very useful on a variety of other situations and is very water resistant, etc. Every tool box should have a tube.