Parking Break Handle
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 295
Likes: 32
From: Woodbridge Virginia
Parking Break Handle
Gentlemen, I was having a problem with my handle not ratcheting when engaging. I did a search on here and came up with the two possible causes. Grease gumming up the works or the bar bent not engaging the paw on the leaver. Turns out is was both to some degree. The paw was stuck and I was able free it up but the bar was also bent. I decided that probably best to replace the handle. I purchased a used one from one of the forum vendors. Now the questions
1. What is the recommended grease for these handles? White lithium or is something else preferred?
2. I wanted to make sure this one was working prior to install so I held onto the base and tried to engage the handle. It ratchets up to the first set of teeth but does not seem to want to pull onto the teeth located on the base. Is this normal or are my tyrannosaurus rex arms just not pulling hard enough to engage the second set of teeth?
Thank you in advance!
1. What is the recommended grease for these handles? White lithium or is something else preferred?
2. I wanted to make sure this one was working prior to install so I held onto the base and tried to engage the handle. It ratchets up to the first set of teeth but does not seem to want to pull onto the teeth located on the base. Is this normal or are my tyrannosaurus rex arms just not pulling hard enough to engage the second set of teeth?
Thank you in advance!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 481
From: OK
Gentlemen, I was having a problem with my handle not ratcheting when engaging. I did a search on here and came up with the two possible causes. Grease gumming up the works or the bar bent not engaging the paw on the leaver. Turns out is was both to some degree. The paw was stuck and I was able free it up but the bar was also bent. I decided that probably best to replace the handle. I purchased a used one from one of the forum vendors. Now the questions
1. What is the recommended grease for these handles? White lithium or is something else preferred?
2. I wanted to make sure this one was working prior to install so I held onto the base and tried to engage the handle. It ratchets up to the first set of teeth but does not seem to want to pull onto the teeth located on the base. Is this normal or are my tyrannosaurus rex arms just not pulling hard enough to engage the second set of teeth?
Thank you in advance!
1. What is the recommended grease for these handles? White lithium or is something else preferred?
2. I wanted to make sure this one was working prior to install so I held onto the base and tried to engage the handle. It ratchets up to the first set of teeth but does not seem to want to pull onto the teeth located on the base. Is this normal or are my tyrannosaurus rex arms just not pulling hard enough to engage the second set of teeth?
Thank you in advance!
Ours takes about 7 clicks to start engaging at 9 clicks it's set pretty good 10 or 11 your going to kill the car if you try to take off with it on...
The parking brake looks like an tiny set of drum brakes and has the same star adjustment as the old school brakes... when we got our 20k mile car it didn't work at ALL... I needed it a couple of times in Arkansas....so when we got home I adjusted them and now they work GREAT!
This pic shows the adjuster star...
I adjusted mine so I could just BARELY get the drum back over the break shoes..
Last edited by 73Corvette; Jul 8, 2016 at 04:42 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6,644
Likes: 481
From: OK
By the way, there are some clippy thingys, that are on the studs that kinda hold the drum on... THEY ARE NOT needed when you put the drum back on... sooooo don't be afraid to RIP those puppies off, your not going to reuse them anyway...
