scliburn

Ok guys, help me if you can. I followed the tech tip with my slack parking brake. The parking shoes seem to be adjusted properly. They were so tight that they tried to come off with the rotors. I adjusted, but could not get the rotors back on if I tried to adjust them out any further than they already were. While I was working on it did a test. With the rotors and wheels back on, I pulled the brake handle up. Slack as a expected. I check the cable going in the rear drum and it had not moved on either side. Then I released the handle and pulled a couple of more times to get the slack out. This time the brakes engaged and held. I have been doing this but was hoping to cure the problem. Is there some adjustment in the console so that the cable will pull tight the first time instead of having to pull and release several times?
Thanks

SFVetteman

The parking brake cable slack adjust via a rachet mechanism. I do not think there is any shortcut around just cranking the handle up and down until it is tight.

There is a bracket underneath the car which joins the cable from the handle to the two cables that go to the brakes but I do not believe there is any adjustment that can be made at that point.

mikeyc6

I've seen some C5's that have built up a little "lip" on the edge of the rotor where the shoes slide by as you are putting the rotor back on. The lip prevents you from being able to get the rotors past the parking brake shoes when the shoes are adjusted properly. The problem went away for me because I bought new rotors but had I not done that, I'd have been tempted to grind down that lip so the rotors go on with the brake shoes adjusted properly. Don't know of any other way to solve this one.

Mike

C5 Frederik

There is an automatic slack reducer in the lever console. One forum member found out that the parts of this mechanism were stuck together and the system did not work therefore. So he cleaned everything up, maybe with WD40, and the system took away the slack.
Frederik

Fast one

Remove the passenger seat then the console and finally the brake handle assemby. Degrease the brake handle assembly and regrease with a good grease such as Mobil 1. The thick old grease, tight tolerances and dirt prevent the assembly from adjusting out the slack; after this procedure you should have a reliable emergency brake.

scliburn

Thanks guys. Sounds like this should cure my problem. I'll give it a try.

:thumbs:

vettatude

Anyone have their's pop while pulling up? Mine will occasionally pop like its skipping the teeth, then most of the tension is gone. Haven't pulled it apart yet, but I imagine something is breaking. It is a pretty loud pop, like a gun shot. :crazy:

scliburn

Ok, I think I've got mine working. The auto cable adjustment was working to remove the slack, but it would not hold it. After a couple of hours, the slack would return. I sprayed everything down with WD40, pulled up and down a few times to remove slack, and pulled it up as tight as I could. I left it that way overnight and now the slack does not come back (at least not after about 8 hours). My best guess is that the part that is supposed to grip(?) the cable after it is adjusted was letting it slip. I hope by pulling it tight and leaving it overnight it tightened that part of the system. The pop you describe may be the cable being let loose by this part while it's under tension. Just my guess.

:steering:

hightest

Yeah mine occassionally slips and pops too. Almost seems as though the handles broken off because it's so loud. Piece of junk! :mad

msuc5vette

I agree, #1 problem IMHO is this F$%&ing parking brake. It awefully embarasing that I can't let my car idle w/o my foot on the brake in a parking lot, not to mention my own driveway.

WTF, the brake on my '85 Cadillac, and my beat to death '90 van still hold!

I'm going to try the WD-40, sounds like the easiest place to start.

markcz

Mine does that about once a month, it scared the shiznit out of me the first time. I just push in the button and pull up on the handle about 10 times to tighten it up. If you can let the car slowly drift backwards while pulling on the handle it seems to help.
:cheers:

George8211

I thought my parking brake was not working properly. I don't really need to use it since I have an auto trans, but when I would pull up on it.... it would seem like nothing was there.

So I tried pulling up and down on it like you guys suggested and the only thing that happened was that I got hot and sweaty.... wait that is another story.

I took the vette on the road about 70 mph in the rain and yanked the parking brake to see what would happen...... Nothing :smash: Just a faint smell of break pad heat.

I hope I don't have an emergency.... the cars next to me are going to wonder when they see me vigarously yanking my brake level up and down. :smash:

C5 Frederik

You had great luck that your E-brake did not work properly at that speed in the rain!!! If it had worked, I am sure you would have made a fast turnaround. I would not dare to do this on an open road.

Frederik

SFVetteman

That is why it is called a parking brake instead of an emergency brake.

George8211

If I can't use it for emergencies, why is it even in the car if I have an automatic trans?

(I was in a very open road (safety first) when I tried the emergen.... ah parking brake stunt).

Since I don't need it and it doesn't work, I think I'll yank it out and replace it with a draft beer tap handle... :D

SFVetteman

I owned a car that had the parking brake pawl break while I was in a resturant. The car was parked on a steep hill here in SF. If the parking brake had not held, it could have gotten a bit messy as the curbs in that block were not very high. Since then I always apply the parking brake before I put it into park so I do not preload the parking pawl in the transmission.