ebrake fail

synviper · Post by **synviper** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:59 pm

My emergency brake doesnt lock until the last click when raising it up, when i originally got the car it was sort of difficult pulling the ebrake once i parked the car. There was a period of time where i would pull the ebrake to a point hear a "thud" let off it a little, then continue to pull and it would lock and hold.

So do you think i need to tighten the ebrake or what? It is really annoying since the driveway i park in is extremely elevated and it would be nice to pull the ebrake when i get home and be sure in the morning it isnt rollled out on the street.

(on a side note i know i can just throw the car into gear, but a ebrake is there for a reason.)

Thanks in Advanced

Jake

Post by **racer12306** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:05 pm

Probably need to tighten it up.

I prefer not to leave my car in gear either, plus when I want to use the remote starter I can't leave it in gear.

synviper · Post by **synviper** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:29 pm

this might be a n00b question but do i need to remove the center console to get the line to tighten the ebrake line?

excon · Post by **excon** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:32 pm

is it true that when pulling the ebrake (on an SRT-4 with rear discs) that it uses only the shoes inside the top hat of the rotor?

Post by **racer12306** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 8:44 pm

Yes, that is all those shoes are used for.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:03 pm

If you look on the back of the rear backing plates, there is a plug on each side below the knuckle. These plugs can be pulled and you will see the star adjuster. You can use a screw driver to turn it and adjust the brakes.

Post by **racer12306** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:04 pm

Even on rear discs?

hansken_yo · Post by **hansken_yo** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:05 pm

racer12306 wrote:Even on rear discs?

Especially on rear discs.

ragek23 · Post by **ragek23** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:12 pm

^^yup!!!

I can do full 180s on dry pavement with my new srt4 disc setup

.

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:17 pm

The drum ebrakes are the self adjusting one's when you go in reverse.

synviper · Post by **synviper** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:28 pm

how do i access this do i have to take off the plastic console? sorry i have no clue

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:00 pm

ZeroChad wrote:If you look on the back of the rear backing plates, there is a plug on each side below the knuckle. These plugs can be pulled and you will see the star adjuster. You can use a screw driver to turn it and adjust the brakes.

This'll tell you were to look, Jack up the rear end and look at the back of the brakes.

Themaggots · Post by **Themaggots** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 11:44 pm

How-To Adjust parking brake on rear disks.

I assume the method is mostly the same for rear drum brakes but
I think the rear drum brakes self-adjust when applying the brake really hard when going in reverse.

Also, no matter how much you adjust it, if there no material left on the e-brake shoe, it isn't going to work. Take 5 minutes, remove the rear wheels and disks, and check if there's plenty of life on the e-brake shoes.

synviper · Post by **synviper** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:53 am

thanks for the find imma try this, so you dont think there is anything to do at the ebrake shifter itself, because as i said earlier when i orginially got the car the ebrake shifter would "thud" sometimes on the way up.

Now it has stopped but once in a while when i pull the ebrake and the window is down i hear a "ekk" sound almost like squeaky noice.

thanks again for all the help everyone

Themaggots · Post by **Themaggots** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 7:18 am

When removing the wheels and disk to check the shoes, apply some lubricant on the e-brake mechanism; where the cable meets the metal bracket?, they sometime get stuck because of the rust and may cause some difficulties engaging the e-brake.

heydockyle · Post by **heydockyle** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 5:29 pm

synviper wrote:thanks for the find imma try this, so you dont think there is anything to do at the ebrake shifter itself, because as i said earlier when i orginially got the car the ebrake shifter would "thud" sometimes on the way up.

Now it has stopped but once in a while when i pull the ebrake and the window is down i hear a "ekk" sound almost like squeaky noice.

thanks again for all the help everyone

No. The cable at the lever has no adjustment. Only adjustment is at the rear disc.

Post by **occasional demons** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:47 pm

Proper parking brake system adjustment is
obtained by proper drum brake or drum-in-hat brake
shoe adjustment. When service is needed, the lever
auto-adjust mechanism must be reloaded and locked
out before service can be performed.

STANDARD PROCEDURE
STANDARD PROCEDURE - AUTOMATIC
ADJUSTER LOCKING OUT
WARNING: THE AUTOMATIC ADJUSTING FEATURE
OF THIS PARKING BRAKE LEVER CONTAINS A
CLOCK SPRING LOADED TO APPROXIMATELY 25
POUNDS. DO NOT RELEASE THE AUTOMATIC
ADJUSTER LOCKOUT DEVICE UNLESS THE REAR
PARKING BRAKE CABLES AND EQUALIZER ARE
CONNECTED TO THE LEVER OUTPUT CABLE.
KEEP HANDS OUT OF AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER
SECTOR AND PAWL AREA. FAILURE TO OBSERVE
CAUTION IN HANDLING THIS MECHANISM COULD
LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY.
WARNING: WHEN REPAIRS TO THE PARKING
BRAKE LEVER OR CABLES ARE REQUIRED, THE
AUTOMATIC ADJUSTER MUST BE LOADED AND
LOCKED OUT TO AVOID POSSIBLE INJURY.
(1) Block the tire and wheels so the vehicle does
not move once the vehicle parking brake lever is
released.
(2) Fully apply the parking brake lever, then shift
the transmission into neutral.
(3) Remove the screws attaching the center console,
then remove the center console.
(4) Lower the parking brake lever handle to the
released position.
(5) Grasp the parking brake lever output cable by
hand and pull upward. Continue pulling on the cable
until a pin punch can be inserted through the hole in
the lever mechanism sector gear and the hole in the
right side of its mounting bracket (Fig. 140). This
will lock the parking brake automatic adjustment
mechanism in place and take tension off the parking
brake cables.

c987long · Post by **c987long** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 11:59 pm

woot, now i can fix mine