Parking brake

[Vettelt193]

Does anyone have a list of common problem areas with the Parking brake? Mine does nothing (like this since I bought it) and want to fix it, I haven't done anything with it before so I am not sure where to start. thanks!

 

[vigman]

#1 check

Jack the car UP..... PROPERLY

Have somebody in the car operate the brake from inside...you look underneath if the cable is pulling.... Follow the cable mounting/piviot points...it MAY just be out of adjustment...or the cable is rusted in the sheild.



Vig!

 

[Vettelt193]

I have a feeling it is rusted... If I kneel on the ground with the door open and pull the handle, nothing moves at all in the rear brake area... not even a little tiny movement of the cable... It feels like it isn't connected to anything. Where is the bracket, directly under the handle area?

 

[rrubel]

Read my reply to BigRed; I explained a little of how the system works. It's entirely possible that your cable has detached from the pivot by the hub; mine had been welded at some point so it appears they had been falling off.

Parking brakes are an inspection item in our state; I was unable to get mine on the road until it worked.

[RICHR]

 

[Vettelt193]

thanks... We don't have inspections in florida... It is getting to be a pain not having it though.... I can't even let the car idle unless I am in it (or have the wheels blocked)

 

[DHOUGHTON]

Broken Brake?

I have the same problem. I pulled the seat out and then exposed the area where the cable hooks up to the handle. Oh it is not connected. I am wondering if there is a missing clip which connects the cable end to the handle mechanism? You could have the same.
Best of luck to the both of us. The September issue of CORVETTE FEVER has a good article of the rest of repairing this needed part of the car. Great pictures too. All but what I need.

Oh Well,

MARATHONER

 

[WhalePirot]

We have no inspections, save SMOG, here either; hence the junky cars we see.

Paraphrased from the '90 service manual, starting on page 5-13:

The parking brake cable is coated with a nylon material, sliding over plastic seals inside the conduit ends fittings, for corrosion protection and reduced efort. Handling these cables requires extra care, as damaging to the coating will reduce the protection.

Cable adjustment is automatic; cycling the lever three times should result in lever movement of 3-5 notches, when a 61 f.tlb. force is applied.

The lever assembly is removed, if req'd, after:
the left seat (cushion + frame) is out. The auto adjuster must be disabled to loosen the cables B4 maintenance. Use wire, a drift or offset screwdriver through the hole (about the 10 o'clock position when looking straight at the handle pivot) to hold the drive pawl in the disengaged position. Move the handle to align the holes. then, depress the button and release the handle.

To remove the handle assy:
Do the above, then disconnect the electrical connector from the handle assy. and remove the two bolts holding it to the door sill. The front cable can then be removed from the assy. ; retained by a bolt and washer.

The cable can be changed after the above, plus removing:
-front cable from front cable return spring (near LR trailing arms)
-LR cable from front cable assy connector
-front cable bolt and clip (8 ft.lbs.)

The system is rather simple and one just has to see what moves and which of the 3 cables does not.

I see no adjustment for left/right other than the automatic, mentioned.

 

[Vettelt193]

I actually read that Corvette Fever article... I was ready to get into fixing it before I read that article... It made fixing it look like a real PITA so I decided I would wait, drink a few hundred more beers, then proceed.

 

[WhalePirot]

Well, at least LOOK!

Then again, a quick look may reveal that it is a simple fix. Often times IS.

Also, the manual sometimes overcomplicates the process.

 

[Vettelt193]

I have looked, but only where everything connects the rear brakes... nothing else until I get home from work... now I can't wait to get outta here!

 

[Vettelt193]

OK... got under the car and tried to figure things out... Here is what I found: tell me if this seems right.... The cable hooked up to the handle basically hooks directly to the right side brake. The left side has its own cable.

1: I think I am missing a part, the one that connects the two sides... there is a ton of slack in the right side.

2.On my car there is a plastic piece at the end of the first leg of cable. This part joins hooks the left and right wires, but can't possibly do anything as far as i can tell... basically it seems like it is there to hold the cables up, out of the way, and together. There is nothing that I see to connect the two cables in such a way that both brakes would work since the drivers side cable is connected to the plastic around the passenger cable. I think this is also the reason for the extra slack in the system.

What should be there, and where can I get it?

 

[vigman]

There should be 2 cable connectors

That link the left & right brake cables. And there should be 2 cable brackets that support the cables and mount em to the frame.

Vig!

 

[Vettelt193]

I have one bracke in the middle, offset to the drivers side that basically holds the two cables(drivers side wheel and the main cable) I am going to take a trip to chevy to see if I can get picture/drawing of the system

 

[vigman]

So how does it......

connect all 3 cables????

You have the E brake puller cable

and the left & right side cables.

You make it sound like the pass side cable is just floating.


Vig!

 

[Vettelt193]

Vig... the Main cable is directly connected all the way through to the passenger side... I can see how that one works... The drivers side is the shady part... Basically it is a rubber covered wire (for lack of better terms) close to the end the bare wire sticks out and has a metal cap of sorts... the end of the first leg of the main cables rubber has a plastic bracket, very small, that attaches to the metal cap of the left cable... this is the only way the join... there is a ton of slack on the right side cable too...

To make matters more complicated, i just went to chevy and it seems like i have all the parts... the parts guy couldn't tell me how the two cables joined up... the picture looked just like my setup... there is no way this crappy peice of plastic does anything to join the cables

 

[vigman]

Maybe

a) The cable is broke form the lever.

b) Has come unhooked from the back of the caliper?


Vig!

 

[vigman]

Can U

Post a PIX?

Vig!

 

[Vettelt193]

I pulled by hand (and this is not easy, since there isn't much to hold onto) the separate cables going to each caliper... both are functioning properly.... I really think I am missing something that joins the two cables together (or really all three, i keep saying two because the passenger side cable is hooked up to the main cable)... It will take me a couple of days to post pics... I don't have a digital camera (actually, i don't actually own any type of camera... disposable for me ) Maybe with the pics you or someone can tell me what in the heck is going on...

What I really don't understand is how they do join... both the drivers side cable and the main cable are right next to each other, pointed toward the center of the car. When you pull the handle it should move the cable in, but the driver side cable needs to move out, so basically they need to move opposide directions of each other. What is normally there to get it do this?

 

[BigRed]

I thought I read in my parking brake thread that the caliper cables were one piece and the cable coming from the handle had a clip or hook of some type on the end.

Simply reconnect the hook or replace it Id say.

But Ive haven't looked at mine yet that just the info I got and understood.

 

[WhalePirot]

Hey 193!

U want I should send pics from the "90 Vette service manual to your e-mail? I expect that shots detailed enuf would be too big to post here.

Mike