C3 Parking Brake Adjustment

I need help in adjusting my parking brake on my 1969 vette. I have the
service manual and the assembly manual. I followed the instructions in
the assembly manual on page J191, adjusting the nut near the equalizer
to tighten the cable. The Parking brake holds better, but not like it
used to. I can put the car in reverse and the brake holds with minimum
acceleration. However, in first or second gear there is no hold with
minimum acceleration. I'm afraid to tighten the nut any more unless
it won't break something.

On page 5-23 of the service manual, another adjustment is indicated. I
should tighten the "disc" adjustment screw (at least I think
that's what it is). Now the picture in the service manual shows one
hole, but there are a number of holes on my disc. According to the
manual's directions, one should turn the disc until the adjusting
screw is seen through the hole. I've turned my disc and I don't see
a screw.

Here are my questions:

1. Is there a screw for tightening the disc that can be found through
one of the holes on the disc? If so, how do I find it?

2. Do I need to tighten this screw as part of making the parking brake
hold better?

3. Is there any danger to continuing to tighten the cable? If this is
the way to tighten the cable, I will continue to see if I can make the
brake hold better with very minor acceleration.

Please get back to me with comments as soon as you can. I need to get
an inspection sticker, and the parking brake is checked as part of the
inspection. The inspector accelerates very slightly and expects the
brake to hold.

Thanks,
Charles

In article .com>,
"Charles Halliman" > wrote:

> 1. Is there a screw for tightening the disc that can be found through
> one of the holes on the disc? If so, how do I find it?

Yes this is what you need to find to properly adjust the p-brakes. You
access the "screw" through a hole in the hub area of the disk - the same
surface where the wheel studs are located. Raise both rear wheels off
the ground and remove them. With the car in neutral, rotate each disk so
that the empty hole (no stud) is at the bottom and closest to the ground
- you may be able to peer into it to see the "screw" - which is not
really a screw but a star-wheel (kinda like a gear - you'll only be able
to see the teeth - like looking at a gear's edge). The screw driver is
used to catch the teeth and push them upwards or downwards to adjust the
brakes. By rotating the star-wheel, you are in effect, changing the
length of a spacer between the p-brake shoes.

Look in your service manual to see if there's an exploded parts view for
overhauling the brakes - you'll see the star-wheel in the lower portion
of the diagram and how it sits between the p-brake shoes.

Here's the procedure for adjustment:
1) after removing the wheels - you did use jackstands to support the
car, yes? - with the hand brake released, loosen the cable nut you
tightened earlier, to the point that there's plenty of slack and no
tension on the cables.

2) working on one side at a time, tighten the star-wheels until you
can't rotate the brake disk and then back off the star-wheel 6-8
notches.

3) set the handbrake lever 2 or 3 clicks and then tighten the cable nut
to take up the slack plus a quarter turn more. Rotate the hubs - you
should just feel slight drag. When you release the hand lever, you
shouldn't feel any drag at all.

Viola!

> 2. Do I need to tighten this screw as part of making the parking brake
> hold better?

Yes.

> 3. Is there any danger to continuing to tighten the cable? If this is
> the way to tighten the cable, I will continue to see if I can make the
> brake hold better with very minor acceleration.

Yes - you could snap the cable. It's used only to make minor adjustments
- if the shoes are worn or not adjusted properly, it's not the way to go
about making them work better.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is
original posting --
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

In article
>,
Barking Rats > wrote:

> > 1. Is there a screw for tightening the disc that can be found through
> > one of the holes on the disc? If so, how do I find it?

I just wanted to clarify that the access hole is not on the outer edge
of the disk - these are cooling spaces - but located near the center of
the disk on the same surface where the wheel mounts.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is
original posting --
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Barking Rats,

I went out and looked. Except for the five holes between the studs and
a center hole, there are no more holes.

1. Am I suppose to see the adjusting screw through one of those holes?
If so, I don't see it.

2. Also, can I do one wheel at a time, or do I have to rotate one
wheel, then the other, then look for the screw?

Thanks,
Charles

In article . com>,
"Charles Halliman" > wrote:

> I went out and looked. Except for the five holes between the studs and
> a center hole, there are no more holes.
>
> 1. Am I suppose to see the adjusting screw through one of those holes?
> If so, I don't see it.
>
> 2. Also, can I do one wheel at a time, or do I have to rotate one
> wheel, then the other, then look for the screw?

I believe I know what's going on. From the factory, the rotor is held to
the axle hub with rivets. These need to be drilled out to remove the
rotor, which I believe has been done in the past on your car and that's
why you see 5 holes (I think there are only 4 rivets). When the rotor
was put back on the hub, the service person didn't replace the rotor so
the access hole in it lined up with the access hole in the hub.

In order to do the job properly, you'll need to pull the calipers off
the rotor (pull the center pin from the pads and use a large socket to
keep the pads apart so they don't close up when the caliper is free of
the rotor). Pull off the disk -- and as long as the disk is off, inspect
the parking brake pads and hardware -- make note of the star wheel
adjuster so you know what action is happening when it's all put back
together and you're back to making the adjustments. Align the access
hole in the rotor with the access hole in the hub.

Yes, you adjust one wheel at a time, but both need to be in the air so
you can freely rotate the side you're working on to feel for any drag.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is
original posting --
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

In article >,
(dave) wrote:

> REPLY: On my 1970, i had two seasoned Vette Mechanics adjust the
> parking brake ; both times the parking brake dragged afterward. The
> first time, i immediately went on a 8 hour trip and averaged 10 mpg
> while smelling the heat from the brakes. So...after you get it
> adjusted, recheck it to be sure they arent dragging. I dont know why
> both mechanics couldnt get it adjusted correctly ; I ended up not
> having a parking brake that engages after all that because i told the
> last mechanic to just put it back to how i brought it in.

I suspect your p-brakes may have been in need of a rebuild - as in
replacing all the springs and mounting pins. They get rusty, heat
stressed and just worn out - plus the lube on the rub spots and pivot
points dries out and can get gummy.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is
original posting --
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

'I suspect your p-brakes may have been in need of a rebuild - as in
replacing all the springs and mounting pins. They get rusty, heat
stressed and just worn out - plus the lube on the rub spots and pivot
points dries out and can get gummy.
Here's waving to ya - \||||
Owen'

REPLY: That could very well be. In any case, i dont really have a need
for a Parking Brake ; i just leave it in gear when i park.

In article >,
(dave) wrote:

> That could very well be. In any case, i dont really have a need
> for a Parking Brake ; i just leave it in gear when i park.

I did that once when I parked in a friend's steep driveway in a '65,
4-speed. Came out of his house to find my car at the bottom of his drive
- it appears gravity overcame inertia and engine compression.

Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB

-- not affiliated with JLA forum in any way -- alt.autos.corvette is
original posting --
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

'I did that once when I parked in a friend's steep driveway in a '65,
4-speed. Came out of his house to find my car at the bottom of his drive
- it appears gravity overcame inertia and engine compression.
Here's waving to ya - \||||
Owen '

REPLY: Thanks for the heads up ; Ill stay on fairly level ground.

"Barking Rats" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> (dave) wrote:
>
>> REPLY: On my 1970, i had two seasoned Vette Mechanics adjust the
>> parking brake ; both times the parking brake dragged afterward.
>> The
>> first time, i immediately went on a 8 hour trip and averaged 10 mpg
>> while smelling the heat from the brakes. So...after you get it
>> adjusted, recheck it to be sure they arent dragging. I dont know
>> why
>> both mechanics couldnt get it adjusted correctly ; I ended up not
>> having a parking brake that engages after all that because i told
>> the
>> last mechanic to just put it back to how i brought it in.
>
> I suspect your p-brakes may have been in need of a rebuild - as in
> replacing all the springs and mounting pins. They get rusty, heat
> stressed and just worn out - plus the lube on the rub spots and
> pivot
> points dries out and can get gummy.
>
> Here's waving to ya - \||||
>
> Owen
> ___
>
> '67BB & '72BB

I guess I misunderstood the term "seasoned mechanic" all these years.
So I now understand that it is a mechanic that lets a car out on the
road with the emergency brake on so it can burn them out???? Then to
he might just leave something loose or un-connected so the brakes
don't work at all along the way. Most of the time when a "seasoned
mechanic" has worked on my car I don't feel the need to check his
work. If smelling the brakes for 8 hours doesn't tell you something,
checking his work would confuse you even more.

My guess would be that the "seasoned mechanic" was made up to make
dave's story sound better. On the other hand I consider myself a
"seasoned mechanic", (heavily salted), that on his worst day could do
something that stupid but I don't remember any right now.

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd