Making the handbrake stronger, 2002 Tahoe

"Whitelightning" > wrote in message
news:zDtqi.705$8u1.232@trnddc07...
>
> "hls" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>>
>> reborn when the ratcheting pad design of the 80-90's didnt get the job
>> done,
>> IIRC.
>>
> The ratcheting design worked fine IF you could get customers to use the
> parking brake when they parked. Other wise the rear brakes got way out of
> adjustment and then the hydraulic pressure pushed the two piece caliper
> pistons apart and they leaked. Shame on GM for not realizing customers
> wouldn't read and head the manual. (lots of sarcasm in that last line)
>
> Whitelightning

That was certainly the key to keeping them working, but as you say, the
customers -for the most part - didnt use the parking brake. When those
rear brakes stopped contributing, the front brake discs soon warped or
the pads were ablated away. It just wasnt a practical design from GM

I lived in Colorado and had manual trans cars all the time. I put a
line locker on them. These are sold for drag race staging but they
make a great Hill Holder too. I don't know if they would be compatible
with ABS.

I followed the "use it every time you park" instructions after replacing
rear calipers on a 92 Lumina, and it still failed. The rear brakes ended up
dragging and grinding out a rotor. BTW, the "tech" that told me to set the
parking brake every time brought my car up and parked it without using the
brake.
Roy
"hls" > wrote in message
t...
>
> "Whitelightning" > wrote in message
> news:zDtqi.705$8u1.232@trnddc07...
>>
>> "hls" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>>
>>>
>>> reborn when the ratcheting pad design of the 80-90's didnt get the job
>>> done,
>>> IIRC.
>>>
>> The ratcheting design worked fine IF you could get customers to use the
>> parking brake when they parked. Other wise the rear brakes got way out
>> of adjustment and then the hydraulic pressure pushed the two piece
>> caliper pistons apart and they leaked. Shame on GM for not realizing
>> customers wouldn't read and head the manual. (lots of sarcasm in that
>> last line)
>>
>> Whitelightning
>
> That was certainly the key to keeping them working, but as you say, the
> customers -for the most part - didnt use the parking brake. When those
> rear brakes stopped contributing, the front brake discs soon warped or
> the pads were ablated away. It just wasnt a practical design from GM

"ROY BRAGG" > wrote in message
news:3Feri.1157$vW.244@trnddc08...
>I followed the "use it every time you park" instructions after replacing
>rear calipers on a 92 Lumina, and it still failed. The rear brakes ended
>up dragging and grinding out a rotor. BTW, the "tech" that told me to set
>the parking brake every time brought my car up and parked it without using
>the brake.
> Roy

If they dragged and ate a rotor, I'll bet it was the outside pad that was
wasted and not the
inner pad, and that is an indicator the slides froze and wouldn't let the
caliper move when the service brakes were released. Its one of the
reasons I don't like rear disk brakes, Everything is exposed and for some
reason the rear calipers get nailed with all the garbage off the road. But
still the biggest issue with the design on your Lumina, and all GM rear disk
of that era except the Corvette, was out of adjustment condition resulting
in the two piece caliper being pulled apart by hydraulic pressure and then
leaking, resulting in a parking brake that didn't hold, and a low spongy
brake pedal. It was a great design in theroy, and if people really saw what
the park mechansim in a automatic tranny was they would never not use the
parking brake, and the out of adjustment aspect would never have come into
play..
Most people dont even realize that the original automatic trannies didnt
have park, just reverse, neutral, low and drive. Park was added because
people would shut it off in drive, then start it and hit what ever was in
front of them so park was added, and then sometime after that the nuetral
safety switch was added as well. when park was added, parking brake useage
took a nose dive. We be a lazy animal.
It shouild be noted that the Ford design of the same error was a resound
flop as well with its own issues.
Fixed mount calipers require a seprate parking brake mechanism, and because
they are fixed mount, dont have slides to fail or freeze. But then again
Mercedes and Volvo loved fixed calipers back then and you could hear them 5
miles away when they hit the brakes. Fixed mount calipers have major issues
with harmonics, which is why Mercedes gives a discard thickness, and
recommends rotor replacement rather than machining.

Whitelightning