Parking brake adjustment procedure/sequence of steps after caliper re-fit

[Dinsdale]

I've been going through search for an hour, but didn't find what I was looking for.

 

On a 91 Regal, I've had the rear calipers off to check them out. The handbrake lever on the right side was stiff and reluctant to return, and some bolts were very tight, but everything's fine now after much cleaning and grunting ..

 

What I need to know is the order of what to do after getting the pistons screwed all the way down, pads put back in and the calipers remounted on the car. Do I firstly have to press the main brake pedal to move the pistons out so the pads touch the rotor, or should I operate the parking brake mechanism first to achieve this? Or do I ratchet the parking brake actuating levers by hand until the pads touch the rotors?

 

I've seen some posts which mention having to use the parking brake regularly to maintain the correct adjustment of the pistons, so I suspect it should be parking brake first to set the pads up up against the rotors.

 

I got the parking brake cables ready for the final adjustment after everything else has been done.

 

Cheers!

Edited November 13, 2014 by Dinsdale

[19Cutlass94]

You need to push the brake pedal first to get the pads, and pistons where they should be. After that, you can adjust the parking brake to where it needs to be. You should use the parking brake once in a while to keep it moving.

[Dinsdale]

You need to push the brake pedal first to get the pads, and pistons where they should be. After that, you can adjust the parking brake to where it needs to be. You should use the parking brake once in a while to keep it moving.

 

Thanks!

 

I read somewhere that the parking brake pedal should regularly be pressed down and released several times when the foot is off the main brake pedal. Apparently, according to the article, the allows the pressing of the parking brake pedal to perform the correct adjustment. The point was made that most drivers apply the parking brake while the main brake pedal is pressed down, and that doing this doesn't allow the correct adjustment to take place.

 

Is this correct?

 

Edit:

 

I just remembered......the article said that failure to do the "one foot off" procedure outlined above was the cause of most problems with this brake system, other than corrosion and neglect.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Dinsdale

[19Cutlass94]

The parking brake doesn't adjust itself. You need to use the actual brake pedal, to get all the brakes where they should be. Then once the Pistons and pads are where they should be, you yourself adjust the parking brake to where it needs to be.

 

Even with the brake pedal pressed, the pads and Pistons will only go so far. Either the parking brake works or it doesn't.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[Schurkey]

I think folks are getting confused between adjusting the park brake, and using the park brake which keeps the (rear) service brake in adjustment.

 

1. Don't "screw" the pistons back into the caliper. Waste of time and effort. Remove one nut and one washer, remove the park brake lever. Press the pistons back into the caliper--you will see the rod that held the park brake lever spinning as the pistons press into the caliper. Put the lever, washer, and nut back onto the caliper. Install cable onto the lever as normal. No reason to spin the big piston on a high-friction square-cut rubber seal, when you can spin the skinny li'l rod on low-friction O-rings.

 

2. I don't have access to my service manual for about another week, but I'd say you can press the brake pedal to get the pads 'n' pistons moved out to contact the rotor, but then be sure to use the park brake several (many) times to assure that the rear brakes are in proper adjustment. The front brakes are self-adjusting with use, the rear brakes are self-adjusting when you use the park brake.

 

3. If the brake pedal is high and firm, but the park brakes don't hold when pressing the park brake pedal, you may need to adjust the free-play of the park brake cable. DO THIS AFTER you assure that the regular brakes are properly adjusted! Some or all of the park brake pedals on these cars need to be pushed to the floor, and then pressed again to fully engage the park brake--hateful engineering by GM.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Schurkey

[Dinsdale]

I think folks are getting confused between adjusting the park brake, and using the park brake which keeps the (rear) service brake in adjustment.

 

1. Don't "screw" the pistons back into the caliper. Waste of time and effort. Remove one nut and one washer, remove the park brake lever. Press the pistons back into the caliper--you will see the rod that held the park brake lever spinning as the pistons press into the caliper. Put the lever, washer, and nut back onto the caliper. Install cable onto the lever as normal. No reason to spin the big piston on a high-friction square-cut rubber seal, when you can spin the skinny li'l rod on low-friction O-rings.

 

2. I don't have access to my service manual for about another week, but I'd say you can press the brake pedal to get the pads 'n' pistons moved out to contact the rotor, but then be sure to use the park brake several (many) times to assure that the rear brakes are in proper adjustment. The front brakes are self-adjusting with use, the rear brakes are self-adjusting when you use the park brake.

 

3. If the brake pedal is high and firm, but the park brakes don't hold when pressing the park brake pedal, you may need to adjust the free-play of the park brake cable. DO THIS AFTER you assure that the regular brakes are properly adjusted! Some or all of the park brake pedals on these cars need to be pushed to the floor, and then pressed again to fully engage the park brake--hateful engineering by GM.

 

Thanks, Schurkey!

 

I spent some more time looking around, and it's hard to find two opinions which match on this . Perhaps it doesn't matter which pedal is pressed first to get the pads up to the rotor. I'll toss a coin and follow the result. If that doesn't do it, there's only one other option to choose from .

 

We've been lucky with the brakes on this car. They looked atrocious, and the money would have been on everything being locked up. However, all the piston seals are good, there is no sign of fluid leakage anywhere, and the rear brakes are in perfect condition. The sliders have no corrosion at all and move freely with no play. Their boots are perfect too.

 

I even got the parking brake equalizer/adjuster freed up and working properly.