Parking Brake Issue ?

I'm having an issue with my Parking Brake...

Up until recently when I applied the brake it would hold the car, now it doesn't, so I went back there to check and see what was going on, it seems the brakes was a little frozen, On the 2006 GP the parking brake mechanism is integrated into the caliper which engages the pads, so that there is not a third set of shoes inside a/the drum, When PB is applied there is a cable that pulls on a shaft that rotates and engages the pads, then there is a torsion spring there which is supposed to return the brake to neutral when the brake is releaased, but it doesn't. I had to manually turn the shaft back to the dissengaged position to release the brake, I did that a couple of times and it seemed to loosen things up a bit but still does not return completely by spring tension,. So messing around with it a little I got the brake to hold the car, but once the brakes are/were engaged the rotation does not return /release by spring tension, , it will release some but not fully.

There is a torsion spring and a bracket that holds the cable and a bolt under the spring

Question : Can I take that Parking Brake Mechanism apart and clean it out and lube it up without messing with the rest of the caliper? or will that be a can of worms? Don't really need it all that much so I am not ready to purchase 2 new / re-man calipers.

Its like that on both sides, poor design if they are both frozen like that on a car that's only 4 years old

http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq339/dc1263/CALIPERa.jpg

if the car is only four years old it should have a warranty on it. therefore something like that should be covered. Have the dealership fix it for you. That is unless youve been doing hand brake turns like no other.

There is a cable in the back of the car that you need to adjust. not the part on the caliper itself. here is the procedure from all data.

****Park Brake Adjustment (L26 and L32)****

Caution: Refer to Park Brake Cable to Caliper Caution in Service Precautions.

Caution: Refer to Brake Dust Caution in Service Precautions.

Adjustment of manual adjustment park brake cable system is necessary whenever the rear brake cables have been disconnected. A need for park brake cable adjustment is indicated if the hydraulic brake system operates with good reserve, but a firm park brake pedal feel cannot be achieved with less than one full stroke of the park brake pedal.


Apply and release the park brake four times.
Park brake light should be illuminated after park brake has been depressed slightly.
Check park brake pedal assembly for full release by turning the ignition on and inspecting PARK BRAKE warning light. Light should be off. If PARK BRAKE warning light is on and park brake appears to be fully released, pull the pedal back by hand and continue with the adjustment procedure.
Raise the vehicle and suitably support.
Check park brake levers on rear calipers. Levers should be against the stops on the caliper housing. If levers are not against stops, check for binding in rear brake cables and position levers against stops.
Tighten park brake cable at equalizer until either the left or right lever begins to move off stop.
Loosen adjustment at equalizer until the lever which has moved off the stop, as in step 5, is again resting fully against stops. Loosen tension at equalizer until the cables feel slightly loose to the touch. Cables should not sag under their own weight.
Operate park brake several times to check adjustment. A firm pedal feel should be obtained by depressing the pedal less than one full stroke.
Inspect left and right caliper levers. Both levers must be resting on stops after adjustment of parking brake.
Check the operation of the park brake.
To achieve optimal performance ensure cables are not over-tensioned at the equalizer.

Dude, Thanks for your input, Excellent writeup, but my problem is not in the adjustment, the problem is that the brake does not return back to the stops by spring tension , I got them loose enough that I can apply the brakes with the pedal but then I have to return the levers to the stops by hand, they are not seized or frozen but are very tight to turn, when I release the pedal they return a little bit but they will not fully return back against the stops, I was hoping I could take that mechanism apart to clean it and lube it so it moves freely like it is supposed to, Thanks Again,,, DC

BTW,,, SWEEET RIDE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>