E-brake isnt strong

cpolaris502 · #1 01-10-2006, 07:58 PM

Here is my problem, my e-brake can hardly hold my car in position on a slight incline. With it pulled all the way up, it doesnt hold well. I can push my car in neutral and it will move.

At first the cable adjuster was completly loosened up, i could pull the lever all the way to the top without it ever gettng tight. Well i pulled off he cover and tightened it up a bunch so now it doesnt go all the way to the top, the cable gets tight but the brake doesnt really go on.

Anybody know how to fix this or to get it to hold better? If it is inside the rear drums how do you get the drums off? it is an 88 CRX Si.

Thanks

welfarepc · #2 01-11-2006, 02:32 AM

just tap the drum with a hammer, it should pop off. make sure ur e-break isnt on when u try to take it off or u will sit there for hours smashing a drum that will never come loose

cpolaris502 · #3 01-12-2006, 03:03 PM

Anybody have any tips on making it stronger?

lkist013 · #4 01-12-2006, 04:09 PM

Have the rear brakes been changed recently? i know that if the rear brakes aren't adjusted to the right spot the e-brake will be loose. all you have to do is adjust the brakes so the drums(i'm assuming it's rear drum) drag a little bit against the shoes. you might want to also readjust the cable so its about half way; do that before adjusting the brakes.

Smoghog · #5 01-12-2006, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpolaris502

Anybody have any tips on making it stronger?

What is going on is the brake adjuster is not adjusting your rear brakes
I know because my 88 crx si was doing the same thing.

slide the drum off and use a flathead screwdriver and turn the adjuster gear and slide on the drum. It should be a snug fit but not tight. Once you have the drums on again make sure the don't drag on the brakes. It should spin freely. A very tiny bit of rub is fine.

Been there done that.
SH

cpolaris502 · #6 01-13-2006, 07:20 AM

i got the drums off yesterday and the shoes are very worn out, about 2-3 mm left of the pad. I am going to get some new pads soon. I had a friend sit in the car and pull the brake lever up and down but i couldnt see the shoes moving at all. behind them i could see a lever moving back and forth but i couldnt tell what it was supposed to do. After i get the new shoes on i hope it will help. If not ill come back here.

Kven · #7 01-13-2006, 09:26 AM

star adjusting wheel...

cpolaris502 · #8 01-13-2006, 10:11 AM

what does the adjuster wheel look like? ive never worked on brakes before so are the shoes hard to replace? Thanks for the help so far.

Smoghog · #9 01-14-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpolaris502

what does the adjuster wheel look like? ive never worked on brakes before so are the shoes hard to replace? Thanks for the help so far.

Well the rears are a little harder than the fronts. To make it easier you need to pull off the hub. And you need a good pair of needlenose pliers. Unless you have the spring tool.

As for the adjuster look about a third of the way down you will see a spring from one shoe to the other. Now look behind the spring you will see a bar going across like the spring. On that bar is a wheel with teeth, that is the adjuster. It will have a little piece of metal riding against the wheel. That is your self adjuster "lever". On my car the lever was not touching the wheel, thus not adjusting.

Just take a flathead screwdriver and spin the wheel abit A full turn should be all it takes.
Good luck SH

cpolaris502 · #10 01-14-2006, 10:21 AM

thanks, i got some new shoes yesterday so im going to put them on today.

cpolaris502 · #11 01-15-2006, 09:14 PM

I finally got the new shoes on and adjusted today, they are better and the ebrake holds a lot better. On one side most of the springs were broken already and the adjuster was completly rusted together. I got them all spinning freely so hopefully they will work better also. thanks for the help.

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