im not finding anything explained good enough on the ebrake tightening and adjustment. a tool list and a step 1, step 2, step 3..... would be a much better result to find in a search rather than a go to the cave. this is going to be my first ebrake work on any car and im sure this would be very helpful to someone new to fieros as well. that auto adjustment procedure didnt do a thing for mine and im sure many other fieros are the same way.

yank handle up > and nothing.... solution: fix it!

the block of wood for a wheel chock is a very embarrassing ebrake.
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First LX9 Fiero GT, 1987 | My Fiero Fuel Economy | MPG Display for OBD I
Youtube Videos of My GT | 87 GT Inside Test Run | 3500 Fiero GT Test Run 01
3500 Fiero GT Test Run 02 | 3500 Fiero GT Test Run 03 | 3500 Fiero GT Test Run 04
If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem
Fiero's are people too. We pay just as much attention to them, if not more than our loved ones
screw paying those bastards. im not going to become rich by paying for things.....

[This message has been edited by americasfuture2k (edited 07-26-2009).]

there is only 1 place to adjust: at the rear, down under, you should see the hand brake cable. it goes across the rear of the cradle. there is a clip, to join the 2 halves, and a bracket, where the 2 cables to each wheel meet the cable for the handbrake from the cabin. this bracket has a 5/8" nut on it. this is the adjuster. you need a set of pliers, or anything to hold the left side of the bracket still, and a 5/8" open end wrench. turn the nut to pull the shaft into the bracket to tighten.
you may want to give this bracket a good WD-40/PB Blaster soaking prior to this

ha, ok. so simple. dur dur. lets see how this goes

[This message has been edited by americasfuture2k (edited 07-27-2009).]

quote Originally posted by americasfuture2k: ... the block of wood for a wheel chock is a very embarrassing ebrake.

I use collapsible metal ones. They are SO much higher class....

-Dave

[This message has been edited by IFLYR22 (edited 07-27-2009).]

quote Originally posted by IFLYR22: I use collapsible metal ones. They are SO much higher class.... -Dave

I prefer a Rock..........You can find them laying around almost everywhere!

Carquest 76-94 GM e-brake adjustment procedure.
Edit: Adjusting the e-brake cable assembly and adjusting the e-brakes themselves are two different things. You adjust the cable so that it is tight, but does not cause the levers on the calipers to move off their stops.

[This message has been edited by TopNotch (edited 07-27-2009).]

I gotta say Topnotch, That's one top notch link you put out there, Thanks! I will now be able to get this beast inspected tomorrow.

bad news... there is no step-by-step instructions other than the service manual or maybe the TSB above could count.

most days either instruction will fail and the notes for the shim in my cave will fail to. Or if they work, they work for a short time and then they screwup again.

the parking brake doesn't work an old cars mainly for one of two reasons, maybe both:
1. One or more of the cable is bad. the OE wheel cables are great for rusting and even breaking the jacket from the ends.
2. One or both of the rear piston is a bad causing too much rotor clearance and internal problems.

in some cases the parking brake handle itself has problems.

You get try the TSB above or the notes and shim in my cave but either is a Band-Aid for screwed up Pistons. Even some, likely many, the rebuilt caliper have dead piston to. The Pistons design were never to be rebuilt. Allot of the rebuilder are using parts that should be scrapped.

Only way to fix parking brake is to buy new cables and New Pistons. if needed get some descent used calipers and rebuild your self. Rockauto has new Pistons.

Been there done that and with even my stroke, I've rebuilt both my calibers and replaced the wheel cables. the brakes, and parking brake especially, works like a new car. (my stroke turned into a afternoon project to a three-day work out but it's fixed.)

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 03-04-2011).]

Actually this advice from CarQuest may be a bad idea for some calipers as it was for mine. As instructed in the illustration for Type "A" parking brake configuration, I performed the "snapping" of the actuator arm and it did seem to adjust the piston where I needed it to but when I was done I noticed that the actuator arm had blasted thru the very skimpy arm back stop on my rebuilt caliper from Advance Auto causing the actuator arm to travel past the back stop and rely on cable tension to stop the arm. This in-turn puts tension on the other caliper arm pulling it away from the it's stop. I did however manage to adjust it good enough to pass inspection. YeeHaa! My advice to anyone who tries this method to make sure the stop is beefy enough to withstand the "snapping" effect.

Thanks,

quote Originally posted by Electroshop: My advice to anyone who tries this method to make sure the stop is beefy enough to withstand the "snapping" effect.

My guess... Even if the stop is strong enough, Level can bent for the "snapping" effect too. That method CarQuest and others uses... I don't trust it. If piston is bad/weak, their method can go too much other way, making pads drag the rotor. The shim in my method, is on GM's TSB, protect the rotor from too tight pads.

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 03-05-2011).]

The park brake on my Formula never worked right since the day I got it back in 94... until about a year ago. I decided it was time to fix it, and I expected to have to replace cables and maybe calipers. I had to replace a small part I got in a rear caliper rebuild kit for 84-87's.

On each rear caliper, the brake cable connects to the park brake lever. Between that lever and the caliper should be a thrust washer. My Formula was missing one of those. Without the thrust washer, the park brake will not adjust properly. I had had a brake job done years ago by a shop (mistake), and I had them fix the park brake. Turns out that all they did was to adjust the cable adjuster to it's stop, resulting in the park brake handle engaging where it should, BUT only one caliper was grabbing, because the other one wasn't adjusting.

So... to fix it, I had to:
- Remove the cable and spring from the park brake lever.
- Remove the park brake lever.
- Work the internal park brake mechanism to bring the pad in contact with the rotor. You should be able to fit a wrench on the shaft and turn it until the pad tightens against the rotor.
- Install the thrust washer and park brake lever, and just snug down the nut, because you may be removing it again.
- MOST IMPORTANT STEP: Verify that the brake lever is positioned properly, and that the park brake mechanism in the caliper is working. The brake lever should have a range of motion that allows it to reach the stop on the rear of the caliper, and engage the park brake when pushed forward. If it won't, attempt to reposition the lever (remove it, rotate it on the shaft, and re-install) to attain this. If there's no position that works, the internal mechanism is not working properly, and the caliper will need to be either replaced or cleaned out, and cleaning it out MAY not work.
- Once the lever is positioned so that it will engage the park brake, AND it will reach the stop, torque the nut holding the lever to the caliper.
- Repeat for the other caliper.
- Re-connect the cables and springs to the park brake levers on both sides. If there's not enough slack in the cable (as was the case with mine), the cable adjuster will need to be adjusted to increase cable slack.
- Adjust the cable adjuster until there is just enough slack to allow the park brake levers to rest on the stops.

That should do it.

One caveat if replacing the thrust washer. When the new thrust washer was installed, it was a very tight fit. There was slight rust on the surfaces that contact the thrust washer, and even though I removed the rust, the surfaces remained rough, resulting in the brake lever requiring a lot of force to move. MUCH more than the other side. So, I swapped the thrust washers between the left & right calipers. The result was that the repaired caliper freed up some, and the other caliper stiffened up some, and they both required about the same force to operate.

My brakes and park brake work great now.

Also, whenever you apply the park brake, first press the brake pedal. You should feel the pedal go down slightly when you pull up on the brake lever.

[This message has been edited by Formula Owner (edited 03-08-2011).]

wow, my thread came back from the dead. its the ZOMBIE THREAD!

Wow! You're right. I didn't even notice the dates.

quote Originally posted by TopNotch: Carquest 76-94 GM e-brake adjustment procedure. Edit: Adjusting the e-brake cable assembly and adjusting the e-brakes themselves are two different things. You adjust the cable so that it is tight, but does not cause the levers on the calipers to move off their stops.

For future reference, the above link is dead. The document can now be found here.