Rear brake troubles again (Page 1/1)
Cliff Pennock OCT 13, 08:07 AM
It was that time of year again trying to get my car through inspection. And as every year, it again didn't pass inspection due to the rear brakes not breaking hard enough. I already did the trick where you press the brake pedal and pump the handbrake a few times, but that didn't improve braking.

So what things do I need to do/check?

(Yes, "Use the search, Luke", but I'd rather have a few double but "fresh" threads, than threads buried in the Archives...)
Cliff Pennock OCT 13, 08:08 AM
PS: The calipers are relatively new. I think I replaced them 3-4 years ago. But the car has been sitting still for almost a year until I started driving it again this summer.
Cliff Pennock OCT 13, 08:22 AM
Also, rotors looked pretty awful but the guy doing the inspection said that probably isn't why it's not braking properly.
olejoedad OCT 13, 09:30 AM
Keep using the handbrake lever to adjust the pads closer to the rotor face, or use the adjuster in the cable to accomplish the same thing.
If your back rotors are not bright and shiney after driving, the pads are not clamping the rotor.
theogre OCT 13, 11:05 AM
Adjust cables won't matter unless the handle is too high or low when pulled. Handle has ~ 11 clicks total and "on" should be in the Middle &Frac13; of that number. Max is 8 clicks.

Hand brake, "main" hydro rear or both not working right?
It does matter.

Rear brakes can has iffy slides, cables, etc. cause problems on top of whatever maybe wrong w/ caliper pistons.
See my Cave, Rear Brakes, Brake Service and rest of section.

Also see HANDBRAKE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR TEST http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/143201.html for EU testing, failure, etc.
maybe they Fail you w/ wrong Brake Spec's for an old car like done in that thread.

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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