Ebrake cable issue (Page 1/1)
sdgdf MAR 12, 05:50 PM
I've been having rear brake issues, went to take them apart and re-grease them and found that the drivers side cable wasn't hooked up at the caliper. Passenger side is hooked up and the car has a TIGHT ebrake, its not dragging but just 3-4 clicks and its enough to lock the wheel up at speed, and more than enough to hold the car on any hill. Never had a Fiero with such a strong ebrake. My issue is, I can't seem to get enough slack on the driver's side cable to hook it up at the caliper. I'm having issues with that drivers side caliper I think might be from it not being adjusted by the ebrake mechanism. I back off the equalizer under the car as far as I can and I can't hook up the cable at that caliper. What to do now? I suspect its too tight on the passenger side, the cable from the handle is too tight? Something like that or my cables/equalizer are bad and I need new from the Fiero store? I only have limited knowledge of how the cables work.

Both sides have their springs. The passenger side lever sits on its stop when the ebrake is off. The drivers side if I work it by hand moves about a half inch from its stop to apply the brake? I haven't measured for sure but it moves more than the specified 1/4 inch.

[This message has been edited by sdgdf (edited 03-12-2023).]

sdgdf MAR 13, 06:57 PM
Ok I backed the bolt to the very limit of the equalizer where 1 more turn would disconnect it, and got the cable on at the caliper. Then there was too much slack for the caliper to work so I had to tighten it a dozen or more turns and now I have it so the ebrake engages (but not perfectly, I can still move the hub slightly by hand) and almost fully disengages against the stop. About best I can seem to do without getting the caliper rebuilt, it seems resistant inside of it. Spring gets it to 1/8 or 1/16th of the stop and the wheel spins ok.

I need to do rear pads. Old threads I look at say to remove the e-brake arm at the caliper, and cover the screw there with a socket while pushing the piston in? I guess because if you back the piston in with the arm attached, it'll reach one of the stops and keep the e-brake internals from moving as the piston moves, damaging them? What's the reason for the socket, so you don't hit the screw/bolt with the c-clamp?

Also what if my rear pads don't have notches or tabs or w/e that slot into the notches in the piston? I bought 2 sets of pads from a performance company thinking they were all the same. Do 88 fieros use different pads in the rear that interface with the piston? If I want my pads I might just forget using rear brakes on the rear? I also don't remember using an extra retaining clip or something on the rear in the past, although this is described in threads from the archives.

I don't have any problems doing the fronts, done them many times, this is the first time doing the rears without just following the same procedure as the fronts. First time I ever did brakes was with a friend who's ASE certified and he didn't have us do it any differently with rear brakes, so that's how I've always done it.

[This message has been edited by sdgdf (edited 03-13-2023).]