Ebrake stuck after cable and shoe replacement, Right side works fine Options

[skogs]

Hi. I got some really annoying problems after replacing the left cable and ebrake shoes on both sides. My car is a 97`celica t20 with rear disk brakes. I dont know the real name for the disk-piece, so im just going to call it the disk:)

the replacement of the cable and shoes went fine until i when i tried to refit the disks. The right one mounted straight on without problems, but the left wouldnt fit right. It seemed like the parking brake was engaged. I then forced the disk on, using the wheel-bolts, and remounted the wheels. I couldnt move the wheel with my hands, but it did roll when driving, although with a lot resistance. After driving a couple of minutes at low speed, the whole disk was very hot!

I have double checked that the shoes and cables are installed correctly, everything is properly fitted and greased. I've loosened and pulled the cable out towards the brake as much as possible, but it still seems like the parking brake is engaged at all times. I've compared the clearance the clearense between the brake shoes, and the right and left side seems to be identical.

HOWEVER, the right disk easily fits on the left brake. And the left disk, does not fit on the right side. It seems like the left disks inner diameter is smaller then the right!!

Can someone help me please? What can i do? What is wrong?

This post has been edited by skogs: Aug 4, 2011 - 11:46 AM

[opie_7afe]

try to loosen your ebrake adjustment, the adjustment bolt is to the right of the ebrake handle on the bottom, easy to see and reach through the little spot there, for alittle more info go here http://bgbonline.celicatech.com/6g/ then go to the brakes section, click on disc & drum brakes and read some of the manual there could be something you missed when replacing park brake shoes.....

[skogs]

The cable is fully extended towards the brake. Its not possible to loosen it more, without disassembling the whole cable. But thanks anyway! Good link!

[opie_7afe]

you probly need to adjust the parking break shoe adjustment(not cable adjustment) i believe to do the park brake shoe adjustment its the same as the drum brakes and to do that you roll in reverse and basicly yank up on the ebrake lever and that will self adjust the shoes to proper position. someone else might be able to chime in but i bet thats what it is...

[skogs]

The shoes are fully compressed. The only thing limiting them are the manual adjuster; which is fully adjusted. It's not possible to compress the shoes more.

[opie_7afe]

somethings not right then... it shouldnt be rubbing on the "drum" at all should rotate freely. something is not right i would double check everything just to be sure....if everything is fine then i would take your rotor and get it machined alittle so theres no rubbing issues with ebrake off.....should only need .5mm removed if that...

This post has been edited by opie_7afe: Aug 5, 2011 - 3:13 AM

[skogs]

I have now replaced the "rear shoe" on the problematic side with the old shoe. The old shoe was barely 1mm thinner than the new. Now everything is rotating as good as freely, but the ebrake is really weak. Is this normal right after changing the shoes?

..... get it machined alittle so theres no rubbing issues with ebrake off.....should only need .5mm removed if that...

How can i get it machined?

This post has been edited by skogs: Aug 5, 2011 - 5:12 AM

[opie_7afe]

bring it to a machine shop or anywhere that does brakes should be able to do it... if the ebrake is weak you just need to readjust cable tension...most people dont even need to change out ebrake shoes unless their say drifting or constantly using it...

[skogs]

The handbrake wore out because the cable was stuck. So it was partially engaged at all times.

[Galcobar]

Sounds like the e-brake was originally assembled incorrectly -- the parts may all have been there and connected as they should, but aligned cockeyed. It should not be necessary to use significant force to put the rotor (that would be the disc, note the spelling) onto the brake assembly. At least, that's what it would sound like if the rotors were fitting equally. As they're not, it's a bit confusing since even brand new rotors and shoes should still assemble cleanly.

Worn-out parking brake shoes are going to be very close to new parking brake shoe thickness. Maximum thickness is 2.0 mm, minimum is 1.0 mm. The rotor interior diametre is only 1 mm different as well from old to new, which means a 0.5 mm difference on one side.

As noted above, the appropriate thing to do is adjust the position of the e-brake shoes with the adjuster wheel, located at the bottom of the e-brake assembly. More particularly, it is meant to accessible through a hole in the rotor to allow you to expand the shoe position once the rotor is in place. This requires putting the rotor on so the access hole lines up with the appropriate hole in the hub face. The adjuster should be turned until the shoes lock against the rotor, then returned eight notches.

After re-installation is complete, the new parking brake shoes should be bedded. This is done by driving at 50 km/h and then engaging the parking brake with 20 ft-lb for about 400m. The parking brake release button should be pressed and held down while the parking brake lever is being pulled. Repeat this two or three times, then look at adjusting the cable travel.

The e-brake cable tension is adjusted at the handle, Pull the centre console to access the two nuts. The lock nut must be loosened in order to allow the handle position to be adjusted, then the locknut must be tightened back down. Properly adjusted, the handle will travel 4-7 clicks with moderate force for full engagement (keep in mind these are meant to be operated by everyone, so moderate force does not involve yanking as hard as you can).

Proper e-brake engagement, which will prevent the wheels from turning without a lot of engine pressure, is achieved through adjusting the parking brake shoe position, then the cable position. The self-adjusting nature of the e-brake only comes into play to compensate for wear of the shoe surface -- in other words, it only adjusts wider. Moving the shoes inward requires manual adjustment.

Side question: are the e-brake cables crossed as they should be?

However, reading over what you've described, my best guess is that both sides were not properly adjusted to minimum width, and that the right rotor fit because it has been excessively worn, while the left rotor is still within specifications. My suggestion would be to get both measured at a brake shop for maximum interior diametre, the exact dimensions of which are stamped on the rotor itself.

[skogs]

Thank you for the exceptionally good answer!

It's probably correct that the rotor that fits, fits because it is worn. But i still cant understand why the other rotor cant fit. The only way to get the shoes closer, would be to remove the adjuster altogether.

But i will try to adjust the shoes the way you described, and see if it helps! Maybe i can try to replace the last old shoe after using the handbrake for a while.

The cables cross right after the connection point over the resonators heat-shield.

This post has been edited by skogs: Aug 7, 2011 - 6:39 AM

[Galcobar]

As I said, get the rotors measured. If they're to spec and still do not fit, then the e-brake assembly is incorrect.