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Re: Handbrake mystery

To: "Dean Dashwood" <deandashwood_list@yahoo.co.uk>,
Subject: Re: Handbrake mystery
From: Dan Canaan <flinters@picarefy.com>
Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2002 19:58:01 -0700
Sudden change in the amount of free play with the parking brake cable.  Hmm.

The parking brake is made of a single overcenter handle, an adjustable 
cable, an equalizer/shoe, a single cable for both sides of the rear axle, 
and a pair of attachment ears on the rear wheel cylinders.

There are only three points where adjustments can be made- the brake 
handle/front cable attachment, and then the two attachment points at the 
rear wheel cylinders.  The cable connects one cylinder to another by going 
from one cylinder, through cable guides welded to the chassis, through the 
equalizer shoe, back through the next guide and to the other wheel 
cylinder.  It's important to make sure these guides are well greased so 
that you don't get any binding and the cable is free to apply equal 
pressure to both brakes.

It is possible for the equalizer shoe to shear the pivot pin and be free of 
the body work completely and still apply pressure to the brakes 
somewhat.  It *SHOULD* be attached to the bottom of the body tub on a 
bracket, but if it's free hanging in the air, then something is amiss.  The 
pins are small, get a lot of wear and break easily.  That would be my first 
suspect.

In a case like this, you need to pull the rear wheels and drums, have 
someone apply and release the parking brake while you are watching the 
action below (with the car on stands!).  Check the action of each part in 
the assembly.  Somewhere is a lot of unexected play.
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