Formula413

iTrader: (1)

If anyone is familiar with the parking brakes in an LT1 F Body (it's different than the LS1 cars) I could use some help. Mine wouldn't pass inspection (needs to hold the car at 1200 RPM) even with brand new pads and rotors. The repair manual says to check the freeplay in the actuator levers on the calipers and those check out fine. And as far as I can tell there is no adjustment for cable tension. I've seen some cars in which the cable has a threaded end with a nut to take up slack but these cars don't have those, just a barrel end on the cable that hooks into the base of the handle. Anyone know what to try next?

joshp14

iTrader: (5)

There should be an adjustment where the 3 cables meet above the driveshaft in the trans tunnel. The calipers are typically the culprit on these but try adjusting it first. Also make sure the cable slides freely inside the sleeves.

Formula413

iTrader: (1)

The equalizer? I don't remember seeing an adjustent on it but I will double check.

joshp14

iTrader: (5)

Its been awhile since I've looked at one so i may be wrong about the adjustment. Maybe stretched?

Formula413

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I'm sure it's stretched out, I just can't believe they didn't put in any way to take out the slack.

Formula413

iTrader: (1)

So I looked at this again, there is no adjustment for cable tension on the equalizer, there is a self adjusting mechanism at the base of the parking brake handle, with a ratcheting cam and a spring that automatically takes up any slack in the cable. That is working properly. So the self adjuster is fine, the actuators levers on the calipers are fine, that pads and rotors are new, and the parking brake still doesn't work for ****, any throttle at all past idle and it pushes through the brake. I'm really up against a wall with this thing, I can't get a sticker until it works and there is nothing else to check. If anyone can give me any insight into this I'd really appreciate it.

nascarnate326

iTrader: (1)

damn I feel bad for you. They test the parking break...come on.


Isnt the stock 4th gen tack a bit off?

joshp14

iTrader: (5)

If the cables are moving fine, and they dont appear stretched, then its probably the calipers. Technically if the lever is self adjusting, it should take up any slack from the cables. The calipers are a shitty design and I've replaced many for parking brake problems where the actuator is built into the caliper. Sad thing is, GM did away with them quite a few years ago, and I noticed recently there are starting to put them back on cars again for the 2010-2011 model year.

Formula413

iTrader: (1)

I actually thought of that. I can easily make the tach read too high by taking the needle off and moving it. But it's so bad that pretty much anything past idle will move the car.

As for the calipers, the manual says to check the levers on the calipers by pushing on the lever and putting a feeler gauge between the lever and the caliper. And I can just barely fit the specified gauge (.024") in there, so if anything they are a little bit tighter than they should be. So everything that I can check is working correctly. There has to be something going on, I can't believe the parking brake really works that poorly.