May 10, 2016, 03:06 PM
Last edit by: IB Advertising
See related guides and technical advice from our community experts:
- Camaro and Firebird Brake Diagnostic Guide<br>Guide to diagnose trouble and recommended solutions.
LT1 parking brake issues
LT1 parking brake issues 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?
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.
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.
Trending Topics
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. 
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo 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.
