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Setting up e-brake

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Old Sep 14, 2015 | 03:01 PM
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Default Setting up e-brake

I'm attempting to get the e-brake set-up after narrowing my 10-bolt. I replaced the rotors so I ran the star-wheel all the way in. The shoes themselves also move a bit if you tap on them.

My main question is...with the e-brake set-up properly should I hear a little bit of contact between the shoe and rotor or should it be silent? (w/o the brake engaged and w/o brake pads)

I have one silent and one just wants to barely rub for maybe an eighth of the rotation.

Thanks
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Old Sep 16, 2015 | 04:42 PM
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I would back off the star wheel on the one rubbing by like 3-4 'points' of the wheel.

There is little I HATE more about these cars than their parking brake system!

It took me the better part of a year, and MUCH wasted time/effort/coin (which could have been put towards much more functionally needed items, like the steering rack) to get mine working well enough to actually hold the car on a 1* incline/decline, and to pass inspection.
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Old Sep 16, 2015 | 09:38 PM
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Why didnt you pass inspection? Can the ebrake turn on the light?
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Old Sep 18, 2015 | 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by stevenc1703
Why didnt you pass inspection? Can the ebrake turn on the light?
If this question was intended for me;

In Pennsyltuckey, we have a privatized, DRACONIAN, TOTAL CAR, safety inspection (like more strict than the German TUV inspections), so that the repair shops can look for every tiny little thing wrong in order to extract their 'TON of flesh' from the customers who are FORCED to get their rides inspected there, since there is NO state run, free inspection like other states have (IF they have one at all).

They DO NOT care that there is no BRAKE light on, the parking brake HAS TO BE ABLE TO hold the car on an incline/decline.
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Old Sep 19, 2015 | 12:08 AM
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Va is pretty rough too. It's impossible to get special inspections from friends anymore too. Lol
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Old Sep 19, 2015 | 10:38 PM
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Well, technically, the parking brake is supposed to hold the car on an incline, so they're really just doing their job.

I agree the parking brake design sucks. Pain to get working correctly sometimes. Nope, mine doesn't work (again).
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Old Sep 20, 2015 | 08:09 AM
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Are there any ebrake options with aftermarket calipers? One of the things I need to do is replace the brakes and I want new calipers too.
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Old Sep 20, 2015 | 02:41 PM
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The calipers have nothing to do with the parking brake on these cars. I guess some cars use a special caliper that can be mechanically operated for the parking brake but I've never actually seen one of those yet, and I don't know of any way to adapt said caliper setup to the fbody.
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Old Sep 20, 2015 | 04:11 PM
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Originally Posted by SparkyJJO
The calipers have nothing to do with the parking brake on these cars. I guess some cars use a special caliper that can be mechanically operated for the parking brake but I've never actually seen one of those yet, and I don't know of any way to adapt said caliper setup to the fbody.
I believe he is asking if any of the aftermarket (possibly 2 piece?) rear ROTORS, which are needed with certain aftermarket calipers, especially fixed ones, have a provision for an 'inside drum' surface in order to let our shitty stock parking brake function properly??

That I do not know.
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Old Sep 20, 2015 | 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by SparkyJJO
Well, technically, the parking brake is supposed to hold the car on an incline, so they're really just doing their job.
Yes, of course, but other states, even if they have a so called 'safety inspection' do NOT care if this works or not.

We ALL KNOW that shitty little drum thing will not even slow down these cars at speed, let alone stop them in a total brake system failure, no matter how tightly adjusted they are.

You would be better off using the gears (even on an auto) to slow down in that scenario, than grabbing the lever.
Besides, there should never be a TOTAL failure with a dual/diagonal system as in our rides.

Even if it might cause some trans/gearbox wear, and is not 'proper', one can always use the gears in a manual, or the parking pin in an auto to hold the car on an incline.
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Old Sep 20, 2015 | 06:03 PM
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Well yeah, that's why the term "emergency" brake is so wrong. It is a parking brake pure and simple. Yanking that thing at any speed is going to do next to nothing at best and lock up the rear sending you out of control at worst.
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Old Sep 21, 2015 | 08:31 AM
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Originally Posted by dailydriver
I would back off the star wheel on the one rubbing by like 3-4 'points' of the wheel.

There is little I HATE more about these cars than their parking brake system!

It took me the better part of a year, and MUCH wasted time/effort/coin (which could have been put towards much more functionally needed items, like the steering rack) to get mine working well enough to actually hold the car on a 1* incline/decline, and to pass inspection.
I replaced the rotors. The pistons are completely bottomed.
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Old Sep 21, 2015 | 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Captain Slow
I replaced the rotors. The pistons are completely bottomed.
Maybe see where the inner rotor drum surface is rubbing on the shoe, and just slightly file down that part of the shoe enough to get it to not rub?
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Old Sep 21, 2015 | 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by dailydriver
Maybe see where the inner rotor drum surface is rubbing on the shoe, and just slightly file down that part of the shoe enough to get it to not rub?
That's the thing.

Can you tell me if it is/isn't supposed to be silent?

I found a youtube video where the guy did a re-shoe on a similar hand parking brake mechanism (Yukon) where he adjusted the shoe till the rotor went over it with an interference fit (barely going in over the shoe).

I just wish I would have paid attention when I took it apart.
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Old Sep 21, 2015 | 11:16 PM
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If it spins freely but there is a slight swishing that's probably fine as it should just burn off the little bit of excess shoe material. At least that's what happened on my Trailblazer which uses the same parking brake setup (until the cable rusted and seized up so I removed it all).
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Old Sep 22, 2015 | 07:13 PM
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Originally Posted by SparkyJJO
If it spins freely but there is a slight swishing that's probably fine as it should just burn off the little bit of excess shoe material.
YES, THIS^^^

As long as it is not totally binding the rotor to the point that you can barely turn it by hand, you will be OK.

That little bit of scraping should not even heat the rotor and outer wheel bearings/seals very much either, IF that is a concern.
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