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I need to rebuild my rear brakes and parking brake. While I have everything apart, I'm going to take some pictures for a write-up on cleaning/rebuilding and adjust the parking brake.
Anything you all think I should focus on as I take pictures or is there anything you all would like to see?
There really isn't much to the parking brake assembly. I think a general overview with good pictures and a focus on the adjusting mechanism at the bottom would be pretty good.
The one thing I have found, with VERY MUCH time, aggrevation, and some expense involved is that ONLY the factory supplied cables (front AND rear) work.
ALL of the others, even the made in Italy, supposedly quality Wagner ones are either too long (the slack CANNOT be 'adjusted out' at the thumb wheel), or the end does NOT stay on the lever arm at the back, or the 'pills' that fit into the T bar, and interior hand lever are too big to fit into the given openings, or ALL of the above.
IF you need some GET THEM FROM A BONEYARD if you can find one in your area, and they are not too rusted out, or (and I know this KILLS some on here) Hawks Third Gen, if needs be.
The one thing I have found, with VERY MUCH time, aggrevation, and some expense involved is that ONLY the factory supplied cables (front AND rear) work.
It seems that you are trailblazing for us on this one. (I haven't come across anyone else changing them.)
Did you end up getting your situation resolved with the used OEM cables?
Damn!!! ^ Thanks for the info. I was going to shock the world by retrofitting my car with rubber nipples from a baby bottle to see how durable they would be in place of the torn emergency brake dust boots. lol
They are almost the perfect shape and I figure that the silicone rubber would be compatible with the brake lube. Part of me probably also wanted to give my car "nipples." I guess I'll have to grab some of the doorman boots, instead...
It seems that you are trailblazing for us on this one. (I haven't come across anyone else changing them.)
Did you end up getting your situation resolved with the used OEM cables?
Yes, I did, and even passed my state's STUPID, draconian, privatized, inspection FINALLY!!
I even got my local parts store to take back the NO GO Wagner cables, so at least I did not lose that coin on top of all the other BS I had to go through to get this f'ing parking brake to work.
Damn!!! ^ Thanks for the info. I was going to shock the world by retrofitting my car with rubber nipples from a baby bottle to see how durable they would be in place of the torn emergency brake dust boots. lol
They are almost the perfect shape and I figure that the silicone rubber would be compatible with the brake lube. Part of me probably also wanted to give my car "nipples." I guess I'll have to grab some of the doorman boots, instead...
Thanks again for the help here. I ordered the Dorman parts but ended up needing to move forward with getting the car on the road - so I went forward with my shameful experiment: https://ls1tech.com/forums/suspensio...xperiment.html
I couldn't find any local places with the Dorman boots, but I do have them on hand, now if my current experiment goes south.
Any chance you have a draft of that write-up? I checked on your thread history and noticed you didn't post one.
I'm needing to rebuild a parking brake. I have the rebuild kit, but I'm hoping to find out what I'm getting into before tackling it in my driveway. Really the only part that NEEDS to be replaced is the actuator lever. So I wasn't sure if the entire backing plate would need to come out, or if there is a way to get to it without that hassle. Any tips on the rebuild that you don't mind sharing?
Not yet. I need to dig up my pictures. They got lost in a computer/phone shuffle and I also got derailed by my nipples. ^ (See link above.) Regardless, your job (since you are removing the levers) will need new rubber boots, for sure. If you don't want to jump off the deep end with me and go with baby bottle parts, look at the end of my rubber nipple thread and you'll see a link for an eBay seller who has the real-deal parts. I ordered some of these as a backup and they are the proper pieces.
What rebuilt kit do you have??? (We have another member looking for one.) I'm curious, why do you need to replace the actuator lever? (It's a pretty stout part.)
Do you have the process for adjusting the brake once you have it all back together, following the rebuild?
There's no need to remove the bracket or backing plate (#6 or #4). You can't get those off without removing the axle, anyway. You will need to completely disassemble everything else, though:
The hard part about this whole operation is getting the screw, #2 out. Once you do that, everything pretty much falls apart. You can then clean everything with brake cleaner and then re-assemble. Some cars have a hole in the axle assembly that gives one access with a normal screwdriver. Other cars (like mine) do not and you need "L" shaped drivers and come creativity...
You need to be careful with the screws, #2 and #13, they can strip. If they do, then this becomes a major PITA.
Theoretically, you could get the lever out by removing the back plate and pulling it out, but you'd never be able to get it back in and re-assemble it. On reassembly, it needs to go in before the #9 rod and all the other parts are tensioned around it. (#9 actually lives in the cylinder bore, along with the end of the lever, between #7 and #10)
On the rebuild part info, anyone looking for the part shoot me a PM. I actually sourced it from a vendor, who didn't have it in stock. I was supplied the AC Delco PN by them. Out of respect for the vendors sales I'll keep it on the down-low. (it's not under Camaro in RockAuto) One good thing is that the boots are included with the kit. I'm clear on the adjustment after installation so no worries there.
As for the lever breaking... Who knows? I live in Florida and the PO worked right at Patrick Air Force base, which is a stones throw from the Atlantic. So my best guess is the rubber boot deteriorated and left the lever exposed to the salt water and sand. However it happened, I definitely need to repair it. I appreciate the help!
Right. For the longest time, that kit was the only way you could get the boots. I saw the other day that the kit looks discontinued but some places still have stock.
Update on this for anyone looking. I initially suspected the lever corroded and snapped, but many things were missing. There were no shoes, no adjusters, and only one lever. So a previous owner might have attempted to do a parking brake delete or something, who knows.
The true ACDelco PN for the rebuild kit is 179-2105. Good luck finding the complete kit, but if you desperately need it you can find them. The kit I had purchased on the guidance from a vendor was totally wrong. I think it was for a Silverado or something and nothing was compatible.
I also contacted hawksthirdgen, who wanted to sell a complete backing plate to get the parts I needed (just the lever). So I found a V6 Camaro in a U-pull Junkyard and salvaged what I could. I think this is really the best bet if anyone needs it.
Last edited by CamaroLSwon; 09-12-2016 at 09:01 AM.
Update on this for anyone looking. The true ACDelco PN is 179-2105. Good luck finding the complete kit, but if you desperately need it you can find them. The kit I had purchased on the guidance from a vendor was totally wrong. I think it was for a Silverado or something and nothing was compatible.
I also contacted hawksthirdgen, who wanted to sell a complete backing plate to get the parts I needed (just the lever). So I found a V6 Camaro in a U-pull Junkyard and salvaged what I could. I think this is really the best bet if anyone needs it.
Yea same here. I called them a year ago and ended up doing the same as you.
10-14-2015, 01:54 PM
Time for a Parking Brake write up... 
