How do you tighten the parking brake?

[dsmturbo]

So there is no way to adjust for rear disc brakes?

[mopar_man]

Originally Posted by mopar_man

This is from my 2002 FSM regarding adjusting the parking brake shoes on disc brake cars.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Mal

I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear. I was referring to rear disks. The parking brake consists of a drum and shoes contained within the rear disk. In effect the rear brake is disk and the parking brake is a drum. Disks are by their nature self adjusting, drums are not. I have only done one brake job on the PT and didn't notice the adjusting hole so I suspect it is on the rear, on the backing plate; not on the disk itself like the Lexus.... I believe the cables are self adjusting.

Me too....

[Mal]

The parking brakes can indeed be adjusted using the tech manual procedure as posted but if you are used to doing brake jobs; there is an easier way. I did one side using the manual procedure and had great difficulty doing so. I then removed the wheel and the caliper. From there, I could clearly see the star adjuster and reach it easily. All you have to do is adjust it out some and test fit the disk. If you can't get it on or it drags excessively just back off some. Adjust, fit and test until it barely doesn't drag. It takes almost as long to tell about it as it does to do it. Additionally, you can inspect the drum and shoes and lube the bolts that hold the calipers in place.

Some pictures might help. The first is an overall picture of the shoes on the rear disk brake. The second is the drum portion of the disk with a screw driver pointing to where those cute little shoes have rubbed the drum portion of the disk and the third is the star that adjusts the shoes with the shoe to the left and the hub to the right,. It is meant to be reached through the rubber plugged hole in the backing plate.

A look at these emergency/park brakes tells me that they should only be used for important things like bootleg turns on the ice, dire emergencies involving loss of all brakes and, of course, parking. Not the frivolous things like scrubbing off speed for LEO's without lighting the brake lights.....

[dsmturbo]

Originally Posted by mopar_man

Doesn't appear to be a link in post Moparman?

[dsmturbo]

Originally Posted by Mal

The parking brakes can indeed be adjusted using the tech manual procedure as posted but if you are used to doing brake jobs; there is an easier way. I did one side using the manual procedure and had great difficulty doing so. I then removed the wheel and the caliper. From there, I could clearly see the star adjuster and reach it easily. All you have to do is adjust it out some and test fit the disk. If you can't get it on or it drags excessively just back off some. Adjust, fit and test until it barely doesn't drag. It takes almost as long to tell about it as it does to do it. Additionally, you can inspect the drum and shoes and lube the bolts that hold the calipers in place.

Some pictures might help. The first is an overall picture of the shoes on the rear disk brake. The second is the drum portion of the disk with a screw driver pointing to where those cute little shoes have rubbed the drum portion of the disk and the third is the star that adjusts the shoes with the shoe to the left and the hub to the right,. It is meant to be reached through the rubber plugged hole in the backing plate.

A look at these emergency/park brakes tells me that they should only be used for important things like bootleg turns on the ice, dire emergencies involving loss of all brakes and, of course, parking. Not the frivolous things like scrubbing off speed for LEO's without lighting the brake lights.....

I couldn't open the attached pics after saving them.

Let me get this straight, this above is for the read disc brakes, and not drums, correct?
Edit: Nope for rear drums

[Mal]

Originally Posted by dsmturbo

I couldn't open the attached pics after saving them.

Let me get this straight, this above is for the read disc brakes, and not drums, correct?
Edit: Nope for rear drums

I give up, I don't think there is any way to convey that these are instructions for adjusting the rear parking brakes for cars with rear disk brakes. Disk brakes. Disk brakes.

The confusion comes from the fact that the parking brakes consist of a drum and shoes inside the rear disk. The "hat", if you will of the disk is the drum for the parking brake. Inside that hat are shoes but the main, hydraulically operated brake, is a disk, caliper and pad. The parking brake is cabley operated and a pair of shoes inside the raised portion of the disk.

I know I'm doing a lousy job of explaining it or it would be understood. I'll try to learn how to post pictures; this forum software looks so much like others I've used I thought it would work. The pictures open fine for me even on another computer....dsmturbo; if you're pullin my leg, I'm gonna reach through your computer and bop you on the nose, a la 3 stooges....

[Chromenut]

Listen up guys and gals, he's been trying to tell you - the rear discs have a shoe INSIDE the rotor, for the parking brakes!

If you will please look at the attached, this is right out of the parts catalog for the 2005 PT GT, it's the rear brake assembly, including the shoes for the parking brake. Anybody else? I got parts catalogs for almost every year, plus the service manuals.

To knab this page from the parts manual click HERE!

The page was too large to upload on the forums.

[mopar_man]

Originally Posted by Mal

I give up, I don't think there is any way to convey that these are instructions for adjusting the rear parking brakes for cars with rear disk brakes.

As do I.

[Mal]

Originally Posted by Chromenut

I got parts catalogs for almost every year, plus the service manuals.

Hey CN or MM, could you look in the manual and see if there is a specification for how many clicks you get to a tight parking brake lever. I have several manuals and those with lever type parking brakes list a specified number of clicks.