Emergency brake

[A83]

I have had my emergency brake in for service three times and it always seems to work once and then fails. The first two times it worked for reverse but not forward now it works forward and not for reverse. Someone told me the brake cable has to be disconnected then the brake adjusted then the cable re-attached?

Any a device would be appreciated. Thanks

A83

[Avanti83]

I have had my emergency brake in for service three times and it always seems to work once and then fails. The first two times it worked for reverse but not forward now it works forward and not for reverse. Someone told me the brake cable has to be disconnected then the brake adjusted then the cable re-attached?

Any a device would be appreciated. Thanks

A83

This is what the setup looks like. The cable pulls the lever behind the left shoe that actuates the rear brakes.

I'd disconnect the cables mainly to see if the cables, actually only one continuous cable, is loose in the sleeve. If it is, I'd lubricate it and put it back on the brakes, after checking they are also functioning properly. Once the rear brakes are adjusted with the drums back on the car and the cable is loose in the sleeve, there's little that can interfere with the application of the emergency brake.

With the above done, adjust the hand brake assembly to just take up most of the slack in the cable and try it. It's important not to get the adjustment to tight as the brakes will drag.

Simply put, if everything in the system is loose and functioning properly, the E-brake should work everytime. It's about as simple a system as you could find.

It takes time to tear it apart which is not cheap if you pay someone else but halfway measures will just keep having problems.

Bob

Edited September 24, 2016 by Avanti83

[A83]

Thank you Bob appreciate the reply and your expertise

Kevin

[A83]

The mechanic is telling me that back in the day the emergency brake was designed to stop the car from moving forward not backward - is this true?

Kevin

[Mike Sal]

The emergency brake is a means to spread the brake shoes mechanically rather than hydraulically. If the shoes are pushed out effectively (meaning everything is in order as mentioned above) then the brake drum should be restricted from turning in either direction.

Mike Sal

[Avanti83]

Sounds like the start of a urine trajectory contest. The front brakes do the majority of the stopping but the rear brakes will do in a pinch as demonstrated by the move to the dual brake setup. Drum brakes themselves do not work in reverse as well as forward but they stop the car when in reverse. The Avanti emergency brakes use the same shoes as the hydraulic system so eventually the car should stop better with the emergency brake engaged than not used at all.

The bottom line, is the rear brakes alone will stop the car eventually but not as well as the complete system in either direction, so IMHO they will impede progress in either direction.

Would I park on a steep hill with only the emergency brake engaged, nope. I'd also have the car in gear. So it's not a true/false issue but a matter of degree.

IAC, better to have the emergency brakes work than not at all.

[Mike Sal]

The primary intention for the emergency brake is to check the potential energy of the vehicle, not the kinetic energy...in other words, prevent a stationary object from moving rather than stopping one that's already in motion. Having said that, it's secondary role is provide a mechanical means of reducing the kinetic energy of a moving vehicle in case of main brake system failure.

[A83]

Many thanks everyone I am learning a lot here

Kevin