E-brake newbie question

[BigRand]

So I'm just asking to make sure before I go out and buy new brake pads.

My E-brake holds really high when its on, and sometimes feels like it wants to slip if I don't pull it up all the way, I tried to tighten the cable, but that only worked a little bit, and then it just went back the same. SO......I was thinking I just need new brake pads? am I right? also I was wondering what kind of break pads I should be getting for a daily driver? I still want performance though. .....ceramic, metalic, etc? Also what brand etc should I be looking for?

 

[97GS-TSpyder]

jus replace the rear pads with an OEM equivalent...your rear brakes arent used enough to notice a real diff ont eh road honetly

 

[Defiant]

The parking brake on 2Gs is shoes, inside the rear discs. It's not likely you need new ones.

Don't try to Rockford a DSM.

 

[housegsx]

Yeah, I see you have a n/t. Does it have disc or drum in on the rear? If it is disc, the parking brake shoes probably need adjusted. Pop out the rubber grommet on the rotor hat and adjust the tension with a screwdriver until you can't easily spin the rotor on the hub by hand, then back off the tension just a bit. The adjuster is at 6 o'clock on the hub. If you have drums, they adjust similarly.

 

[BigRand]

Yeah they are discs, So I will be taking a look at what you all said. Thank you

 

[dont need 8]

First, take the ashtray out and back the adjusting nut all the way to where it is flush with the end of the bolt.

Take the wheel off and rotate the axle until the grommet is at the bottom of the rotor hat. Then using a flashlight and looking thru the hole where the grommet was you will want to locate a gold sprocket. Take a broad flat tip screw driver and rotate the sprocket up until you can no longer turn the axle. Then you back the sprocket down about 6 clicks or until the rotor turns completely free.

Put the wheel back on and adjust the nut in the console, under the ashtray, to where the brake will engage with 3-5 clicks.

 

[Rx3]

First, take the ashtray out and back the adjusting nut all the way to where it is flush with the end of the bolt.

Take the wheel off and rotate the axle until the grommet is at the bottom of the rotor hat. Then using a flashlight and looking thru the hole where the grommet was you will want to locate a gold sprocket. Take a broad flat tip screw driver and rotate the sprocket up until you can no longer turn the axle. Then you back the sprocket down about 6 clicks or until the rotor turns completely free.

Put the wheel back on and adjust the nut in the console, under the ashtray, to where the brake will engage with 3-5 clicks.

What he said. Although I remember the service manual saying 5-7 klicks, so nitpicking aside 5 clicks ought to be just about right.

 

[BigRand]

First, take the ashtray out and back the adjusting nut all the way to where it is flush with the end of the bolt.

Take the wheel off and rotate the axle until the grommet is at the bottom of the rotor hat. Then using a flashlight and looking thru the hole where the grommet was you will want to locate a gold sprocket. Take a broad flat tip screw driver and rotate the sprocket up until you can no longer turn the axle. Then you back the sprocket down about 6 clicks or until the rotor turns completely free.

Put the wheel back on and adjust the nut in the console, under the ashtray, to where the brake will engage with 3-5 clicks.

Okay so me and my buddy tried this the other day, I we had hella trouble. First we couldn't find the grommet (I have no clue what this is or looks like), And since we are FWD, aren't they're a lack of axles in the rear of the car.
I spent like an hour under my car looking for this grommet thingy on the brake rotor and every where around the wheel well. Do I have to take my brake off or something? Could someone post pics of what this my look like?

All I want to do is make it so my e-brake handle is lower, when I pull it up all the way. I checked my brake pads in the back and they are almost new.

Help Please

 

[BigRand]

I know I know, post bumping, but could somone please help me out

 

[SlowSpyder]

pull the rear rotor exposing the parking brake assembly. There will be an adjusting screw (starwheel), rotate it and it should push the shoes outward closer to the drum in hat assembly. Keep rotating the adjusting screw until the rotor feels snug on the shoes, one method of seeing if its snug is put the rotor on and rotate it, if it freewheels completely then you need to adjust it more, keep adusting until you feel resistance when rotating the the rotor. When everything is adjusting the parking brake should engage quicker, if you dont like it then adjust it abit more until your liking. Put everything back and have fun.

 

[spyderman]

You don't need to pull anything but the wheel and tire. Block the front wheels so the car doesn't roll. Jack up the back of the car. Pull off the wheel. Release the parking brake handle. Sit next to the car by the wheel you just pulled off. Look straight at the hub. On the hub face where the wheel studs are sticking out you should see either a round rubber plug or a hole where the plug should be. If the plug is there, pry it out with a screw driver. Rotate the hub so the hole is at 6 oclock. Take a flashlight and look in the hole. You should see an adjuster wheel that looks like a small sprocket. This is connected to a threaded hub. Using a screwdriver to rotate the adjuster wheel. This will expand or contract the brake shoes inside the drum depending on which way you turn it. You want to rotate the adjusting screw until the hub can not be turned by hand. Pull up on the e-brake handle and release it and check the wheel again. Many times the brake shoes do not move evenly and pulling up on the handle will recenter the shoes. Once you have the hub so you can't turn it by hand, then back it off about 5 to 7 clicks and see if you can now turn the hub. You should also pull up on the e-brake handle and releaseing during this step as well for the same reason as previously discussed. Mount the wheel back on and repeat for the other side. You may need to readjust you e-brake handle because it is probably too tight now. Unlike drum brakes, this disc/drum setup very seldom requires the e-brake shoes to be replaced as the only time they are used are when you set the e-brake.

Hope this helps. By the way, if the rubber plug was not in the hole you need to buy a new set and replace them. They keep dirt and water out of the e-brake and bearing seal which can cause premature failure of the components.

 

[BigRand]

Okay, so I went back and tried exactly what you all said, Jacked my car up in the back, and took off the rims/tires.

Now here is where I might have gone wrong. First my friend coudn't adjust the screw in the ashtray, because it was on too tight. (but I look at it again and with the e-brake down, the nut and the longer silver part screw off, so I might have to try again)

Also while adjusting the sprocktes, we got the right rear rotor as to tighten up where we couldn't turn it by hand, but the left rear, we turned the sprocket as much as it would turn and the rotor still spins a little.
This was all done with the e-brake down, but I did recenter it as it said to do.

Could the cable be stretched that much? do I have to get a new one? What else can I do, because now my e-brake doesn't hold at all? I was just going to take it to Mitsubishi and ask them, but I really don't want to pay for all that.

Man it sucks still being a newbie to working on little stuff like this, if anyone is in the western Washington area and could possibly meet up to discuss this DSM's that would be cool, PM me.

Lata

 

[spyderman]

It appears you have two separate issues with the e-brake.

1) First, be sure you have turned the adjuster in the right direction. If the brake shoes (not the disc brake pads) are in decent shape you should be able to get the wheel to completly lock. If you can't then you probably have worn shoes. In that case you need to pull the rotor/drum combo off and check/replace the shoes. To pull the rotor off you will need to thread in a bolt (I believe it's an 8mm but check first) into each of the threaded holes on the face of the drum (same surface that the adjuster hole is on). I helps to spray a little penetrating oil around the studs where they come through the drum. Tighten the bolts, alternating back and forth between them. These are slowly putting pressure on the hub that the drum is mounted to and pushing the drum off. DO NOT BEAT THE ROTOR OFF WITH A HAMMER! After you get the drum/rotor off, check the shoes to be sure they are in good shape and replace if they are not. Clean all of the components, take appart the adjuster, clean it and reassemble with a light coat of Never Sieze on the threads. Don't get this stuff on anything else but the threads because it will ruin the pads and shoes if it gets on them. Put it all back together and adjust as previously directed.

2) If you have done all of the above and you can now lock the drums by turning the adjusters then back off the adjusters 5 to 8 clicks until the rotors turn free. Now pull on the cable to see if you can now lock the wheels. If you can't, shorten the cable with the adjusting nut and keep trying. If you can't get the cable adjusted to where you can lock the wheels with the handle at about 30 derees then your cables are stretched and need to be replaced.

Doing the stuff in this order is the most cost effective way to diagnose the problem.