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1G rear brake auto adjuster

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edged1g

15+ Year Contributor
302
25
Feb 23, 2005
Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
I have a 1G and i have replaced EVERYTHING on the rear brakes. New powerslot rotors, new OEM pads, remanufactured calipers and replaced the driver side e-brake cable since in was pretty bad. My problem is the parking brake isn't working. I can SEE it actuating on both sides, but the driver side doesn't get tight. The passenger side does.

I looked at the calipers and noticed a space between the pads and the rotors on the driver side that isn't there on the passenger side. So it looks like the auto adjuster that is supposed to set the clearance is working on the passenger side, but not the driver side.

My questions are:
Is there any way to test the auto adjuster?
What needs to happen to force the auto adjuster to adjust?
Is there anything that can be done to force it to adjust or do i need to replace the caliper because it wasn't remanufactured correctly?
 
Could try to reverse brake.

Put the vehicle in reverse put a bit of gas pedal on it and then quickly munch down on the brakes .. this trick maybe can activate the autoadjuster (used to be a trick with rear drum brakes, but don't know on rear discs, but give it a shot to see...)
 
That will not work. Drum brakes have and adjuster lever that will actuate the adjuster when hitting the brakes in reverse. Best bet if you can't free up that caliper you will need to replace it.

Info on rear drum setup if anyone is interested.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/drum-brake2.htm

I also found this. Hopfully it will help on any questions about the inner workings of the DSM rear caliper.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...s/362859-how-rebuild-rear-brake-calipers.html
 
If you lift up the center console and look down into the bottom, remove the piece or carpet overlay material. You will see a cable. That cable is attached to the e-brake handle. That nut on the end of the cable is used for adjustment. That cable is ran to both rear calipers. You have to access the rest of the cable from under the car. If your pulling on the cable and only 1 is getting tension then you need to do what the above said, to replace the caliper, and try to readjust.

Note of caution, don't over adjust too much, or the rear brakes will drag.
 
If you lift up the center console and look down into the bottom, remove the piece or carpet overlay material. You will see a cable. That cable is attached to the e-brake handle. That nut on the end of the cable is used for adjustment. That cable is ran to both rear calipers. You have to access the rest of the cable from under the car. If your pulling on the cable and only 1 is getting tension then you need to do what the above said, to replace the caliper, and try to readjust.

Note of caution, don't over adjust too much, or the rear brakes will drag.

I tried replacing the caliper with a new one in case there was a problem with the rebuild process of the first caliper. I swapped it, bled it, then bled it with the engine idling the way the manual says to do. I then followed the FSM adjustment procedure AGAIN. It got a little bit better, but it is still far from 100%.

If you pull the center console piece out to get to the adjuster and slowly apply the e-brake, you can see the arm that the two cables attach to pull pack evenly to a point, and then twist with the drivers side part of the bracket continuing to move, indicating the passenger side is tight, but the driver side isn't.

I am stumped at this point. This is one of a few issues i have been chasing down for weeks and I am not getting anywhere.
 
Ok you tried the caliper and it did not work. You will have to remove the cable going from the console to the drivers brake caliper. You will have to loosen the cable enough to where you can inspect every inch of it. I am thinking you have a cable that is "corroded" internally and is not letting any tension loose on the cable.

Your passenger cable moves fine it is just the drivers side cable that is hanging up and not releasing or engaging at this point. I would remove the drivers side cable and replace it with another one. Not really anything else that it can be as you have ruled all those possibilities out at this point.
 
I have a 1G and i have replaced EVERYTHING on the rear brakes. New powerslot rotors, new OEM pads, remanufactured calipers and replaced the driver side e-brake cable since in was pretty bad. My problem is the parking brake isn't working. I can SEE it actuating on both sides, but the driver side doesn't get tight. The passenger side does.

I looked at the calipers and noticed a space between the pads and the rotors on the driver side that isn't there on the passenger side. So it looks like the auto adjuster that is supposed to set the clearance is working on the passenger side, but not the driver side.

My questions are:
Is there any way to test the auto adjuster?
What needs to happen to force the auto adjuster to adjust?
Is there anything that can be done to force it to adjust or do i need to replace the caliper because it wasn't remanufactured correctly?

Ok you tried the caliper and it did not work. You will have to remove the cable going from the console to the drivers brake caliper. You will have to loosen the cable enough to where you can inspect every inch of it. I am thinking you have a cable that is "corroded" internally and is not letting any tension loose on the cable.

Your passenger cable moves fine it is just the drivers side cable that is hanging up and not releasing or engaging at this point. I would remove the drivers side cable and replace it with another one. Not really anything else that it can be as you have ruled all those possibilities out at this point.

I replaced the drivers side cable already. I thought that was the problem when it didn't work initially because the cable wasn't routed the way it should have been from the factory. So i replaced the cable, and used all the factory clips to secure it. So it isn't the cable. Sorry i forgot to mention that.

Edit: I re-read my first post and it says i replaced that cable. Thank you for the suggestion. I am wondering if there is air in the system somewhere. The brakes work on a diagonal right? could air in the front passenger side caliper/line cause a problem with the drivers side rear?
 
Could be air trapped inside the brake line or you could have a rubber hose that has collapsed internally, not allowing the fluid to flow.

Have you tried to gravity bleed that caliper?

When you bled the breaks did you notice if it was solid fluid that came out or was it just air and fluid. I am starting to lean toward a bad hose not allowing fluid to flow in one direction.

Sounds to me that you have tried to rule out the most common causes of this problem. Last thing would be left is the metal lines from master-cylinder (MC) back to the brake hoses. If your pumping fluid out of the lines then you know you MC is functioning properly. The front and rear calipers are separated inside the MC itself, could be possible that it is bleeding back pressure back thru the lines. Difficult to know exactly without being there but, will keep trying to help until you have it figured out.
 
The e-brake cable pulls on a mechanism in the caliper. If the e-brake cable is pulling on this mechanism correctly then the problem is with the caliper. If you have bled that caliper completely and the cable is moving the mechanism and it is still not working then the caliper is probably defective. I went through multiple rebuilt calipers on my car before getting one that worked. I also end up replacing the rebuilt calipers about once a year. Rebuilt calipers just suck!
 
Could be air trapped inside the brake line or you could have a rubber hose that has collapsed internally, not allowing the fluid to flow.

Have you tried to gravity bleed that caliper?

When you bled the breaks did you notice if it was solid fluid that came out or was it just air and fluid. I am starting to lean toward a bad hose not allowing fluid to flow in one direction.

Sounds to me that you have tried to rule out the most common causes of this problem. Last thing would be left is the metal lines from master-cylinder (MC) back to the brake hoses. If your pumping fluid out of the lines then you know you MC is functioning properly. The front and rear calipers are separated inside the MC itself, could be possible that it is bleeding back pressure back thru the lines. Difficult to know exactly without being there but, will keep trying to help until you have it figured out.

I have not tried gravity bleeding, its definitely an option. I also didn't mention if my first post, but the hard lines are all brand new everywhere(a NIGHTMARE to do) and the hoses are all new SS braided hoses all around as well. The only thing that wasn't changed was the master cylinder and it sat for a while and was dry. I think i am going to pull it apart and replace the piston, clean it, properly bleed it, rebleed the system and see where I am.

The e-brake cable pulls on a mechanism in the caliper. If the e-brake cable is pulling on this mechanism correctly then the problem is with the caliper. If you have bled that caliper completely and the cable is moving the mechanism and it is still not working then the caliper is probably defective. I went through multiple rebuilt calipers on my car before getting one that worked. I also end up replacing the rebuilt calipers about once a year. Rebuilt calipers just suck!

I agree. I have had issues with rebuilt calipers as well. I am just wondering what the odds of getting 2 with the exact same issue! i will post up after the master cylinder overhaul.
 
Well, I rebuilt the master cylinder. It was in bad shape. The grommets around the inlets were leaking and it was gunked inside from sitting for so long a while back. I cleaned it and rebuilt it with Mitsu parts, installed it, re-bled the whole system with speed bleeders, and there was no change in the drivers side rear caliper. There was still play (a VERY small amount) and none on the other 3 calipers. The Ebrake still doesn't work the way it should.

I am out of ideas here, aside from getting ANOTHER remanufactured caliper and trying again. All suggestions are welcome at this point. Thanks.
 
Not trying to hijack, but I have a similiar problem. When I apply the parking brake the cable on the passenger side seems more slack than the drivers side. It does pull the lever on the caliper, but when you release the p brake lever the lever on the caliper won't go back all the way. If I take the cable off the the caliper and move the lever on the caliper with a screwdriver it goes back the whole way. Gonna remove the cable today to examine it.
 
ever find a solution?

Unfortunately, no.

Not trying to hijack, but I have a similiar problem. When I apply the parking brake the cable on the passenger side seems more slack than the drivers side. It does pull the lever on the caliper, but when you release the p brake lever the lever on the caliper won't go back all the way. If I take the cable off the the caliper and move the lever on the caliper with a screwdriver it goes back the whole way. Gonna remove the cable today to examine it.

This sounds like a problem with the auto adjuster not taking up the slack correctly. Same thing I saw and never found a solution.
 
This is old. If you’re still having issues, here are some things to check.

I had the same problem with all new parts. Calipers pads rotors and both cables. I fixed it today.

1g awd

Make sure the cables slide in and out smoothly. If they’re not, remove cable(s), extend to one side and lube inside the cable and the liner. Pull and push to force the lube down the liner. I did this from both ends. Once that’s done. Remove the bracket and make sure both pads move freely in the bracket. You should be able to move the pad with your hand in the bracket. I actually had to trim the inside of one bracket because the pad would get stuck and it was a new reman caliper. Now for the caliper piston. My drivers side was fine but the passengers side didn’t engage the pads with the lever. I had to turn the piston two revolutions out and she holds now. I don’t think the adjuster works if the piston is in too far. One last thing would be to make sure the brakes are bled.

Check the inside of your rotors. If you see rust where the pads grab the rotors, then your pads are stuck.

Hope this helps someone!
 
Thanks for posting your results. It is good info for the forum!
 
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