A
I'm not talking about the shoe adjustment. When I write handle, I'm talking about the parking brake handle between the seats.
Doesn't sound like you're taking into consideration variations in the cables, cable housings or inevitable variations in the shoe adjustment. That's why I ask about a torque spec for the two 10 mm nuts.
Thanks anyway.
Anyone really know this one?
Doesn't sound like you're taking into consideration variations in the cables, cable housings or inevitable variations in the shoe adjustment. That's why I ask about a torque spec for the two 10 mm nuts.
Thanks anyway.
Anyone really know this one?
variations in the cables? the cables run next to each other down the length of the car where they branch off (evenly) to the rear right and left hand brake shoe assemblys.
Inevitable variations in the shoe adjustment is something that isnt true, if you do the adjustment properly there won't be a problem.
Ive said it before, I'll say it again, 'Your the %&#@ in this situation'
(language edit by Big Daddy)
Inevitable variations in the shoe adjustment is something that isnt true, if you do the adjustment properly there won't be a problem.
Ive said it before, I'll say it again, 'Your the %&#@ in this situation'
(language edit by Big Daddy)
parking brake adjustment
Hi there,
It's fairly simple...
Remove the gaiter/boot that covers the parking brake handle, enough to access the two nuts.
Tighten the nuts equally, turn for turn, until the handbrake lever goes about 5 "clicks".
It should be stiff enough that trying to go to the 6th click takes a hard pull.
At that point, apply the parking lever, and put the car into Drive. The car shouldn't move forward, just "sink" a bit.
I don't think there is an actual torque for these nuts.
Hope this helps,
Tiger
Hi there,
It's fairly simple...
Remove the gaiter/boot that covers the parking brake handle, enough to access the two nuts.
Tighten the nuts equally, turn for turn, until the handbrake lever goes about 5 "clicks".
It should be stiff enough that trying to go to the 6th click takes a hard pull.
At that point, apply the parking lever, and put the car into Drive. The car shouldn't move forward, just "sink" a bit.
I don't think there is an actual torque for these nuts.
Hope this helps,
Tiger
A
When you reinstall a wheel, do you tighten the lug bolts equally, turn for turn? No, we tighten them to a specified torque. This account for inevitable variations in the lenghth of the bolt, the thickness of the wheel, rotor, etc. It's physically impossble for two parts to be exactly the same size, hence engineers use a term called tolerance.
The brake shoe adjustment can't be too precise as the adjustment nut in the drum has a star wheel with I think has six positions so the precision of the adjustment can't be tighter than the thread pitch of the adjustment piece divided by six.
And after all if the cables didn't stretch, or the housings didn't contract and all the parts were perfectly equal, we wouldn't even need adjusting nuts.
Now I admit that I might be taking this adjustment too seriously, and just need to go by feel, but I'll see if some local mechanics have any ideas.
Thanks
The brake shoe adjustment can't be too precise as the adjustment nut in the drum has a star wheel with I think has six positions so the precision of the adjustment can't be tighter than the thread pitch of the adjustment piece divided by six.
And after all if the cables didn't stretch, or the housings didn't contract and all the parts were perfectly equal, we wouldn't even need adjusting nuts.
Now I admit that I might be taking this adjustment too seriously, and just need to go by feel, but I'll see if some local mechanics have any ideas.
Thanks
There is no torque spec on the adjusting nuts read this article by Pelican Parts for more information.
Handbrake adjustment
Hi there,
I say turn for turn, because you want to adjust the cables evenly so not to have one parking brake set grip and the other side be loose(assuming no one has messed w the adjusting wheel in the drum).
With wheel lugs(and most other bolts), it's different because you're mating two fixed parts together, not a cable that is meant to be taut when applied and loose when released.
Tiger
Hi there,
I say turn for turn, because you want to adjust the cables evenly so not to have one parking brake set grip and the other side be loose(assuming no one has messed w the adjusting wheel in the drum).
With wheel lugs(and most other bolts), it's different because you're mating two fixed parts together, not a cable that is meant to be taut when applied and loose when released.
Tiger
Why do you make it sound like a threat?
If the cars been adjusted properly throughout its life and has been looked after, the cables will be the same length... in fact its hard to not adjust them properly.
If you dont use the 'e' brake as an everyday brake the shoes wont wear very quickly (also asuming use for hill starts) and should wear EVENLY, cable stretch will stretch EVENLY, asuming that it just adjusted properly.
not saying im smarter than you (your older than me) not saying i know more than you, but this has to be common mechanical sence...
![[screwy]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_screwy.gif "Screwy [screwy]")
If the cars been adjusted properly throughout its life and has been looked after, the cables will be the same length... in fact its hard to not adjust them properly.
If you dont use the 'e' brake as an everyday brake the shoes wont wear very quickly (also asuming use for hill starts) and should wear EVENLY, cable stretch will stretch EVENLY, asuming that it just adjusted properly.
not saying im smarter than you (your older than me) not saying i know more than you, but this has to be common mechanical sence...
A
Sorry, didn't mean to make it sound like a threat.
I just got the car a little while ago, and it has 165k miles. I bought it with some known problems, and have found a few unknowns. I've had to replace the fuel sender o-ring, the brake rotors and the rear shocks. And I still have to replace the front struts as well as at least one control arm as at least one of the ball joints is loose. Yeah, I know, they sell ball joints seperately, but at 165k miles.... And someday, I'll get around to the cruise control and getting the rear speakers connected to the stereo...
So my point is that I can't make these assumptions.
I just got the car a little while ago, and it has 165k miles. I bought it with some known problems, and have found a few unknowns. I've had to replace the fuel sender o-ring, the brake rotors and the rear shocks. And I still have to replace the front struts as well as at least one control arm as at least one of the ball joints is loose. Yeah, I know, they sell ball joints seperately, but at 165k miles.... And someday, I'll get around to the cruise control and getting the rear speakers connected to the stereo...
So my point is that I can't make these assumptions.
I didn't read everything said above in detail as alot of it sounded like ranting and guesswork. (no offence, but I just got bored).
The bentley Manual (read BMW e30 bible) and BMW spec for adjusting e-brake is as follows:
1/ Loosen off both nuts on cable at lever end . Leave lever fully disengaged (lowest position).
2/ Remove rear wheels.
3/ Adjust star wheel separately on both sides until brake shoes just come into contact with the drums (i.e they are exactly evenly adjusted to just contact the drums with the cable fully relaxed and adjusting nuts on cable undone.)
4/ Lift the handbrake lever to the fifth click and adjust the cable nuts until they just tension the cable (i.e. take up the slack but no pull on the cable).
5/ tighten and release the lever several times to seat the cable and shoes at their new adjustment.
6/ pul cable again to fifth click and tighten adjusting nuts one at a time until shoes just contact the drum again.
7/ test. lever should stop at around 7th-8th click when pulled up as far as you can. Both rear wheels should have a slight and similar resistance when turned by hand with e-brake released. When pulled up smoothly whilst moving on grass, both wheels should lock up at the same time.
Forget torque settings - just adjust them so that the shoes contact the drum at exactly the same lever position. This is what the BMW techs do (except the grass test that is my input). This is the method outlined in the Bentley manual.
The bentley Manual (read BMW e30 bible) and BMW spec for adjusting e-brake is as follows:
1/ Loosen off both nuts on cable at lever end . Leave lever fully disengaged (lowest position).
2/ Remove rear wheels.
3/ Adjust star wheel separately on both sides until brake shoes just come into contact with the drums (i.e they are exactly evenly adjusted to just contact the drums with the cable fully relaxed and adjusting nuts on cable undone.)
4/ Lift the handbrake lever to the fifth click and adjust the cable nuts until they just tension the cable (i.e. take up the slack but no pull on the cable).
5/ tighten and release the lever several times to seat the cable and shoes at their new adjustment.
6/ pul cable again to fifth click and tighten adjusting nuts one at a time until shoes just contact the drum again.
7/ test. lever should stop at around 7th-8th click when pulled up as far as you can. Both rear wheels should have a slight and similar resistance when turned by hand with e-brake released. When pulled up smoothly whilst moving on grass, both wheels should lock up at the same time.
Forget torque settings - just adjust them so that the shoes contact the drum at exactly the same lever position. This is what the BMW techs do (except the grass test that is my input). This is the method outlined in the Bentley manual.