Parking Brake issues? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

pawoSD · #1 10-18-2005, 07:09 PM

I replaced the parking brakes/rear rotors/pads on our 83 today, the old ones were quite rusted away/worn out, but with the new stuff on, even with the little "adjustment wheel" thing for the parking brake set to the absolute minimum on both sides, the wheels were difficult to turn. I managed to get the rotors on though, and got it all finished. The parking brake pedal is still floppy, which is weird....but only for a click or two, after that (by 4 clicks) it holds the car like a rock on our steep driveway now, (used to fall to the floor with little to no effect at all) If I push REAL hard I can get it all the way down to the floor but it hurts to try.

When I drove it around initially the left rotor got pretty warm when I came back and felt it, and the right side one was barely warm, (hard to tell if it was, didn't feel like it).....so I waited 5-10 mins, then I drove down the street again, going about 35, and Held the brake release and then pumped the parking brake pedal all the way down a few times, then held it about 7 seconds, then released it. Now it takes a few more clicks to hold it on the driveway, and I think I wore enough material off to stop it from rubbing. Its cooling off right now but I'll drive it again in a bit to see if it heats up while driving again.

How would I release this tension on the parking brakes? I assume with the thing up under the car where all the cables converge right? Hopefully I won't have to do that.

My car is just the opposite, new brakes made it better, but they're still loose, I'll need to spin out those clickers in the wheels a few notches on each side to make it grip acceptably.

sixto · #2 10-18-2005, 07:28 PM

There's an adjustment screw and return spring where the wheel cables meet the foot pedal cable. Maybe the adjustment screw was turned it to take up the slack as the pads wore and now it's too tight.

Sixto
87 300SDL

pawoSD · #3 10-18-2005, 07:48 PM

Thats what I was thinking, I am going to go drive it and see if they are still getting warm, if so, I'll back the screw off a bit, its a pain though, backing up our ramps....usually results in a one-wheel-reverse burn out...not enough grip. We need to paint them with texture paint or something.....

Will post back in a little while what was done....

pawoSD · #4 10-18-2005, 11:27 PM

Well, left wheel got VERY warm...(it smelled) right one was cool. So I put it up on the ramps, and detorqued the adjustment bolt up under there a number of turns, now the brakes don't hold even pressed to the floor when on our driveway, so tomorrow I am going to pull the wheels off again and adjust the little "clicker wheel" thing inside the wheel hub till they are set properly, I have to do the same to my car with the clicker wheels. THEN I can move on to treating and undercoating all the rust I found on the underside of my car tonight

Then I will finally be ready for winter.

I also changed the diff fluid again on both cars tonight, took about 5 mins each.

It was pretty clean on the 83 (was the last time) and mine was FILTHY again....probably because it cleaned out all the sludge the age-old dino left in there that I drained out in June.

Not going to do the diff's again for at least 40-50k, that stuff is expensive!! $8.29 a bottle!!

So tomorrow = brake adjustments again, then rust work, then I'll be near-ready for winter. Wshew.

pawoSD · #5 10-19-2005, 06:02 PM

I adjusted the clicker wheels on both cars today, mine now works absolutely perfectly, pedal in car comes all the way up when released, and it applies force beyond the 4th click, and holds the car like a rock on our steep driveway on click #7. However, the 83 is a different story. I adjusted the clickers, and found that the pedal in the car is still really floppy/doesn't work very well. It won't hold the car pressed to the floor, and the driver side rotor is very warm after driving, but the right side one is normal/cool. The pedal only works for about 8 clicks, it has all this slack, then 8 clicks to the floor. When released it only comes somewhat up (maybe 60% of the way?) and you can lift it a lot with your foot and its all slack. But under the car the cables remain taught and as I said the wheel gets warm.

Is there something wrong with the pedal mechanism in the car? I don't get how to fix this, something is not right but I don't understand what to adjust or fix. I am guessing something is wrong with the pedal assembly or something.

Hatterasguy · #6 10-19-2005, 06:16 PM

Sounds like what happened to my car. Follow the two cables that come off the wheels to a big metal thing. The cable that attaches to the pedal also attaches to this metal thing. Mine was rusted solid lots of chipping and oil got it working again.

I don't know the proper name for this thing.

pawoSD · #7 10-19-2005, 06:28 PM

I inspected this "thing" on both cars....mine is more rusty than the '83's, but works fine, the 83's seems to move ok (not sure though)....but I'll lube it up and try that, thanks!

It does move the parking brake shoes, it just won't return to the "home position" like its supposed to....we'll see if chipping at it and lube get it moving again...

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode