PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

Blaine · #9 09-06-2007, 08:51 AM

Just a follow-up on the parking brake / emergency brake cable replacement.

The job was a bit harder than I thought mainly due to some corrosion welds J. Maybe a 5/10 on the PITA scale.

Tricks I learned are:

1) get the full factory parts kits with all of the springs, bolts, expanders, etc. Also I bought new expanders – the part that connects the cable to the shoes. Before you take everything apart, note the orientation of all the springs, especially the lower retaining spring on the shoe assembly that is asymmetric, and the orientation of the expanders.

Note – you have to use a punch to remove a little round set pin that holds the cable end to the expander. This is best done after cutting the old cable (see 3) and removing the expander. Keep the old set pin.

2) I wish I had bought replacement clips for the mounts where the cables connect to the body (one on each side).

3) I cut the cables with a Dremel at the exposed point in the pictures that helped with the removal of the old cables a lot. The ends that bolt to the points behind the rear discs did not want to come off due to corrosion. I removed the bolts (one on each side), cut the cables, then used a socket extension from the brake disc side and pushed out the stuck cable housing with a few taps from a hammer.

4) When you go to put the new cables on, first run the front ends through the rubber grommet and connect the front ends to the coupler. This part was the biggest PITA for me. You need a lot of slack in the cables to get those front ends back on that coupler. For the drivers’ side I ended up having to remove the tension spring. Once you do that and remount the cables with the clips, you can go back to the rear points. The rear ends of the cables went back on much easier.

5) I found that when replacing the parking brake shoes, first put the upper spring and star wheel (fully retracted, in the correct orientation) together with the two shoes, place that assembly back on, then connect the lower spring in the correct orientation (one of the ends is just slightly longer than the other), then replace the retaining springs that you push in and twist. Make sure everything is even and centered then replace the discs and adjust the shoes.

Hope this helps.