Sticky Park Brake (help!)

The park brake has been sticking on me lately and now it's toasted the rear brakes. It releases a little, but sticks just enough to get the rear brakes really hot. If I drive enough and mess with it, it will eventually release.

Has anybody dealt with this before? Is it more likely that it's in the cable, or the calipers? I assume it's the cable because it seems to be doing it on both sides. I looked on the pointy board, but there doesn't seem to be a way to search the archives, so that was pretty worthless.

Thanks

Caliper(s) might be stuck. Try lubing the slider pins and re-adjusting the parking brake set screw. DO NOT try to compress the caliper pistons using a C-clamp or such.

What sammm said. That is usually the problem. If I am not mistaken there is an adjustment for the cable on both sides too.

i just replaced a caliper for the same reason. pull out the slider pin clean out the hole its in, and the pin itself, maybe use high grit sand paper(?) and then use alotta grease, not just your regular grease either, something that can withstand high temps. if i did this, i prolly wouldnt have needed to replace it... :tongue:

When was the last time you replaced the rear pads? There is an adjustment screw (well, really it's a 4mm hex key) in the 1.8L rear calipers that adjusts the "drag" of the rear brakes. Set it too loose, and the brake pedal will have too much travel. Set it too tight, and you can get those rear brakes smoking hot wihout using the brakes at all. Don't ask me how I know this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BAM!

i just replaced a caliper for the same reason. pull out the slider pin clean out the hole its in, and the pin itself, maybe use high grit sand paper(?) and then use alotta grease, not just your regular grease either, something that can withstand high temps. if i did this, i prolly wouldnt have needed to replace it... :tongue:

---

Ditto that. I had to replace the caliper AND the bracket (doh!) on my '93 when they finally siezed and became one. Good advice...

Chuck

im going back out to my hook up in denton after next check. $80 for a caliper aint bad. i replaced the caliper, put on some hawk hp+s (AWESOME!) then couldnt pull the other caliper up to do those pads.... :sad: so back up to the denton for the other one!

id try to slightly sand down the slider pin to remove rust (if there is any... ) lube the crap out of it, then try again. if you look at the lever that the parking cable pulls on, and put a screwdriver near there, pry it in the direction that pulls the cable longer. that should 'unlock' the stuck caliper. its best to do this with the car off and in gear too. since you ARE going to have a car in neutral as out release the e-brake. dont ask how i know! :clown:

I already tried cleaning and greasing the sliders to no avail. It's about time for pads, so I'm going to put pads in it and move the adjuster back out and see if that works. It's kind of a bad time for me to be buying calipers. :(