I've been trying to get the parking break on my 85 GT to work since I started on it. The lever has resistance when you pull it. The thing is that only the passenger side will engage. It doesn't fully engage though. The drivers side doesn't engage at all. I tried adjusting the cable at the equalizer (the thing that connects both sides of the cable to the calipers). I have the nut on the equalizer maxed out and it only got the passenger side to engage. I took a look at the levers on the calipers that engage the parking break and they both seem to moving fully when I pull my parking break. I even tried taking a screwdriver and prying the levers on the calipers further to "force" the parking break on and the pads still wont make enough contact with the rotor to stop the car.

If you have any ideas they would be very very appreciated! Thanks

quote Originally posted by GravityKat: I've been trying to get the parking break on my 85 GT to work since I started on it. The lever has resistance when you pull it. The thing is that only the passenger side will engage. It doesn't fully engage though. The drivers side doesn't engage at all. I tried adjusting the cable at the equalizer (the thing that connects both sides of the cable to the calipers). I have the nut on the equalizer maxed out and it only got the passenger side to engage. I took a look at the levers on the calipers that engage the parking break and they both seem to moving fully when I pull my parking break. I even tried taking a screwdriver and prying the levers on the calipers further to "force" the parking break on and the pads still wont make enough contact with the rotor to stop the car. If you have any ideas they would be very very appreciated! Thanks

BTDT. I have ideas, largely centered around convoluted complicated ways to kill the idiot who designed this convoluted complicated system.

More usefully, in my experience, even with all brand new parts, it may be that only one side wants to engage. That said, unless you're parking it with one wheel in the air, that's enough to hold the car.

If not fully engaging, you can help things along by motivating the calipers, see

http://www.gafiero.org/docs...oBrakeAdjustment.pdf

They're supposed to be self-adjusting, but aren't.

Ogre also has a bunch of stuff in his cave, see link are top of any Pennocks page.

Also see the relevant section in the FSM about adjusting until the levers just leave the caliper, then back a smidge. Takes a lot of fiddling and swearing, AMHIK.

-- A

quote Originally posted by dremu: BTDT. I have ideas, largely centered around convoluted complicated ways to kill the idiot who designed this convoluted complicated system. More usefully, in my experience, even with all brand new parts, it may be that only one side wants to engage. That said, unless you're parking it with one wheel in the air, that's enough to hold the car. If not fully engaging, you can help things along by motivating the calipers, see http://www.gafiero.org/docs...oBrakeAdjustment.pdf They're supposed to be self-adjusting, but aren't. Ogre also has a bunch of stuff in his cave, see link are top of any Pennocks page. Also see the relevant section in the FSM about adjusting until the levers just leave the caliper, then back a smidge. Takes a lot of fiddling and swearing, AMHIK.

GM isn't only company w/ unified rears disk w/ park brake and All have problems not just "Fiero type." Many others have exposed parts that rust or freeze and worse. Plus GM Brake Recall fake the problem was owners fault and NHTSA LET THEM to get away w/ that

They made unified rears to fit 13" to 15" rims. Many to most 84 Fiero had 13" wheels. 85+ 14" wheels was standard. 14" to 15" wheels only w/ various options for a given year. Newer cars w/ 16" rims and bigger, Many car models has disk on drum so disk is "dumb" as front w/ simple drum P-brake w/o auto adjust for that.

While Pictures in PDF are nice, method of adjustment is 100% crap. Same for Any manual adjustment including my cave and GM TSB is based on. About the only thing in the TSB is now you have some idea on pad clearance of a "working" rear caliper.

GM and some other Rear Calipers doesn't self adjust = bad pistons. Even if you adjust them still bad and will have problems again. Worse iffy piston can drag a pad causing major wear, warp rotor, boiled fluid causing no brakes on the highway and even a fire.

Any or all 3 cables can be bad and won't help you. Pull wheel cable jackets and watch ends. Crimped Ends or jacket can break causing problems to apply, release or both. Don't mean just locking ears break... the jackets break at the ends.

See my Cave, Rear Brakes

Get replacement caliper from a local store or online w/ local store to return core or warranty them. AZ, Advance Auto, etc. Some replacement parts of any kind are bad out of box or need the warranty soon.

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quote Originally posted by GravityKat: I took a look at the levers on the calipers that engage the parking break and they both seem to moving fully when I pull my parking break. I even tried taking a screwdriver and prying the levers on the calipers further to "force" the parking break on and the pads still wont make enough contact with the rotor to stop the car.

Sorry, this is the only picture I could find showing Fiero rear caliper.

You can remove the parking brake lever and rotate it "one flat over" then reinstall.
See if that helps "take up the slack".

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Can no one spell any more? The incorrect spelling of 'breaks' for brakes' seems far too common.

I think the suggestion that the lever be moved one notch to hopefully improve action might be promising.