DIY: Parking Brake Failure Inspection ('98 S70 as ref')

[abscate]

Adding some more knowledge to this thread.

Reinstallation of shoes. With new springs, things get a little tight in there

Shoes are identical, no left right or forward back.

Each shoe has the larger cutout going up to the threaded expander where manual adjustment takes place

The smaller cutout fits into the cable expander actuated by the cable

[abscate]

Easy installation

Fit the shoes into the clips and install just the upper spring, no adjuster yet

Fit thebottom grooves into the cable expander and out the lower spring into front shoe

Now use a screwdriver , large one and the axle as a lever to stretch the spring and slip it into the rear brake shoe hole. Voila!

Much easier than trying to stretch it with pliers

You can insert the manual adjuster by hand making sure the slots engage

Bump the shoes until the are evenly radiused around the backing plate. If they are sticking out, something isn’t seated right or, as happened to me, bad parts

It will take about 15- 20 notches to adjust the brakes in from full retracted , click click click. Visual below, but of course this has to be done through the hole in the brake rotor/ drum with it installed. You lift the notches UP to tighten on both wheels

[volvolugnut]

Using Vise Grip type pliers to grip the springs allows pulling the spring sideways to the hole or pin without having to also squeeze to keep grip on the spring. All of your effort can be put to extending the spring. In this case needle nose Vise Grips allow reaching into the small space.

These needle nose Vise grips are also good for soft hose temporary hose closure when the jaws are covered with a short length of small hose. The jaw covers keep the serrations from cutting the fuel, vacuum, other hose.

volvolugnut

[abscate]

Just did the parking brake on Shaggkira, 1999 V70

Even easier than above...

Install the front shoe, push spring through space behind the expander and install spring on rear shoe, pivoting as necessary. Hand pressure to put shoes into position into backing plate clips. Now install the adjuster and top spring. Bump the shoes to fit the radius of the backing plate.

My porter cable angle grinder is my new best friend on this job. I used a flap disc to take of the edge ridge and put a clean face on both sides of the rotor/ drum assembly ,then switched to a grinding wheel number 27 to go inside and clean the ridge and parking brake surface.

Adjusted with 3 clicks removed from tight, applying hand brake a couple times to center shoes

The new brake holds like an anchor and holds the car still at 3000 rpm. Even MA will be impressed.

[volvolugnut]

Be careful of creating air borne brake dust. Bad for your lung health.
volvolugnut

[99TurboBrick]

Something I've just experienced: apparently my mechanic installed the star wheel adjuster backwards (star side facing right). So, to tighten, I had to click *down*, not up. Might be a good idea to look through the hole and verify that the screw is facing the right direction before adjusting, if you've not done it before.

[abscate]

Something I've just experienced: apparently my mechanic installed the star wheel adjuster backwards (star side facing right). So, to tighten, I had to click *down*, not up. Might be a good idea to look through the hole and verify that the screw is facing the right direction before adjusting, if you've not done it before.

Ooofla. That’s a nice present to get.