I got a 91 camaro with drum brakes and this year with inspections I almost failed it because the handbrake only grabs on the last click of the brake lever.

anyway, since its an automatic car and I dont use that handbrake very often I decided to use it more often so that it puts itself in the right position.

this helped a wee little bit, BUT evry so often when I use the handbrake it looks like something snaps in the handbrake and I got can pull it all the way to the top without it doing any braken.
then I have to use the hndbrake a couple of times again until it grabs again.


can anyone help me.
( do not come here with a discbrake conversion )
modding the brakes is a no go in my country.

 

I have the same problem in my 91, too - Sometimes it will just go all the way up and you can hear the spring on it.

Then it magically works again.

 

I ran into this problem when I put in my new rear with disk brakes and had to make a new e-brake hook up. You have too much play in the system, either from too much wear on the actual brake shoes or wear in the cables/connectors. I believe you can adjust it a bit in the console and possibly under the car in the transmission tunnel (above the driveshaft) but I'm not positive.

 

You might check for a tunnel adjustment. 90+ cars were supposed to be self-adjusting (no tunnel adjustment), but some members have reported them.

JamesC

 

no tunnel adjustment

 

anyone here got a solution for this problem ?

 

 

hmm, will look into that, hope I can find it, since I didnt see a nut on there ( 90 -92 ) are diffirent then previous models.

 

There is an adjusting screw on the back of the drum brakes.Sometimes it has a rubber cap on the access hole, but you can also adjust it by removing the drum.I dont remember if the screw is on the top or bottom, but its at the ends/between the two brake shoes.

Turn the screw til the shoes just begin to drag, then maybe back off 1 or 2 clicks.The manual should have more info though.

Also how worn are your brake shoes.Drum brakes self adjust when the brakes are applied while in reverse, but they dont always do so.If the brake shoes are worn & there is a gap between the drum/shoes.Then the e-brake may not put the shoes up against the drum with enough force to apply the parking brake properly.

You can sometimes "force" the brakes to self adjust by backing up & hitting the brake pedal with moderate force.Thereby "forcing" the Rr brakes to re-adjust.Sometimes you will hear a loud click when the brakes shoes snap into the new position.

Ive never seen an adjustment on the handle end & later models dont have the adjustable threaded end over the driveshaft junction.

 

lets make an update here, yesterday I changed my brakeshoes together with a "parking brake self adjuster repair kit"
and the problem seems to be gone.
it look like on the adjuster itself the theeth on the adjuster itself wear out. making them not adjust properly anymore.

my handbrake now goes up 45 degrees before it grips thight, witch is better then the 80 degrees that I had before.
AND the brake is actually doing something