I did a search as this is killing me. I put my wonderful parking brake on and 1st of all it is tight as hell. I put it up, put the car in drive, let go of the brake, and VOILA! Will not hold at all. So I pulled the rear tires and noticed the pads need to be replaced as they have about 1/4 left.

Here is the question(s)

1. Could that be why the parking brake doesn't work, due to the pads needing to be replaced?
2. Can you replace the pads in the rear just like a regular disc brake job or is their a special procedure due to the "self adjusting" parking brake?

 

What 'wonderful' parking brake are you discussing? Can I assume the system is the J65 type original to the car? If so, are the PBR's new to the car or have they been rebuilt? Free travel may be an issue.

JamesC

 

Its the original rear discs. car is a 1991 GTA with the ws6 suspension

 

Do you have the PBR brakes or standard disc.

If standard I know first hand they are a pain in the *** to replace. 80% of the time these calipers go bad I have been through 3 and have had the car for only three years. Maybe because I leave it sit the winter months IDK.

To change the pads, you need to compress the parking brake spring and release the cable from the caliper. From there its pretty much just like doing the fronts.

The parking brake can then be adjusted by pulling the e-brake handle all the way and releasing several times. There is a ratchet mechanism in the caliper that SHOULD bring the pad closer and stop, bring it closer and stop, bring it closer and stop ect.... I find this to work best while simultaneously hitting the brakes to pump out the pistons.

Assuming you have an auto you probably never use the parking, this as well as pad where will result in a parking brake that doesnt work. You need to constantly adjust this if you drive the car often and want your parking brake to work well.

 

They look like the standard disc with the parking brake going to both discs, they are tiny calipers so single piston.

SO to do the brakes I need to remove the parking brake connection then pull off the caliper?

 

PBR calipers have fins on them. Standard calipers are pretty much smooth. The rears are both single piston while the fronts on a pbr sytem are dual piston.

Yes. You need to remove the parking brake spring and cable from the caliper. Then remove the caliper. This is assuming you have standard calipers.

Also dont just slap on pads. Measure the rotors make sure they are in spec. If you cant bring them to a shop and see if they can cut them.

 

They have fins on them and the rotors are new to the car but not new as in just purchased. I did a thickness test on them and they are within spec.

 

So they are PBR calipers. I havent worked with PBR's so I am not sure from here.

If you measured your rotors with a machinists caliper and its within spec thats good it can probably be cut. Run your fingernail across the surface, if it doesnt feel like glass it needs to be cut.

You dont want to bed new pads into a grooved rotor. You will run into resonance, squealing, and an over all lack of performance if not now then in the future. Just because it looks smooth doesnt mean it is. Easiest way to tell is dragging your finger nail. 99% of the time a rotors finish is not smooth enough for pad replacement.

Also thickness is not the only measurement. You should measure run-out. A good cut will remove any run out. But if the run out is too great you run the risk of turning the rotors in to much and they will be garbage. Run out is a common issue on our cars.

 

Fixed. I followed the tech bulletin about replacing the pads. After the pads were replaced the ebrake still did not hold the car so I kept applying the brake, letting go of the pedal and letting it inch forward. After a few times doing this they started to slowly hold the car in place.

 

Using the parking brake every time you park the car will keep it in adjustment and help to keep the adjuster in the caliper piston from sticking.