blackbeauty

Hi everyone,

My '89 TA has drum rears and I've been formally told that there's too much travel in the parking brake lever. I disagree based on having owed other Third Gens and seen other peoples Third Gens as well.

The maximum number of clicks I can do on the hand lever is 12. I've consulted my factory manual on the matter and for some reason I find the wording difficult to follow. It says:

"Need for parking brake adjustment is indicated if the hydraulic brake system operates with good reserve, but the parking brake hand lever travel is less than 13 ratchet clicks or more than 17 ratchet clicks"

Is this another way of saying it should be between 13 and 17 clicks? My brakes otherwise are working just fine.

lizardkng

Yes, to me that says if the handle travels less than 13 or more than 17 clicks, the adjustment is needed. It should live between 13 and 17.

I may be wrong, I'm no mechanic by any means, but that's my take on it.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Who "formally told" you this, and why?

If it's a safety inspector or the like, then remove the drums and just adjust the shoes up to where you can JUST BARELY still get the drums back on over the shoes, and get it re-inspected.

It doesn't hurt anything to have them set too tight, as long as they don't drag... thus, the process of adjusting them with the drums off and putting them back on. You can VERY EASILY get them too tight if you adjust them with the drums already on, so don't do that.

It also doesn't hurt anything, or mean that something is "defective", if it takes less clicks than that to bury the handle. The number given merely means that that's "normal". Not the same thing as "must be" on the minimum end. In any case, over a period of a few weeks as the shoes wear normally, the adjustment will open back up and the handle will move farther; especially if you don't make a point of keeping the rears adjusted up automatically by regularly backing up and stopping quickly which is what operates the auto adjusters.

blackbeauty

Yes it was a safety inspector. I imagine they are used to mostly dealing with Japanese cars which have a shorter handbrake lever travel. They didn't say anything about the brakes not actually working.

I have had the lever tightened so it was only a few clicks on the ratchet before, and that ended up causing issues where I'd be driving along and the rear brakes starting smelling, presumably from dragging. I then adjusted the lever back into the 13-17 clicks range and haven't had a problem since.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Right: you had em TOO tight.

Somewhere in between that, and 13 clicks, is where you wanna be.

Of course if that bothers you, you could always adjust em up, get it inspected, then adjust em back down. But personally I think you'll find the car much more pleasant to drive with em set pretty close.

blackbeauty

Awesome, thanks for that guys.