How To Adjust Parking Brake On Disc Brakes? Easy Ways

Are you looking for How To Adjust Parking Brake On Disc Brakes? What should you do to adjust parking brake on disc brakes? The handbrake still operates directly on the brake shoes of most cars’ rear wheels, which are still mounted with drum brakes.

However, high-end, fast cars frequently use disc brakes on front and rear wheels.

Controlling the rear brake pads using a mechanical linkage from the handbrake, when using all-around disc brakes, is challenging.

As a result, several manufacturers have developed a new handbrake system.

How To Adjust Parking Brake On Disc Brakes?

Check each brake shoe individually by rotating the brake disc and peering through the adjustment slot.

If there is still enough lining, crank the star wheel adjuster until the wheel is secured with a screwdriver. Turn the adjuster back by half.

How The Parking Brake Works?

If you missed the episode on how to adjust the parking brake and how precisely this mechanism operates, you’re in the proper place.

The finest TV series on vehicles may teach you a lot of helpful stuff, but if you did, you’re in the correct place.

Even if you’re still taking novice driving lessons, this shouldn’t cause you any worry while operating a vehicle. Don’t worry ahead of time. Everything is simple to comprehend and pick up.

This mechanical hand lever, an emergency or e-brake, is used to stop your car from moving when it is parked. Please distinguish this from the hydraulic ones; they are normally between the two front-row seats.

The main goal is to prevent the car from sliding down hills when parked by keeping it still or motionless. However, the moniker “emergency” refers to the ability of this device to stop the car if the hydraulic brakes fail.

Levers and cables are used in this drum brake system component mechanism, which transmits the required force to stop or stabilize the vehicle when a lever is pulled.

These cables need to be occasionally adjusted because they tend to expand as they get older and more used. A cable set can connect both rear brakes using the “Y” shaped cable system.

How To Know When The Right Time For Adjusting The Handbrake Is?

Because there are numerous handbrake configurations, your primary reference point should be the manufacturer’s instructions. The frequency of use determines this, according to a general rule.

You should test your emergency brake adjustment once a year or every two years. Test your handbrake on a slope or a sloping road to determine if it stops your car.

The cables need to be readjusted if the handbrake is becoming slightly loose. Suppose you’re looking at certain popular import automobiles and purchasing a used vehicle, especially if you’re purchasing from a dealer that purchased from an auction.

In that case, you need to pay particular attention to this. In addition to these yearly readjustments, it should be replaced after 75,000 kilometers.

Remember that poor adjustment might cause premature shoe failure and harm the rotor and drum.

So, if you’ve never performed a repair like this, be sure you know what to do. Otherwise, letting a qualified mechanic do the e-brake settings is preferable.

How To Adjust The Parking Brake Cable?

It’s time to verify cables after the shoes have been configured. Your handbrake might need some tweaking if you notice it doesn’t hold as well as it once did or if you hear too many clicks when pushing it up.

Even if your car has a different type of brake, the procedure is essentially the same. We will concentrate on the models that have a lever.

Even if some components are placed differently, it is similar unless the adjuster is put somewhere under the automobile. Gather your owner’s manual, a screwdriver, a pry tool, a socket, and a ratchet set to get started.

A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Adjust The Handbrake Cables?

Pulling the brakes to feel the engagement point and counting the number of clicks you hear is the first thing you need to do.

You should discover information on the suggested amount of clicks for your particular model in your owner’s handbook, and using that information as a guide will help you while readjusting.

• Find the console boot, and use a plastic pry tool to attempt to lift certain pieces so you can access the adjuster completely. Depending on the automobile model, the adjuster may look different and have different access points, but you should be able to open it without using any tools.
• After opening the boot, you should be able to see the adjustment bolt. Tighten it with a few screwdriver twists. The cables that are attached to the back brakes will be tightened.
• Lift the handbrake before locking it to feel how it works and count the clicks. Until the screw is properly tight, you can continue to tighten it.
• Restore everything and shut the boot after you’re pleased with the tightness. Lift your handbrake and give the car a light push to see whether it moves. It shouldn’t be at all mobile. It is then secure to leave it in a steep area.

Will Driving With The Lifted Handbrake Damage The Engine?

Many drivers need to remember that the handbrake is still lifted and continuing to drive. Although it might not seem like a major deal, since the car is already moving, it can harm the brake shoes and make them overheat.

Additionally, it increases engine stress and decreases output. Many drivers may immediately detect the error because they feel their vehicle lacks power.

However, they might even detect a distinct burning odor from the overheated shoes if they don’t. That should be a clear indication that something is amiss.

If the distance is short and you’re not driving quickly, you might be lucky to escape without any long-term effects.

However, the easier it will be to cause engine overheating, brake overheating, and failure of other braking system components, the quicker you travel.

Conclusion

To adjust parking brake on disc brakes, you have to follow some tips. A parking brake, also known as an emergency stop or e-brake, is a brake that can be controlled by a hand lever or by stepping on it. It acts as a backup braking system.

You’ll find it between the two front seats or the left of the gas and stop pedals. The back brakes are controlled by a parking brake, an entirely different mechanism from the standard hydraulic brakes on your car.

It is responsible for keeping a parked car still; it will stop the car from rolling or moving. The moniker “emergency brake” refers to the brake’s ability to stop the car if the conventional hydraulic brakes are completely inoperable.

Parking brakes are entirely mechanical and are solely operated by cables and levers. When you pull the parking brake lever, these wires give your car the force it needs to stay still or stop (or when the brake is stepped on).

The parking brake is connected to the steel cables, which are tightened when the parking brake is applied. Most cars have drum brakes on the back wheels, meaning that when the parking brake is applied, the cables draw a lever, compressing the brake shoes and stopping the car.

If your car has rear disc brakes and you use the parking brake, the cables will engage a corkscrew mechanism that will force a piston into the brake pads, stopping the car.

Both times, the parking brake stops the car instead of the standard hydraulic brakes. Additionally, parking brakes include a self-locking mechanism that prevents the brake from being released unless the lever or foot brake is removed.

Frequently Asked Questions