Parking Brake Cable Adjust

[Steve Sherman]

The parking brake in my 91 200 has been "loose" since I bought the car 3
months ago.  Even with the lever pulled all the way up, it barely had
any braking effect.  Since I had planned on replacing the rear pads and
rotors (were worn when I bought it) I had not given it much thought,
fgured the PB would be taken care of with the rear brake job.

Well this week I gave up on having time and decent weather to do the
rear brakes, and took it in to a shop that I had not used before.  They
did a decent job on the brakes, but did not adjust the PB.  Said they
did not have time, and that they should self adjust or some other lame
excuse. Probably won't go back there again!

Anyhow, I now am going to look into the PB myself.  After reading the
Bentley, seems that there is an adjustment nut where the two pb cables
attach to the rod that goes to the pb lever.  Tightening that should
take up the slack, taking care that the cams on the rear calipers still
opens all the way.  (Doesn't seem like a big deal, wonder why the shop
did not do it).

But I did notice that Bently said these cable should not need adjusting,
except on cable or caliper replacement, which did not happen (at least
by me).  So should I be looking for something else? cable stretching
about to break?  Any BTDT out there that know what causes the pb to come
out of adjustment?

TIA