Parking Brake Cable Adjust

[QSHIPQ at aol.com]

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Just FYI Bernie, audi/Girling agrees with Phil here.  If you get *new*
girling 36 or 38 rear from audi or aftermarket, the spring is larger/stiffer
than what came on the car originally, or what rebuilders don't replace (they
sure paint it nice tho).

I personally think rebuilding rears is a complete waste of good Nascar TV
time.  When watching DE2, better and more rewarding time is spent doing R&R
on seat heater pads.  Spend a couple hours (or have your mechanic spend a
couple hours) on a rear rebuild, someone will be back there sooner than
later.  Average 6-12 months max here in Chitown.  The problems aren't just
crud Bernie, the ratcheting  arm/piston mechanism wears/sticks.

Your teardown procedure may make sense for the DIYer with good seat heaters,
but if having a shop do it, you are better off working hard on getting better
pricing on the new in box calipers.  Minimally, DIYers should be finding a
good source for stiffer springs.


My .02
SJ


In a message dated 5/4/2003 11:20:16 AM Central Daylight Time,
pjrose at frontiernet.net writes:

At 9:11 AM -0700 5/3/03, Bernie Benz wrote:

>IMO. the more common cause of piston non-return is just sludged up
>hydraulics within the caliper that can be solved with disassembly and
>cleaning without getting into the PB actuating mechanism.  BTDT.

>>You could be right about the "more common" cause, but I wonder if
>>you're generalizing from just limited, Nevada-based experience????
>>Let's not forget that many other owners experience considerable road
>>salt-induced corrosion on both the calipers _and_ cables.  And how
>>does "sludged up hydraulics" account for the fact that many people
>>have been able (BTDT) to improve the ebrake return  by merely
>>introducing lubrication (and eliminating corrosion) along the
>>actuating-lever shaft? There are many contributors to the problem, so
>>I rather doubt that you know which is the "more common" cause.

>The return spring is sufficient for a caliper that is in good shape.

>>Well, who could argue with a self-evident statement like that? But it
>>only suggests that Audi/Girling came up with a barely adequate
>>design--something which I'd not expect _you_ to be a proponent (or
>>apologist) for.  In _other_ parts of the world (not sun-belt), the
>>sufficiency of the return spring seems actually to require both
>>calipers and cables "in close to perfect condition", not just "in
>>good shape" (whatever that means anyway). This is especially
>>frustrating, considering that it appears a modest increase of the
>>spring-rate might prolong the  ebrake's (full return) function by
>>several years.

>>Hey, speaking of beefier ebrake springs-- has anyone actually located
>>and installed the European Ford (Granada, was it?) ebrake
>>return-spring that was said to be applicable to our cars? Years ago I
>>attempted to get one of the euro-listers to help me locate that Ford
>>spring, but it came to naught... I believe I have a p/n, somewhere...

>>Phil