Cameron

Took the boys in the P car to the ice cream shop last night in the '87 S4. Now up to about 24.5k miles. I had set the emergency brake when putting her in the garage, but I released it and left her parked there. When taking the car out last night, the brakes were still set but released when I put it in reverse and gave her a bit of throttle. For clarity, it had been about 6 days between use.

Is there a procedure about lubricating the cable or something? They obviously didn't release properly when I pushed the lever back down.

Thanks,

Cameron
'87 S4

MainePorsche

Inspect the cable first, from the parking brake lever to where it enters/exits to the exterior. Detach the mechanism covers along the drivers sidewall. Inspect attachment and tension. Note where it exits interior, then you can trace where it exits to the exterior. Make sure it is seated OK where it exits and is not the 'sticking/fraying point'. This is easier to do with the rear wheel off. Start here. Here is the schematic for the lever.

Mrmerlin

Thanks for posting a picture Craig.
Follow Craig s instruction to inspect the handle linkage.

Properly adjusted,
the E brake handle will do about 2 to 3 clicks for full engagement.

To adjust the E brake,
adjust the shoes at the wheels first.

Once the wheel shoes are adjusted then the handle is adjusted.

NOTE since this handle adjustment was done at the factory,
it is usually just the star adjusters that need to be readjusted to return the system to proper operation.

At the wheel ,tighten the star wheel till the rotor is just locked, then back off 3 to 4 clicks.

Do both sides, then set the handle,
you should have 2 to 3 clicks of handle travel.

Release the handle then see if the rotors turn freely,
if not then back off one click more at the star adjuster for the rotor thats dragging.

If the rotor still has drag then its possible that the E brake cables are dragging,
spraying them with lite oil may free them up.
Sticky cables are not usually an issue. BUT anything is possible.

Have a helper actuate the handle ,
and observe how the junction actuator functions parts 21 and 26 at the center of the lower cross member, you should see both cables pulling equally

then go to each rotor and with your helper working the handle,
see how many clicks of the handle it takes to stop the rotor,
both rotors should work equally.

If one rotor stays locked then the cable may have to be replaced to restore proper function.

Cameron

Thx. Will do. Very clear instructions. Thank you both.

traxtar928

Reopening this thread because it's somewhat related...

Should properly functioning emergency brakes lock the rear wheels when driving in a straight line?

Mrmerlin

it depends on how you adjusted the brakes and how new the shoes are as well as how new the rotors are and how much traction the tires have,

NOTE always test pull the handle after installing new rear shoes then adjust the brakes.

NOTE if after adjusting the stars and the handle comes up past 5 clicks then you will make adjustments to the cable assembly under the cover at the rear edge of the driver seat.

NOTE there should be a spring installed to pull the cable back to release it this is also under the rear of the handle cover

traxtar928

Do you put the tire on to check if the rotor stops? That extra inertial mass will have an impact on when the braking force overcomes the rotational force of the wheel.

Mrmerlin

Trax if you follow my instructions the E brake will hold your car on any hill

traxtar928

I was more concerned with the emergency brake being able to lock the rear wheels while driving in a straight line. Is this something the brake should be able to do? I can't find it covered in other threads, or even asked for that matter.

If the sole function of the brake is to slow down the car, or prevent it from rolling down a hill, that's one thing. But if it's designed to lock the wheels, than I need to further adjust my cables. I've had cars where the hand brake can lock the wheels, and some where it can't.

Mrmerlin

I will caution you as to trying to set the brake while moving.
what can happen is that the backing plate and the shoe anchors can be bent by the sudden locking of the E brake while the car is still traveling.
The possibility exists that the brakes could then jamb on and thus the wheels will stay locked and not release

docmirror

Having used my E-brake for the better part of 700 miles when I picked up a car, I can say emphatically that no, in almost no case will the E-brake lock up the rear tires. I adjusted, cleaned, lubed, and set my E-brake when replacing the rear rotors, and scuffed the shoes clean, and it will not lock up the rear tires on any paved dry surface. It's fairly effective, but should not be relied on to emergency stop the car.

Something else I can say with confidence, the E-brake handle, cables, and hardware seems very robust. Cuz I pulled the living shilt out of it a couple times expecting it to fly apart, and it didn't. I've also found that the external cables and levers down by the rear axle do get a fair amount of corrosion over the years. Cleaning and lubing works wonders to improve operation.