Adjusted my parking brake, now my head hurts

[Matt89]

The parking brake on my relatively new CR-V was acting strange so I thought I'd adjust it per the tech manual (long story).

The setup for the parking brake is a drum on the interior of the rear brake rotor (has rear disk brakes). It is non-self adjusting...there is a star wheel adjustment at the drum.

The major adjustment is at the drum using a screwdriver to first lock the shoes all the way out and then back off 8 clicks. When I did that, the shoes still seemed to 'drag', so I backed it off all the way but they still dragged! I figured I'd cut my losses and settle on 16 clicks. Could still hear it drag a bit, but not as bad.

Next for the 'minor' adjustment. This entails screwing a nut where the cable from the brake handle meets the cables for the individual brakes (the equalizer). The manual says to turn the nut until the shoes start to drag at '1 click' of the handle. Well, unfortunately that was meaningless for me since the shoes were already dragging with no clicks. So I pounded my head against the hood for a little bit.

My solution was to adjust the brake (minor adjustment at the equalizer) just to the point where it would hold the car on a hill, but not noticeably 'drag' when driving. Amazingly, I went a turn or two too far on the screw and could feel the brake shoes holding the car up. I backed off a couple of turns and it freed up, but fortunately still held the car on a hill.

Anyone else have parking brake horror stories? Seems like I was behind the 8 ball to begin with when I couldn't get the shoes not to drag on the first adjustment. It's like the guidance in the repair manual (genuine Honda) just didn't apply to me.

 

[The Critic]

Isn't your CRV new? This should be covered under warranty...

 

[Papa Bear]

This is too painful to listen to.

 

[wander2039]

Sounds like my drum brake experiences but mine don't include any outside adjusters. After a couple times trying to get them perfect now I just make sure their set the same -really loose - and drive it a bit. After that it's fairly close to what it should be so I let the wife drive it. I can't figure out what she does but it's set perfectly after that.

 

[Mokanic]

I have worked on Hondas a long time. Don't mess with the cable adjustment. If you have and can remember the original adjustment put them back as close to where they were.
With the rear tires off the ground adjust the star wheel until you can feel some drag. You are close when it will turn fairly easy by hand but wont spin freely on it's own.
Do them both like that then get in and pull the park brake handle up. 5-7 clicks are what you are looking for to get them to hold. There is no way you can get them too tight as long as the handle will click at least 5 times. I have tightened mine to 3 clicks and never had a problem.

 

[ChrisW]

you dont want too little drag because that will cause a slight delay from when you depress the pedal and any slack is taken up between the shoes and the drum. A lot of auto-xers that auto-x their civic have 1-2 clicks applied on the parking brake lever to have better initial response on the brakes.

 

[Matt89]

True...but unfortunately the dealer is 1 hour away and my schedule wasn't conducive at all. Also, I think parking brake adjustment is a 'maintenance' item and charged accordingly.

As for the slight drag, I figure (and hope) that the little bit that is touching will get scraped off soon

 

[Matt89]

I am interested that you've never had a problem doing this, since I could really feel the drag if I tightened it too much.

I wish the thing was self-adjusting but apparently not.

 

[Matt89]

Chris;

On this setup, the rear brakes are discs...the drum is just for the parking brake. So no impact on regular breaking no matter what I do...

 

[Laminar Lou]

"Adjusted my parking brake, now my head hurts"

Better than taking it to the dealer and having your butt hurt (unless it is indeed under warranty).

 

[rcy]

Ugh...I dunno why Honda does that drum within the disc for parking brakes. My '06 Odyssey has that system too. Is there some technical reason for this?

Even my '88 (yes '88) Nissan Maxima (and every Maxima since) somehow managed to use the caliper for the parking brake. Only problem with the '88 was the fact that the wheel bearings were integral with the disc, necessitating repacking the bearings when replacing the rear disc. My '92 had redesigned it so just the disc could be replaced.

 

[Laminar Lou]

Quote:

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Ugh...I dunno why Honda does that drum within the disc for parking brakes. My '06 Odyssey has that system too. Is there some technical reason for this?

Even my '88 (yes '88) Nissan Maxima (and every Maxima since) somehow managed to use the caliper for the parking brake. Only problem with the '88 was the fact that the wheel bearings were integral with the disc, necessitating repacking the bearings when replacing the rear disc. My '92 had redesigned it so just the disc could be replaced.

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Heh, because drum brakes are supposed to be "self adjusting" and it is also a cost issue. It is fairly common believe it or not.

 

[rcy]

Great...I guess that means when it's time to replace the rear discs, I can bend over...it's probably more money because of the integrated drum, no?

 

[rcy]

Sorry for the thread hijack btw.

 

[Laminar Lou]

Quote:

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Great...I guess that means when it's time to replace the rear discs, I can bend over...it's probably more money because of the integrated drum, no?

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I don't think it is any more than the front. The parking drum brake should be a separate mechanism as I understand it. But I could be understanding it wrong. I thought the reason they went with the separate mechanism for the parking brake was because integrating a rear disc with a parking brake was problematic and more complicated (especially in todays more advanced ABS systems).

 

[eljefino]

Those "top hat" style disk/drums are the cats meow, at least on GMs. Finally their nickel-saving calipers don't freeze up when the e-brake system is used.

Also can you imagine doing some performance driving, getting the rotors nice and hot, then parking at some scenic overlook with the e-brake, and getting a nice lumpy pad transfer on that clean rotor?

I agree with the "loose and left alone" crowd. There should be plenty of extra travel in the lever that will take up whatever slack there may be. As the shoes should be applied when not rolling, they'll never wear out anyway so who cares if they're tapered a bit up top or down low?

I think the OP just needed to tinker and had an overly perfect vehicle to start with.

 

[alreadygone]

Separate disc standard brake with park bands in hat is the greatest addition since disc brakes! As mentoned unless some one is careless and DRIVES with park brake set P.brake will NEVER wear out. Rear caliper piston can be pressed into caliper body without special tool to "screw" piston in. Calipers are really cheap without added park brake apparatus built in. Many benefits, no drawback that I've found yet.

No experience adjusting park brake band, can't be rocket science though.

Bob

 

[dkcase]

Quote:

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Ugh...I dunno why Honda does that drum within the disc for parking brakes. ... Is there some technical reason for this?

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The reason is because with the right geometry for the pivots and anchors the shoes can be self-applying as the drum tries to rotate.
I mean that the friction will act on the shoe by grabbing it and by the geometry, it will apply harder. Kind of like a cam in a window shade system that holds the rope. if you pull on the shade, the rope grabs tighter...

Picture a disk brake system instead -- without a (usually hydraulic)force being applied to the pads to squeeze the disk, the disk turns right through -- no self-applying factor available.

 

[Matt89]

Haha, guilty as charged (tinkering). My wife was mad at me for awhile but she backed off when she realized I didn't screw it up (as far as she can tell).

Not like the time where I couldn't get a rear drum back ON a Civic I had awhile back. You could see the lightbulb come on (in my head) when I realized all I needed to do was use the little adjuster wheel to back off the shoes so I could get the drum on over them. After an hour of looking at it with my mouth half open.

 

[Axe Man]

Quote:

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Separate disc standard brake with park bands in hat is the greatest addition since disc brakes! As mentoned unless some one is careless and DRIVES with park brake set P.brake will NEVER wear out. Rear caliper piston can be pressed into caliper body without special tool to "screw" piston in. Calipers are really cheap without added park brake apparatus built in. Many benefits, no drawback that I've found yet.

No experience adjusting park brake band, can't be rocket science though.

Bob

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Agree 100%!! I recently did a rear pad change on Wife's 2003 Ford Taurus. It has the parking brake built into the caliper. I could NOT turn the pistons back in. Even with the somewhat wimpy tool you can buy at Advance Auto. I had to take it to my local mechanic and even he had trouble getting them retracted back in. So this separate parking brake assembly on rear discs sounds like a great idea!