Emergency brake adjustment.

[Wyatt Blankingship]

On my 1964 356C the emergency brake will not hold on steep inclines. How do I correct the problem? Tighten cable? Adjust shoes? Or what? Help on this would be appreciated.

[Dick Weiss]

Wyatt,

It depends on where you want to set the brake when pulling the handle--usually it would be around 1/2 way, but your seat position and your body height or arm length dependency.
The park shoes should be adjusted per shop manual or Elfrink book--easier doing it @ the rear vs adjusting each cable end in the tunnel (near the shift lever); Then the cable adjustment nut up front (underneath) will finalize your satisfaction. During the cable adjustment, pull the handle just enough to get the shoes to create a matching 'drag' when turning the wheel(s) by hand--that way, matched brake action will be correct.
Note: The park brake shoes are rarely worn unless they've been forgotten to be released; That'll be another job for replacement!

Dick

[Dave Wildrick]

I posed this question to the talk list in about 2006.
I got several suggestions, but the one that worked best for me was from Alan Klingen (The Stable, San Francisco).

The key points are: first, fully release the brake at the cable adjustment point at the “S”-bar at the front of the car; second, adjust the rear wheel shoes; last, do the final cable adjustment at the front of the car.

Before you adjust anything else, remove the front tunnel mat and look at the cables attached to the equalizer. The equalizer must be at a right angle to the cables with no play between the equalizer and the adjusting nuts.

Then (we’re talking about C cars), remove the rear wheels for access to the hole for the adjustment spur.

Next, follow this procedure from Alan Klingen:

First, be sure the "shoe adjuster" on the shoes is engaged. Then back off the parking brake adjustment at the front of the car right under the gas tank. This is a single cable with a 14 mm and 10mm bolt. Now adjust the rear shoes till they drag, and then release about 4 clicks. A minor bit of drag here is o.k. Now take up the front cable till you see the rear wheels starting to drag more; stop there. Drive the car a few blocks and a few times pull on the parking brake to settle it in. Repeat the adjustment scheme, remembering to let the front parking cable off fully first.

[Wyatt Blankingship]

Thanks for the info on how to adjust my emergency brake which is not holding on steep inclines. I will advise results when I am able to work on the car.