Parking brake problem
 

Hi there, Lastly I'm having problems to release my parking brake. I mean with parking break system engaged or set when I try to release it it's like I have to pull up really strong, actually I need several shoots before achieving it.

Should I push the brake pedal down strong while releasing?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/atta...king-brake.jpg

The brake pedal warning is just to keep the car from from scooting downhill when the ebrake is released. If you have to pull the handle up hard to release the brake, you are just pulling up too hard to set it.

On my 92: If the parking brake bar gets bent too far toward the center of the car, the little mechanism doesn't want to engage. I just take the handle in a low position, and push (bend it) toward the driver door. Then my brake mechanism resumes working properly. The bar is made of pretty cheap metal and seems to bend inward during usage over time.

is it just me or the '84.....I just push the button and it releases..no lifting required.

Am I doing it wrong?

:iagree:

The harder you "set" the brake, the harder it is going to be to release it.

Perhaps the early cars were different, but on my '96 you have to pull up on the handle while pushing the button.
You can feel the ratcheting of the cogs.
Just pushing the button (at least on a later car) will not work, because you have to get past the next cog on the gear in order to release it.

Your parking brake has been broken for 28 years. You just didn't know it. :yesnod:

may need to be lubricated
 

it may just need to be oil/greased. Remove the cover (may need to move seat all the way back or maybe remove seat, don't remember), and observe its operation -- either the ratchet part of the engaging cog could be lubricated and likely will operate fine thereafter.

:iagree:

The parking brake handle gets full of grim; take drivers seat out, remove cover and take assembly out.

Take to a work bench and really give it a good cleaning. You will be amazed at how well it will work afterwards.

My '84 would only work right if held to the left also. I have a manual transmission so I figured it saw a lot of use. The leather was really shot, too. I bought a much better used one on e bay which works correctly. I do pull it up before pushing the button to release - just seems less likely to damage anything that way.

Whatever force is locked in when the lever is applied, has to be overcome when its released.
So keeping it in good adjustment so it does not require a ton of force to hold the car helps prevent the driver from wanting to jerk it up and leave it locked in a huge bind. You CAN bottom out the lever without having set the brakes when its out of adjustment.

I know this is an old post, but what model were these instructions for? Just curious...

Thank you,