E-Brake woes!

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:59 pm

Ok, so my e-brake wasn't holding on my hill. Took it to Strauss today since they usually do my brakes and have a lifetime warranty on pads. Guy takes the rear wheels off and on one side and the shoe pad is seperated from the backing plate and the inside of the rotors are pretty rusty, so rusty that he had to beat one rotor off with a hammer since there was a lip of rust inside the rotor. Guys says "You need new rotors but these should be ok for a little while. I'll clean out as much rust as I can." I say ok, just replace the E-B pads and adjust. Which he does. Except the new E-Brake pads are a little thicker and because of the rust the rotor doesn't wanna go back on. So he does more sanding, fitting, banging, etc. 5 HOURS LATER, he tells me "Rotors are shot. E-Brake won't hold. That'll be $150 please."

Now, I know he replaced the shoes, turned the rotors because he used a hammer to get em off, and adjusted everything as best he could. So I complained somewhat and they agreed to do the labor free of charge when I replace the rotors. Oh, well. It does hold a little better on my hill but I still gotta pull the handle all the way up.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 7:32 pm

He didnt adjust them then. When I adjusted mine, I only had to pull it a few clicks to hold.. :wink:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:39 pm

That's what I thought. But he showed me that he adjusted them then he took it for a drive, then he even took the wheels back off and had another mechanic try to adjust them. I guess maybe it's the rust in my rotors. I dunno

When I get the new rotors I'll see what happens.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 8:43 pm

Did he turn the inside of the drum brake? or just the outside of the disk? - if he turned the inside of the drum - the rust will be gone - you can then assemble it and everything should work correctly - without turning it the first contact will be on the raised edge not the surface - it will have to wear to match the drum.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 9:34 pm

Unfortunately, his machine would not machine the drum surface. He only cleaned up the disc surface on the cutter so he had to hand sand the drum portion.

swyszomirski · **Joined:** Sat Oct 01, 2005 2:59 am **Posts:** 286

my e-brake does not really hold, so I always put it in gear (5-sp) I have had it roll on some pretty mild hills, and the dealer has only done so much. I think it is just a bad design as the e-b pads are on the inside of the rear rotors, they can't be that big, and the KJ is a heavy vehicle. Plus I don't like the "self-adjusting" part, I just don't think it works all the time. I figure eventually I will rip out the stock e-b and install a different one that holds better. Until then, I have a 4"x4" block of wood I keep with me, and when I worry about the hill, I block a wheel.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:07 pm

swyszomirski wrote:

my e-brake does not really hold, so I always put it in gear (5-sp) I have had it roll on some pretty mild hills, and the dealer has only done so much. I think it is just a bad design as the e-b pads are on the inside of the rear rotors, they can't be that big, and the KJ is a heavy vehicle. Plus I don't like the "self-adjusting" part, I just don't think it works all the time. I figure eventually I will rip out the stock e-b and install a different one that holds better. Until then, I have a 4"x4" block of wood I keep with me, and when I worry about the hill, I block a wheel.

If you put it into gear, it wont go anywhere. :wink:

kjhawaii · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:47 am

Just from what I have heard And I beleive I have the same problem..there have been many defective emergency brake handle assemblies that are suppose to do the adjusting.

Although there is the internal star adjustment wheel in the brake disk assembly, I beleive and please correct me if Im wrong the actual adjustment for the number of clicks on the handle is in the brake handle assembly itself.

04kjsport · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:15 am

that's funny i have the same problem. the last time i was in the stealership for them to check the balljoints (pre-recall) they adjust the rear brakes and they were fine for a month or so, then last weekend i adjusted them as well as put new rear pads on and now not even a week later the e-brake doesn't hold as well. WTF???

priell3 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:51 am

I had mine to the dealer twice because the e-brake wouldn't hold even with the handle pulled up to the max. The second time in the replaced the lever assembly. Now it holds with just a few clicks of the handle.

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:56 am

Well, unless the eb handle is covered under the 6/60, I'm screwed. (IF THAT'S THE PROB)

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

The ebrake on my 03 has been engaged maybe 5 times, and it doesn't hold well anymore either.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:44 pm

Drum brake self adjuster's commonly work only if the brake is applied while backing up ( I haven't taken mine apart but I'll assume the Libertys are the same) and even then they don't self adjust much, so if you need to manually adjust them if they're loose. However adjusting won't help if the drum's not smooth, the brake will feel tight when it presses against the high parts of the drum, but won't hold because it's only touching a small surface area. You might be able to clean up a surface with sandpaper - but the best way is a lathe setup to do that.
My ebrake didn't hold well and I adjusted it, works fine now.
Blake had a good writeup

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=13273&highlight=adjusting+brakes

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

Quote:

Give me a few hours, I have to head out the door. The procedure in the service manual (just got the manual on CD) is a little different than what I did. I will type it in tonight.

REAR DRUM IN HAT PARK BRAKE (ROTOR INSTALLED) USING ADJUSTING TOOL
Adjustment can be made with a standard brake gauge or with adjusting tool. Adjustment is performed with the complete
brake assembly installed on the backing plate.
1. Be sure parking brake lever is fully released.
----The instructions I found said to put 3 clicks on the parking brake. I did this and the brake is still a little loose. 6 clicks to get it to hold.------

2. Raise vehicle so rear wheels can be rotated freely.
-----Tranny in Neutral-----

3. Remove plug from each access hole in brake support plates.
4. Loosen parking brake cable adjustment nut until there is slack in front cable.
------Other section of manual says this is not adjustable????-------
5. Insert adjusting tool through support plate access hole and engage tool in teeth of adjusting screw star wheel.
KJ BRAKES - BASE - SERVICE INFORMATION 5 - 51
6. Rotate adjuster screw star wheel (move tool handle
upward) until slight drag can be felt when wheel is
rotated.
7. Push and hold adjuster lever away from star wheel
with thin screwdriver.
8. Back off adjuster screw star wheel until brake drag
is eliminated.
---I found that rotating the wheel forward you could feel the drag. Reverse direction and the brake will grab. I adjusted the star until the wheel just grabbed when reversing. There was one click of the star difference between grabbing and not grabbing.---

9. Repeat adjustment at opposite wheel. Be sure
adjustment is equal at both wheels.
10. Install support plate access hole plugs.
11. Adjust parking brake cable and lower vehicle.
12. Apply park brake hand lever and make sure park
brakes hold the vehicle staionary.
13. Release park brake hand lever.

Can someone take a picture of the "adjusting screw star wheel" and post it? I'd like to do this adjustment, but I have not idea what I'm looking at apparently.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Sun Oct 29, 2006 10:34 am

you should be able to reach it with a short screwdriver - although there are brake adjusting tools that are screwdrivers with a 90 degree bend about an inch fromthe end

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

Yeah, just didn't know where to look for it though...found it yesterday and what a difference.

E-Brake woes!

Who is online