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E-Brake Problems.....

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NardisCNC

NardisCNC

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Today I set out to fix my non-working E-brake that gradually stopped working altogether on my '66 Midget. I adjusted the brake adjusters on the rear of the drum assembly per the manual's instructions, and the handbrake cable adjuster at the rear axle is at its maximum range of travel. Even now the brakes barely start to grab at the very last "click".

Do I need to replace my shoes? It seems to me that last time I changed shoes that were completely worn out they were down to the metal. These still have at least 1/8" to 3/16 of material left on them and the regular brakes seem to work fine. Could the tie rods connecting to each side be too long? Mine are non adjustable, but it looks like they would work a lot more efficiently if they were a tad shorter. Has anyone ever changed theirs?

Thanks for any help!!
 
Make sure the rear brake shoes (foot brake) are adjusted correctly. Tighten the adjusting nut until the drum will not turn, then back off on or two clicks until the drum turns easily (OK to drag just a bit).
Then see if the e-brake works ok. Also, make sure all the rod pivots are free to rotate.
Scott in CA
 
OK, I'm very annoyed. Did all the above, checking, and double checking everything. Now my hand-brake works a LITTLE better. I counted, the full travel range of my hand-brake is 11 "clicks", and the brakes only start engaging on the last 3 clicks. That's fine as long as I'm in a flat parking lot, or don't actually need to stop when my normal brakes fail. I also noted that in general my braking deceleration is much slower than my acceleration which sounds like a recepie for disaster. Now what? Are Midgets brakes inherently crappy, or is it just that my car is 50yrs old?

How much braking should or can these cars have? Are the rear disc brake conversions worth considering? Or perhaps upgrading the master cylinder? Or both?
 
Sometimes the cables stretch. You can make your existing rods adjustable by cutting them and threading them and using a coupling nut.
 
Thanks Trevor! That actually seemed to be the next logical step to me as there is a TON of backlash in the connecting rods with the hand-brake disengaged.

I was hoping to drive it up to British Bash this Sat, but kinda unsure abt the whole thing. Ahh, I have AAA plus (100 mile tow). And L-ville is only 90miles :smile:
 
I'll be around if you have any troubles.
 
While they are not power brakes, they should be able to lock up the wheels if you really hit 'em. ..If all you're used to is power brakes, don't be afraid to really push the pedal to get it to stop. ... if your braking is no better than your acceleration, you have a bigger problem than the fact that your E-brake is sloppy. ... Try mashing the pedal and get back to us.
 
+1 on Trevor's suggestion re the stretched e-brake cable: it doesn't take a lot of stretch to lose a lot of clicks at the handle.

If your regular brakes are sloppy, and you're sure you've bled everything so there's no air in the lines, there's a couple of points to check, off the top o' me head:
- If your axle seals are leaking oil into the rear drums, in addition to your e-brakes being useless, you'll lose a bit of braking oomph, (but most of your braking force comes from the front anyhow.)
- Make sure your brake hoses aren't degraded and swelling, stealing pressure away from the calipers. (Pedal will feel spongy.)
- Make sure your master cylinder isn't leaking past the piston. (Pedal will feel 'slippy.')
- Check the wear at the brake pedal pivot point. If the hole that the pin rides in is elongated with wear, it'll waste a surprising lot of pedal travel. (Pedal will feel loose.)

The brakes on a Spridget should be more than up to the task. There's not a lot of inertia to arrest, so they should lock all four wheels easily.
 
THANKS GUYS!!! That's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for! As I recall the last time I REALLY mashed on the brakes, locking up was something not even close to being on the list of things that were about to happen. I'll give them another test tomorrow to be sure.

I'm glad things happened in this order. For the last 4 years I've been driving the car just assuming that's the way the brakes were on these (this is my first LBC btw). The failing handbrake encouraged my to re-examine the whole braking system. Plus simple logic told me that if you can't slow down at least as fast as you can speed up something is terribly wrong in theory.

...... looks like might need to drive a non-British car to British Bash this week.
 
Pythias said:
While they are not power brakes, they should be able to lock up the wheels if you really hit 'em. .... Try mashing the pedal and get back to us.
Click to expand...

Alright... today was the first chance I had: The rear wheels did indeed lock up, and without even standing too much on the pedal I might add (which seems to be a good thing). This is also after i adjusted both rear adjusters. Although, as I have often heard "the front brakes do most of the work". So does that mean all of my brakes should lock up at about the same time? Is there a proper front-to-rear braking power ratio? What should i check next? Thanks!
 
Fronts should lock up first. The weight shift is what usually allows the rears to lock up when doing an emergency stop. If the rears lock too soon then the rear of the car no longer tracks straight and the car swaps ends. If everything is good working order, then the design of the brake system will ensure you are getting balance breaking.

On a flat level dry surface (like a big parking lot) in a safe area (without deep ditches and other cars/people) try a few straight emergency stops and see what happens. Take note of any sudden pulling. Then try a few quick stops while in a very gentle turn and note what the car does. Once you get comfortable with the car and you are sure it is stopping as it should be you can start practicing your J-turns. (I'm joking about the J-turns)
 
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