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Parking Brake doesn't work SOMETIMES (works worse on hills/in drive)

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    Parking Brake doesn't work SOMETIMES (works worse on hills/in drive)

    Okay, so on my '94 Grand Marquis, I like to use the parking brake when I park, especially on a hill. Unfortunately sometimes the pedal just plain doesn't work. Sometimes, especially when its on a hill, or in drive (just testing it, as you know you can't keep the parking brake engaged in drive), the pedal depresses with very little effort and it has absolutely no braking effect. So in an effort to see what was up, I just went outside, and while I was in park, pressed the brake down, absolutely no effort needed and it didn't feel like it was engaging ANYTHING. So I shifted to drive (the parking brake pedal came up with a snap), and the car took off fine. While moving forward at 5 MPH, I slowly pressed down on the parking brake, and it took me almost until the pedal reached the bottom of it's movable area when the I heard a sudden CLUNK coming from the rear tires, and the car started to slow down, eventually coming to a stop. Flipping to reverse and reversing at 5 MPH, I pushed down on the pedal, and it had a lot more resistance than it did before, I pressed down on the pedal and the car came to a halt (again, with that CLUNK in the back) after three clicks down on the brake.

    This is consistent all around, the brake has a hard time engaging while in drive, and is much more effective in reverse. After putting the car back in park, I pressed down on the pedal, and it worked (unlike when I started).

    So what's happening here, and what can I adjust to make it work?

    #2
    are there any pads left in there? remove the rear rotors and have a look. its not uncommon for the parking brake shoes to delaminate and leave you with just a metal shell. Sometimes the backing plates rust, and the shoe retainers fall out, letting the parts flop around. If they are intact, it may just be an adjustment. It adjusts like normal drum brakes with the star wheel at the bottom to set initial position. If they need replacing, you need to remove the axle shafts to change the shoes.
    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

    Originally posted by phayzer5
    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

    Comment


      #3
      I've managed to replace those parking brake shoes without pulling the axles on a 97.
      And the e-brake cable may need adjusting along with the shoes.

      Comment


        #4
        for all the bother of it, I'd use it as an excuse to change the diff oil and inspect the axle shafts. Probably takes about the same amount of time.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          hmm... I'm actually still running the original pads on my 93. but flat lander and texas' lack of winter worth talking about make for long lasting parts.

          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
          Originally posted by gadget73
          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
          Originally posted by dmccaig
          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

          Comment


            #6
            pads or e-brake shoes? The shoes should never actually wear out, but the glue lets go sometimes and the friction materials falls off. At that point you're basically SOL and have to replace them if you want it to work.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

            Comment


              #7
              yeah... wrong word... the e-brake shoes. Rear pads have been replaced twice. Fronts... about 4 times.

              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
              Originally posted by gadget73
              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
              Originally posted by dmccaig
              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

              Comment


                #8
                Okay, so let me get this straight. The brake shoes in the rear have different shoes for both the regular brakes and the parking brake, or do they use the same pad? If I had worn out pads, wouldn't that cause a horrible decrease in braking power? Don't get me wrong, I'll Jack it up and pull off the tire and stuff, see what's going on in there, but I'm just hoping I don't need a brake job. Pads on discs are easy. Shoes on drums...not so much. At least I'm not familiar with them.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by AmuletOfNight View Post
                  Okay, so let me get this straight. The brake shoes in the rear have different shoes for both the regular brakes and the parking brake, or do they use the same pad? If I had worn out pads, wouldn't that cause a horrible decrease in braking power? Don't get me wrong, I'll Jack it up and pull off the tire and stuff, see what's going on in there, but I'm just hoping I don't need a brake job. Pads on discs are easy. Shoes on drums...not so much. At least I'm not familiar with them.
                  They use shoes inside the rotor for the parking brake, which is a terrible design. Take the caliper off and knock the rotor off, shoes are probably either really badly adjusted, or have separated.
                  You don't have to pull the axle to replace them, though I guess it would make it easier.
                  2020 F250 - 7.3 4x4 CCSB STX 3.55's - BAKFlip MX4
                  2005 Grand Marquis GS - Marauder sway bars, Marauder exhaust, KYB's
                  2003 Marauder - Trilogy # 8, JLT, kooks, 2.5" exhaust, 4.10's/31 spline, widened rear's, metco's, addco's, ridetech's 415hp/381tq
                  1987 Colony Park - 03+ frame swap, blown Gen II Coyote, 6R80, ridetechs, stainless works, absolute money pit. WIP

                  Comment


                    #10
                    book procedure calls for pulling the axle. no idea how you'd get them in there without doing it. no room to work. people claim to have done it, but i cant see how.
                    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                    Originally posted by phayzer5
                    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                    Comment


                      #11
                      angle nose pliers. It's a very tight fit, but can be done.

                      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                      Originally posted by gadget73
                      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                      Originally posted by dmccaig
                      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Okay, I'm officially confused. I pulled the tire off and we have rear disc brakes...but...how? I thought that was an LS model option! Okay, so the parking brake doesn't work with the disc brakes...uh....I'm looking at the outside pad right now and it looks brand new, never used. Could it be my rear brakes haven't worked ever?

                        Comment


                          #13
                          The pads on the rotor are controlled by the main hydraulic system. The parking brake shoes are controlled by the cable. A problem with one would not affect the other. The rear pads should wear less than the front pads, but if there's no wear, then it might be a stuck caliper.

                          2000 Grand Marquis LS HPP, a hand-me-down in 2008 with 128,000 km; 175,000 km as of July 2014
                          mods: air filter box 'tuba', headlight relay harness, J-mod (around 186,350 km), 70mm throttle body, KYB Gas-A-Just shocks, aluminum driveshaft, ARA3 PCM

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by IPreferDIY View Post
                            The pads on the rotor are controlled by the main hydraulic system. The parking brake shoes are controlled by the cable. A problem with one would not affect the other. The rear pads should wear less than the front pads, but if there's no wear, then it might be a stuck caliper.
                            Okay, so take off the caliper and knock off the rotor, there should be brake shoes in there as well? And an adjuster?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              adjuster is on the back side of the plate, should be down at the bottom, accessed through a slot. It may have the rubber plug in there yet.

                              Make sure there is friction material on the parking brake shoes before you fool with adjusting them. No point making it tighter if the shoes need replacing.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment

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