RedZoneOS

Hi guys, just started doing maintenance on my own, having some issues so i figured i'd join up this forum and get help now and hopefully in the future

I decided to change my rear brakes (first time ever). It was a complete pain in the A$$, but I managed to finally get it done. I replaced "everything". drum, shoes, all the little springs, clips, self adjuster.

So my issue is, I couldn't get one of the E-brake cables reconnected. Try as hard as I might, the cable was just too short. If I got it on the brake lever, the adjuster would not seat properly because of the tension.

I decided to leave it disconnected since I have never used my E-brake anyway (auto). So that wheel (rear passanger), spins with zero friction while the other one seems to be scraping on something comes to a stop pretty quickly while the car is on jack stands...I'm of course assuming that this is a result of that e-brake cable being installed

questions:
1. Is it okay to run the car with both cables disconnected?
2. Will the self-adjuster still work without the cables attached?
3. I'm confident I've checked/rechecked/rerechecked everything and I know all other parts are installed correctly. Is there any other reason why that cable would seemingly feel "too short"

**Note**
1998 honda civic EX auto non-ABS

I took on the brake change because the right rear brake (same side that the e-brake doesn't fit on) was squeaking a lot while I was driving at low speeds

MadVladCivic

Try adjustment of the park brake. Remove the center console
and loosen the 12mm nut that secures the park brake cables
and the equalizer to the park brake lever. Adjust accordingly.

You should consult the manual for the exact procedure.
I believe the park brake cables need be connected for the
self-adjustment mechanism to function properly. OTOH, if
the cables are not connected, you have no e-brake capability.

RedZoneOS

hey thanks for responding mad. honestly I don't care if my ebrake doesn't work, i've never used it once (12 years owning this car). As long as I can manually adjust the self-adjuster whenever i do my tire rotations I'm good with that.

I'm having other issues as well though. My peddle just hits the floor now, and the car only stops rolling (barely) when the peddle is all the way down!!

I'll try to bleed my brakes again, although I thought I did it correctly the first time... anything else you think maybe causing this new issue??

kdm3170

the dragging could be because u just put new pads on and didnt push the piston all the way in and the thicker pads is still touching. the ebrake wouldnt b a problem as long as it isnt required for your state inspections. theres the adjuster on the ebrake lever there should b another 1 on the end of the cable at the wheel. and u might have to push/pull the lever on the drum to give it enuff room to connect

andyz

The amount of wrong and dangerous information here is shocking.

That aside...so it was squeaking before and now it is too short? Sounds like either something is installed backwards, that e brake lever gizmo is kinda not obvious how it goes once you take it apart.
Or I think your cable is seized or kinked in some way.

If you pedal is going to the floor, make sure you adjust the self adjuster out and put the wheel back on and spin it, it should stop after a turn or two or three whatever, but it shouldn't just spin and spin.
BOTH SIDES!

You really shouldn't drive anywhere with the cable off.. Hydraulic failures are quite possible. And if you're going downhill somewhere, man, you gonna have NOTHING.

MadVladCivic

Did you position the new self-adjuster appropriately after installation?
You will likely have to use "triangulation" if you do not elect to access
the adjusters via the port in the backing plate (filled w/ a rubber plug).
Move the adjuster such that the drum will not fit over the shoes.
Then, back off the adjuster little by little until you can slip on the drum.
There is a procedure at youtube describing how to adjust drum
brakes.

You should not drive wo/ an e-brake unless you are limping to
the service station. You will also need it for parking on inclines.

You'll notice there is a "slug" on the end of the park brake cable
where it is held in the groove by the park brake lever (the one that
connects to one of the shoes). Are you sure the "shorter" one is
seated properly? Notice how that level attaches to the self-adjuster
via a vertical spring.

It could be that your shoes are so far off the mark that pedal travel
is on the absurd side. Keep in mind that the drums provide about
30% of stopping power. Adjust the shoes closer to the drum as
noted above. Then back them off as you fine-tune.

Of course, after you resolve this, you will need to adjust your park
brake. The procedure is in the manual

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

When people make statements like these, it's best not to offer up any more suggestions. If the OP refuses to get the car back to a factory state then let him drive it in the state it's in.

Obviously the brake job was botched at some stage. OP needs to go back and check his work, preferably with a field service manual at hand.

RedZoneOS

no reason to advise or dishearten others from making suggestions. I didn't join this forum to ignore the "factory state" and blow off how a car should function. I was simply seeking alternatives for a problem that I could not resolve (even if my logic was flawed).

Thanks to the suggestions made here I did manage to resolve my issue, and for the record, my install wasn't "botched".

Still don't know exactly what the problem was, but somehow the spring that covers the ebrake cable was too tight. I cut about 4 rotations off of it, stretched it out a bit so its not quite as tense, and now everything works perfectly.

thanks mad/andyz/grumble/kdm

Now, to start a new thread with a whole new mess i created with my struts...grrr

92lxsleeper

there is no way to use the adjusters outside of the drums. the auto adjusters work by pumping the brakes while driving in reverse, and or setting and releasing the parking brake

Former User

andyz

Not on a Honda.

They adjust by simply applying the hydraulic brake.

And there is a hole in the backing plate for fine tuning

RedZoneOS

had a couple of follow up questions.

I've been driving my car around for a week or so now and no issues with the rear brakes so it seems I did okay. My brake pedal is pumping a bit though (meaning it feels shaky when I brake, not sure if this is the right way to describe it).

Anything that could be wrong with my rear brakes that would cause this? I'm thinking I need to do my front brakes next, but not really sure how to check for wear.

thanks!

jbpnoman

Pedal vibration is (generally) caused by warped rotors or drums. If you installed brand new drums, the rotors are the next place to look. Look at getting them machined before you look at replacing them, though - any brake or machine shop should be able to turn them for you for a lot cheaper than it would cost to replace them (with anything worth two *****, at least). As long as they can be turned within spec, do that.

RedZoneOS

thanks! i'll do a bit of research and see if i want to take on this job myself, or just pay a local shop, rear brakes were a complete and utter pain in the a$$!!

jbpnoman

Discs are a LOT easier to work on than drums. Don't be scared of it.