Adjusting Parking Brake on a C3

[Henri Kroeze]

Hello all,

I need to adjust the new parking brake hardware on my 1979 Corvette. There is this tiny wheel behind the brake disks where you can adjust the amount of pre-pressure applied between the brake pads & the 'drum'.

What direction should I turn the tiny adjusting wheel to increase this pre-pressure, with the choice of 'up' and 'down'? The disks are already installed and so are the calipers, so a quick 'peek' behind the disk is not possible...

Sorry for the terrible description, but English is not my 'native' language...

Henri Kroeze, the Netherlands

[Joe L.]

Re: Adjusting Parking Brake on a C3

Henri-----

I've forgotten at the moment which direction adjusts the brake shoes out, but my recollection is that it's "up" (away from the floor). In any event, this information is provided in the GM Corvette Service Manual, a copy of which you should have if you're working on your Corvette. Also, I suggest that you assiduously follow the procedure shown in the manual for adjusting the parking brakes. This can be a "tricky" adjustment as there is a very fine point between creating too much brake drag when the brake is "off" and not enough braking action to hold the car on a hill when the brake is "on".

[Roberto L.]

Re: Adjusting Parking Brake on a C3

Hello Henry, think in the tiny wheel as a bolt in a thread. If you insert a screwdriver through the hole to contact wheel and you move your hand up, teeth contacting screwdriver will go down, wheel will rotate counter clock wise (CCW) and shoes will expand.

All best from another with crossover language sindrome

Roberto, NCRS #30019, RMC

[Wild Bill]

Re: Adjusting Parking Brake on a C3

Henri,

The above is accurate,as long as the adjusters are installed in the proper direction.

The right adjuster should have the star wheel end towards the front of the car.

The left adjuster has the wheel towards the rear.

Check that, then use the service manual. Good luck!

Wild Bill

[Jim T.]

Re: Adjusting Parking Brake on a C3

Loosen brake cable at the equalizer until the parking brake levers more freely to the off position with slack in the cables. Tighten the adjusting screw (starwheel) by moving hand away from the floor on both the right and left sides. Tighten until the disc will not move, then back off six to eight notches. Finish the parking brake adjustment.