Parking brake not braking

[ejp2fast]

searched but didn't find anything pertaining to my issue. My emergency brake lever clicks, and the light comes on when engaged, and i adjusted that 10mm screw clockwise that tightens the cable.....as it was loose before... well, i tightened it as much as I can without the top of the nut touching the top of the interior trim piece around the brake... but my e-brake still does not stop the car when pulled.... do i now have to adjust it under the vehicle? I don't even know if my rear drums with the cable attached even work... how can i check that? anything else i need to check?

[Levitan]

There is a lever, on the back side of the rear spindle/hud that the e-brake cable is affixed with a pin and a cotter key. It has been my experience that the lever rusts inside on its pivot point, allowing it to not work. If that is the problem, take your rear brake assembly apart, with e-brake assembly held onto with a pair of vise grips, torch the living crap out of it, spray with PBBlaster, hammer it on the concrete floor, back and forth, until loose. May require torching 4 or 5 times before loosening. Then, what I did, not telling you to do this, I added a little anti-seize between the metal to metal points on the assembly, so it wouldn't happen again. Mine has worked fine ever since.
Re-assemble. Good time to pack your bearing and replace brake pads if needed.

[Ogrestiva]

On my old festiva the guy who had it just snipped the cable by the hub for some reason.

[ejp2fast]

Thanks Lev, i'll look at that!

[hawkdoc60]

Also, inspect the e-brake cable at the bracket just before it goes into the rear wheels. They are notorious for rusting through right there and it might be a bit difficult to tell at first glance.

[fastivaca]

I soaked the levers in "Release-all" for about 15 minutes which freed them up and then worked some brake lube into the joints before reinstalling. Didn't have to use a torch at all.

[Levitan]

I soaked the levers in "Release-all" for about 15 minutes which freed them up and then worked some brake lube into the joints before reinstalling. Didn't have to use a torch at all.

Does the e-brake work now?

[JoDan]

lol awhile ago i noticed my e-brake didnt work and it snapped at the drum.. is the lever stiff when you pull it or is it easy to pull

[BigWheel]

Festiva's have an e-brake?

[bhazard]

Mine will hold the car fairly still. It will not keep the car still if you try to take off. It will not stop the car, or lock up the wheels, except maybe on ice. Rear brakes are pretty much new.

[JoDan]

well you should get under your car and have some1 pull the lever for you to see whats goin on and if it looks good check the cable at the drums and then at the lever itself

[fastivaca]

Does the e-brake work now?

Works great! As long as you can get the joint on the levers freed up the e-brake will work. That's assuming there are no other issues with the system. The cable is prone to rusting out, particularly on the passenger side, where it goes through the last bracket before reaching the brake backing plate.

One of the things I look for on my JY visits it recently replaced e-brake cables.

[ejp2fast]

I just looked at the rear drum last night, and Levitan hit it on the head.. the lever that pivots to the center of the vehicle doesn't want to move... I didn't have much time, but I at least nailed it to that. So now when i get some nice weather I'll take the rear wheels off and see it I can't free those levers (both sides) By the way, how should these little levers move to fully engage the parking brake?

[Levitan]

When you get inside there, you'll see how they work and why yours did not. They just manually push/pull out to make your pads push against the drums. Then the clicker on your parking brake handle clicks in place to hold them there.

[Levitan]

Mine will hold the car fairly still. It will not keep the car still if you try to take off. It will not stop the car, or lock up the wheels, except maybe on ice. Rear brakes are pretty much new.

Sounds like yours just needs to be adjusted. There has to be an adjuster, I would think.