Emergency brake---click, click,click-PING!!!

[2foci1festy]

Yep...mine made that sound last night. Broke near the driver's side drum. How much of a pain in the ass is it going to be to replace and are there any tip and tricks to doing it?

[Velvet Festiva]

In the same boat as you...Im guessing that your going to have to get that cable from a junkyard. :/

[Tim]

Replacing the e-brake isn't that hard.

It took me and one of my friends about an hour to do it.

There's no real secret to it, except you have to pull the carpet up by the brake handle in order to remove the old cable.


Before you go about doing this, check to see if the e-brake actuators on the drums are rusted or frozen. They were the cause of my cable snapping.


Regards,

Tim

[Velvet Festiva]

Hmm well mine broke trying to tighten it up. Where did you get a new one?

[Tim]

Junkyard. Cost me $15.


Regards,

Tim

[2foci1festy]

I got a new one through a friend of mine in a dealer parts department. It lists for $110 but I got it for less than that. It's the complete cable system and all mounts from the lever to the rear brakes on both sides. I should have some fun with it on my day off.

[gdawgs]

I never bother using my hand brake anymore since it doesn't work anymore. It quit working on my last one as well. My dad's no longer works either. Must be a common theme. Eventually the actuator inside the drum locks up. I fixed the one on my first Festiva by taking off the mechanism, soaking it in penetrating oil for a long time, then I put it in the vice and beat on it with a hammer back and forth for a long time until they moved freely again. After that it worked for a year or two, then locked up again. To me, it's not worth taking them apart again to fix it, so I just don't use it anymore. No hills within 35 miles of here.

I'm guessing this is the same reason why there are quite a few broken cables. Hmmm, hand brake isn't holding, I'll just adjust up the handle even further, and pull even harder.

[2foci1festy]

Well I must have a working parking brake for two reasons.

1. I live in Virginia. There are inspections once a year and the brake has to work or you fail.

2. Not only do I live in VA, I live in southwest VA, so hills are everywhere. I'm lucky I have a flat spot at home and at work I can park in. Not having a parking really limits where I can drive.

[gdawgs]

I'm glad we don't have inspections. Sounds like a major pain.

So does anyone else have the problem of the hand brake mechanism, or is it just me???

[Tim]

Most e-brake failures are caused by rusted actuators and yanking waaaaay too hard....


Regards,

Tim