Dragging Rear Brakes

[Nick]

I've been having problem with my rear brakes on my Continental for two years now. I had some credit at a shop for a seriously botched exhaust job and I left it to them to fix the brakes. It's Karma I guess because I knew the job wouldn't be easy and I thought it would only be fair since they hosed me on the exhaust. It's already been a call back once for the e-brake not holding. I'll keep going back as needed, but I would like it fixed once and for all.

Well, they put on new calipers and they were really dragging with the emergency cables hooked up. I disconnected them and they are still dragging slightly. The right side is worse than the left. I am pretty sure I cranked the lever for the brakes all the way back. Any ideas how they could still be dragging? Any ideas on why the parking brake cable seems a little short, preventing a full release? I think the only section of cable not replaced yet is the one connected to the foot pedal. There is a vacuum leak that isn't letting the self-release work, but the manual release should fully release the brakes, right?

[Steve Moran]

You should have an adjustmant for the cable right where it loops at the front, the cable that comes from inside the car will have a thread and a nut that is used to adjust the cable as needed.
The calipers could be moved in due to the tightnewss of the cable and you could simply fix this by removing the pads and turning the piston in roughly 1/4 turn.

[nicholas77586]

sounds like the cable isnt the problem, with it dragging atleast. I have had problems with that cable to, to lengthen it there should be an adjustment under the car where the drivers seat it, thats where i tightened mine. They might have installed the calipers wrong, I mean, they did mess up your exhaust right. there is a certain tool needed to remove the calieper correctly,and they might have goofed that up. Are the calipers retracting all the way?

[Nick]

The calipers are new and I haven't taken a look at it yet. I will turn the piston back into the calipers and see what it does from there. I will try to lengthen the cable via the spot mentioned. Maybe I can have them not drag then. Hopefully, it will still pull enough to engage the parking brakes fully.

[nicholas77586]

Did you fix it, IF it where me I would delete the whole system but state inspection needs them.

[Nick]

State inspection in MA needs them too. Besides, I'm too anal to hack anything off. I'd rather have systems working correctly.

I've been trying to install a new header panel so I never got around to brakes yet.