Replaced rotors, now parking brake doesn't hold on hills

Phil G · 12-30-2011, 11:03 PM

Hey guys,

Title pretty much says it all. Is this just a strange coincidence that my parking brake no longer holds after replacing rotors, or are they related? Car's overall braking power while driving definitely has not decreased at all.

kevin@bavarianx · 12-31-2011, 01:01 AM

You can try driving on your road around 5MPH and slowly engage your hand brake so it can make a coating film on the inside of your rotor for the brake shoes. You should eventually get back the friction or else you would need to adjust the parking shoes on the rear rotors.

GummyWermz · 12-31-2011, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sales@bavarianx

You can try driving on your road around 5MPH and slowly engage your hand brake so it can make a coating film on the inside of your rotor for the brake shoes. You should eventually get back the friction or else you would need to adjust the parking shoes on the rear rotors.

what he said. i'm assuming you replaced the rear rotors. there's an adjustment nut inside the parking brake drum.

Crusader · 12-31-2011, 09:35 PM

IIRC (this from way back), you back the car up and apply parking brake to adjust as you're rolling backward.

fdriller9 · 01-02-2012, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty.M3

what he said. i'm assuming you replaced the rear rotors. there's an adjustment nut inside the parking brake drum.

Yea you need to adjust the parking brake shoes. There's no film to get off or anything.

You just need to adjust it so it clamps as soon as you pull the lever but doesn't drag when it's off.

Jack the rear up by the diff (not the cover!), take the wheels off (both sides), then you rotate the rotors until you see the adjust screw. Push the screw until the rotors don't move then back off a few clicks. Repeat on the other side.

Car needs to be in neutral to do this.

g9sBMW · 02-17-2012, 12:25 PM

Sorry to thread jack but. . .

Rear rotors won't come off, which way do you turn the adjuster screwto contract the shoes in away from rotor?

SloppyJoe · 02-19-2012, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g9sBMW

Sorry to thread jack but. . .

Rear rotors won't come off, which way do you turn the adjuster screwto contract the shoes in away from rotor?

Did you remember to release the handbrake? If you did then the hub is probably seized to the rotor, you can whack it a few times with rubber mallet to try to get it off. Mine was stuck so bad I had to borrow a jaw puller from autozone to get it off.

Phil G · 02-19-2012, 05:26 PM

Guys, thanks for the help. I did try the "pull up the parking brake at 5 mph" trick a few times, and it did help a little...it will hold on slight inclines. However, the car still rolls on steep inclines. I will probably just need to take the wheels off one day and adjust when I have time (which I don't now).

g9s, to answer your question, it can take a LOT of hard and aggressive hammering to knock the rotors off. I had to buy a 3 lb hammer and continuously hit my rotors at different places on the hub (and I mean taking long, powerful swings too) for at least 10 minutes before they finally broke free of the rust. Using WD-40 or PB may help too.

It surprised me how much time and hammering force it took to knock them loose...I almost felt like I was going to damage the hub or something else. But, you have to consider, if the hub can take pothole impacts under the full weight of the car at higher speeds, it can take you hammering the crap out of the rotor attached to it for a long while.

ciomas · 02-20-2012, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil G

Guys, thanks for the help. I did try the "pull up the parking brake at 5 mph" trick a few times, and it did help a little...it will hold on slight inclines. However, the car still rolls on steep inclines. I will probably just need to take the wheels off one day and adjust when I have time (which I don't now).

g9s, to answer your question, it can take a LOT of hard and aggressive hammering to knock the rotors off. I had to buy a 3 lb hammer and continuously hit my rotors at different places on the hub (and I mean taking long, powerful swings too) for at least 10 minutes before they finally broke free of the rust. Using WD-40 or PB may help too.

It surprised me how much time and hammering force it took to knock them loose...I almost felt like I was going to damage the hub or something else. But, you have to consider, if the hub can take pothole impacts under the full weight of the car at higher speeds, it can take you hammering the crap out of the rotor attached to it for a long while.

so did you remember to release the hanbrake or not? Im sure hammering the rotors with the strength you just described would damage them and cause vibration later when braking...

g9sBMW · 02-20-2012, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SloppyJoe

Quote:

Originally Posted by g9sBMW

Sorry to thread jack but. . .

Rear rotors won't come off, which way do you turn the adjuster screwto contract the shoes in away from rotor?

Did you remember to release the handbrake? If you did then the hub is probably seized to the rotor, you can whack it a few times with rubber mallet to try to get it off. Mine was stuck so bad I had to borrow a jaw puller from autozone to get it off.

Yes handbrake was off, I too had to buy a dead blow 3lb hammer and PB Blaster. A rubber mallet is not heavy enough and recoils.

Phil G · 02-20-2012, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ciomas

so did you remember to release the hanbrake or not? Im sure hammering the rotors with the strength you just described would damage them and cause vibration later when braking...

Yes, handbrake was off. Also, I still don't know I'd worry about damage. From my research, this actually is across the board a pretty common method of knocking rotors loose. I've seen it used in instructional videos, other forums, etc for plenty of other makes and models out there as well. Everyone, feel free to correct me if I am wrong here though.

12-30-2011, 11:03 PM	#1
Phil G Dominator of Deep South curvy roads 51 Rep 340 Posts Drives: '07 335i Coupe Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	Replaced rotors, now parking brake doesn't hold on hills Hey guys, Title pretty much says it all. Is this just a strange coincidence that my parking brake no longer holds after replacing rotors, or are they related? Car's overall braking power while driving definitely has not decreased at all. __________________ -'07 335i coupe (build date 02/2007) - Space Grey/Black Dakota/Dark Burl - 6MT/ZPP/ZSP/Nav/CA/Heated Seats. Acquired in Munich 3/2007 via European Delivery. 16 years and almost 220k miles of pure joy! -'06 911 Carrera S - Black/Black - Full Leather/Sport Chrono/Porsche Sport Exhaust/Nav - 80k miles. Acquired 1/2021. One needy old German car just wasn't enough!
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

12-31-2011, 01:01 AM	#2
kevin@bavarianx Banned 33 Rep 812 Posts Drives: E36 M3 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Brea, CA iTrader: (3)	You can try driving on your road around 5MPH and slowly engage your hand brake so it can make a coating film on the inside of your rotor for the brake shoes. You should eventually get back the friction or else you would need to adjust the parking shoes on the rear rotors.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-31-2011, 09:35 PM	#4
Crusader Private First Class 15 Rep 157 Posts Drives: E92 M-sport Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southeast iTrader: (0)	IIRC (this from way back), you back the car up and apply parking brake to adjust as you're rolling backward.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

02-17-2012, 12:25 PM	#6
g9sBMW Lieutenant 23 Rep 517 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 328i Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (8) Garage List 2007 328i Sedan [0.00]	Sorry to thread jack but. . . Rear rotors won't come off, which way do you turn the adjuster screwto contract the shoes in away from rotor? __________________ [2007 328i\|Black Sapphire\|Terra Leather\|6 MT\|Xenon headlights\|BMW Alarm\|Clear Bra\|Stainless Steel Pedal Pads\|Black Line Tails\|MTEC V3.0 Angel Eyes\|HUPER OPTIK 30 Ceramic TINT\|GPThunder Fogs\|LED License Plate mod\|Sport Shocks/Springs upgrade\|ZHP Shift Knob\|//M Dead Pedal\|Matte Black Grill\|Aluminum Strut Bar\|Cyba Air Scoops\|Rear Fog Switch\|Perforated Mtech Wheel\|Miro 935s\|Hankook v12 evo Tires\|BMW SSK]\| BMW PE
	Appreciate 0 Quote

02-19-2012, 05:26 PM	#8
Phil G Dominator of Deep South curvy roads 51 Rep 340 Posts Drives: '07 335i Coupe Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	Guys, thanks for the help. I did try the "pull up the parking brake at 5 mph" trick a few times, and it did help a little...it will hold on slight inclines. However, the car still rolls on steep inclines. I will probably just need to take the wheels off one day and adjust when I have time (which I don't now). g9s, to answer your question, it can take a LOT of hard and aggressive hammering to knock the rotors off. I had to buy a 3 lb hammer and continuously hit my rotors at different places on the hub (and I mean taking long, powerful swings too) for at least 10 minutes before they finally broke free of the rust. Using WD-40 or PB may help too. It surprised me how much time and hammering force it took to knock them loose...I almost felt like I was going to damage the hub or something else. But, you have to consider, if the hub can take pothole impacts under the full weight of the car at higher speeds, it can take you hammering the crap out of the rotor attached to it for a long while.
	Appreciate 0 Quote