Releasing Parking brake on my 91 ZR1

[bongo577]

A few years ago I asked how to operate the parking brake(My first C4) and you guys pointed me in the right direction....now She's really stuck!!! I've had nothing but problems with the parking brake and don't use it anymore....a friend was driving the car and before I could tell her not to set the e brake ...it was too late......I've tried for hours and it won't release! What are my other options....I don't care if it ever works again I just want it released....I took the rear wheels off and removed the e brake springs thinking these my release the the brake...no luck Suggestions??? Thanks in advance John

[Corvette95]

I just did this on mine after rear caliper rebuilds. First, NEVER release the springs on the rear calipers without disconnecting the cable at the handbrake. There is also disconnecting the main line at the "TEE" in the rear of the car. Being the rear springs are disconnected, you cant go by the book. Remove the brake cover bring the brake up and release it back done. Push the black carrier behind the brake lever down as far as it will go, take needle nose pliers or a vice grip and pull the cable forward (it will be close) and remove the cable from the carrier- take a picture first...it is kinda like an accelerator cable. At the rear, make sure the cable are in each sides metal brackets and make sure the metal cables haven't pulled out of the sheething (likely has),put the metal cables back in place at their crimps, then reconnect the cables to the rear calipers, lube the TEE mechanism in the rear, go back up front, take vice grips
(may take multiple tries) and pull the cable bacl on the hand brake carrier (will be very tight tolerences) , there are adjustment on the rear calipers that are tiny allen heads or torx that allows you to adjust emergency brake, you can do that by the FSM at that point.

[bongo577]

Thank You! I have a dumb question.....If I cut the cable would it release the e brake???


John

[Young1]

Remove the driver seat, remove the cover on the e brake handle assembly. Maybe it is rusted badly or has old change stuck in it. Maybe the issue is not all at the caliper. If the caliper cables are removed does the cable assembly work smoothly? If so it is in the calipers somewhere?

[Corvette95]

If you have removed the cables from the rear calipers you don’t have an emergency brake unless the adjustment screws are really WAY off. Fix it, it won’t be that bad or take it to a shop, one hour at most.

[billschroeder5842]

Originally Posted by bongo577

Thank You! I have a dumb question.....If I cut the cable would it release the e brake???
John

Yes, it will take the pressure off the rear brake. However, you will need to fix your lever issue when (if) you re install.

[Paul Workman]

First...a truly stuck e-brake is very rare on a C4. Yours, if truly a mechanical malfunction, would be the first one I recall in my 18 years owning C4s and following this or the Corvette Forum web sites.

Safety item: I wouldn't recommend (removing) the parking brake! Example: If ever you have to stop where the car will roll back when you take your foot off the brake - even for an instant - holding the parking brake while you get your foot on the accelerator is important - especially if there is someone hugging you rear bumper!

AND, that would be a real "BUBBA mechanic" thing to do + a safety issue. During one of the Mountain Runs (2016?) one of the guys in the group I was leading, boiled his brake fluid descending a mountain (Tail of the Dragon). Down shifting and applying the emergency/parking brake was what enabled him to stop on a turn-out long enough to let his brakes cool enough to tip-toe to the bottom. (As it happened, Jim Voter had a pint of brake fluid in his emergency kit (great idea!). With a group effort, we bled his brakes in a level parking area and were able to fill them with fresh fluid on the spot.)

Now, PLEASE don't take offense, but it wouldn't be the first time (someone new to a C4) set the emergency brake and didn't know to hold the release button down as the brake handle is yanked up to release the ratchet catch before lowering the handle to the store position. More than one emissions station attendant has set the e-brake and then not knowing how to release it, powered through it to run the emissions test and burnt out the e-brake!!

It should be an easy fix. If you need parts, Jason @ Vette2Vette (Corvette dismantler) can fix you up with parts if needed.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by bongo577

A few years ago I asked how to operate the parking brake(My first C4) and you guys pointed me in the right direction....now She's really stuck!!! I've had nothing but problems with the parking brake and don't use it anymore....a friend was driving the car and before I could tell her not to set the e brake ...it was too late......I've tried for hours and it won't release! What are my other options....I don't care if it ever works again I just want it released....I took the rear wheels off and removed the e brake springs thinking these my release the the brake...no luck Suggestions??? Thanks in advance John

Try taking off the ebrake cover and look at the mechanical operations.

There is a "tab" that needs to push another piece. It may be misaligned. If so you can grab the brake lever and bend it back into alignment.

I would post a picture if I was near my car n spare ebrake lever.

[secondchance]

Location of the parking brake lever is such (right under the driver side window) that, when the window is left open, water gets inside and rust the mechanism. I would take off the plastic cover, note if there is rust build up, and try to free obvious rusted pieces and lubricate as needed.
I would try this first followed by checking the parking brake lever at the rear calipers.