Tightening EBrake

[Drifter]

I lot of people have suggested tightening the ebrake cable to get rid of rattling from the TI. I have a rattling that I think may be caused by my ebrake because my BRAKE light on the dash lights up when I lift the ebrake lever before I get any tension from the ebrake.

I want to try to tighten it tommorrow. Can anyone give me a few tips? Do you need to get under the car to do it?

Thanks

[schussey]

i am wondering how to do this as well- - i know to go as far as lifting the ebrake boot, then do not know where to go from there

[hotdog19d]

All you have to do is adjust the nuts that are on both sides of the handle. The top nut is the locking nut all you have to do is loosen it then tighten the one below that to tighten the brake. Just tighten them both evenly.

[schussey]

i will give it a try

[1996 328ti]

There is also an adjustement through the rear rotors.

[yeehawbob]

To adjust the handbrake you need to carefully pull up the leather gaiter by the rear of the base and pull out of the way it turns until it's inside out. Put the car in 5th gear and slowly release the handbrake. Undo the top locking nut and adjust the handbrake travel by tightening or loosening the lower bolts i.e. tightening makes the travel shorter.

The handbrake is adjusted correctly when it takes between 5 and 10 clicks to be fully on, you can check both rear brakes are equally adjusted by slowly rolling the car forwards and stopping it on the handbrake, if you feel it rocks the car, the side that rises first is the side that is braking more than the other so either loosen it off a bit or tighten up the other side, don't rely on looking at the two threads and adjusting each one until they are equal as this doesn't take into account cable stretch and differing pad wear etc - this can clearly be seen in the picture, which I will attempt to attach, or PM me and will send it to your email. Hope everyone can see the picture.

One they are adjusted equally tighten the top locking bolts and clip the handbrake leather gating back into place.

[J!m]

I think 5 clicks is a bit high (but acceptable) and 10 is WAY TOO MANY. You will certainly have a cable rattle if it takes 10 clicks to hold the car.

I typically set it at 3 clicks, and re adjust when it gets to 5+.

Also, as said above, the pads will wear more than the cables will stretch. Before tightening the cables, make sure the shoes are properly adjusted. (just like old drum brakes, jack it up and rotate the wheel, etc.) Little, if any adjustment should be needed at the cable (but some stretch does occur).

A neat trick to adjust the cables is to apply the hand brake, slowly release and losten the adjustment nuts so they do not contact the lever. Set the nuts so they just touch, then count the turns on each side. You may have to do this a couple times, but this is how I do it, and I get very even wear on my parking brake shoes this way.

If you find that the shoes are adjusted properly, and the cable is at the end of it's thread to get three clicks, you most likely need new shoes. Check these before ordering those cables...

[dodj]

hi,

Sometimes when i put the handbrake on, the car will roll slightly before it holds, not always though!
does this mean it needs to be adjusted??

[J!m]

Once the break is on, the car should not move. Adjust the shoes, then the cable, as detailed above.

By the way, the parking brake drums are adjusted in between the wheel mounting lugs. You have to jack the car and remove the wheels.