E36 brakes

["Nick Pashley" <NickPashley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Something to note here is that the handbrake shoes should never wear out
under normal use.  The only adjustment that should be needed is that of the
adjustment and lock nut on the handbrake (parking brake) lever itself.  I
would deter you from checking the lining on the shoes themselves since rust
will build up on the inner part of the drum, which when removing the
disc/drum assembly, will destroy your shoe lining.  If you adjust your
handbrake, and there is an acceptable movement on the lever, yet the car is
not braked satisfactorily, then I would suggest looking at the shoes.

I went through this last year and ended up destroying a perfectly good set
of brake shoes (even though the car had done 100,000 miles).  All the E36s I
have seen appear to have excessive adjustment on the handbrake lever nuts,
but this is due to the poor design of adjustment inside the drum for
original setting up.

To ensure you adjust both sides correctly, pull the handbrake partially on
and make sure each side is of the same degree of tightness.  The proof is to
stop the car on a hill, roll slowly backwards, put the handbrake on, and
check that both sides of the car pitch up the same amount.......

Nick Pashley

BTW, I still have original dampers after 120,000 miles, nothing to be proud
of I am sure.

> 1) brake shoes are worn
> 2) cables needs to be adjusted
>
> The parking brake is a mechanical drum brake, located inside the center
> portion of your rear rotors.  There is a small set of brake shoes inside.
> It's very easy to pull the rear rotors and remove them.
>
> Adjusting the cables is done at the parking brake handle inside the car.
> There is an adjusting nut for each cable.  There is a procedure to adjust
> them; it's listed in the Bentley manual.

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