[DeTomaso] Parking brake spring

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/8/12 2:03:33 PM, jjdetrich at gmail.com writes:

> I am having trouble getting my parking brake to release. Do the springs 
> at the caliper go bad? Would anyone have a spare I could buy?
> 

The spring at the rear caliper sometimes breaks- usually from rust. If the 
hairpin springs on the calipers aren't broken and the long extension spring 
at the front bellcrank is also OK, sometimes the cable jacket builds up rust 
inside, interfering with the e-brake releasing. A little oil- possibly the 
first the cable has ever gotten since it was made- would free things up. 
This may take a while- or even removal and soaking in a tub of oil.

One wide-body car I'm familiar with had undercoating applied while the 
e-brake was on at a shop. The undercoating got inside the cable thru cracks in 
the plastic cover, and set up hard. So the e-brake could not be released and 
the owner didn't notice the extra drag driving the car afterwards. Which 
burned off the e-brake shoes that he then found were no longer available. It 
took complete removal of the cable followed by soaking in solvent for days to 
soften the muck enough so the cable was again useable. Months were spent 
sourcing and fitting replacement shoes from England for the late car's little 
pair-of-pliers e-brakes. I understand things are better supply-wise now. Good 
luck- J DeRyke