2005 MCS

I recently changed rear brake pads, so I had the ebrake cable off. I know how to turn the nut underneath the ebrake handle, but I'm wondering how to tell if it's adjusted correctly?

On my driveway slope, 6 clicks on the ebrake will fully engage the ebrake and hold the car in place. I'm getting the same mileage as I was prior to the rear pad replacement. So far so good.

What concerns me is that the rear brakes feel hot (using my hand, not a temp gauge) after a normal drive. Also, when I jack up the rear wheel and spin the tire, there is a tiny bit of brake pad contact which slows down the spinning tire. Obviously this is with the ebrake off. Should I be expecting a freely spinning tire, like on a skateboard or bicycle wheel?

Thanks for any insight.
Matt

 

I just did my brakes, and just retracted the pistons and let it automatically adjust (set the ebrake a few times.) A little bit of contact is ok, but I don't think it should noticeably slow/stop the tire.
I would 'un adjust' the nut at the ebrake handle and let the automatic adjuster do it's thing.
Note: You don't need to remove the cable from the caliper if just changing pads.

 

Why did you disconnect the cable?

Did you rotate the rear caliper piston before installing the new pads? This can cause the pad to not fully "retract".

Because this is a disc brake there shouldn't be any reason to adjust the parking brake unless there is a problem with the parts.

 

The cables stretch a bit over time. The general rule is 6 clicks until it is as tight as you can make it on a daily basis.... You don t need to strong arm it.

 

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like my ebrake is fine.

I followed the Haynes manual which called for removing the ebrake cable before retracting the piston. Seems to be an unnecessary step.

 

haha Haynes says that ?? Very unnecessary... even on old cars where the pistons and cables may be sticky... As long as you use the rear piston tool its easy