Miata Mailing List: November 1999, Message #330

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>From: don gallemore <gallemore@centuryinter.net>
>Subject: Help,
>Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1999 21:59:44 -0500
>
>Does anyone know how to correctly adjust the parking brake on a Miata???
>
>My dealer tells me that the parking brake was not designed to hold the
>car still.
>
>Don

Your dealer is plain wrong. My drive-way is about a 1 in 4 slope. Hand-brake
holds fine. (but hasnt always been that way).

I found an extra adjustment that isnt documented anywhere.

Most books, miata.net, etc, list the hex adjustment screws in the caliper,
and the cable adjuster inside the car on the lever....

But I've also found you can greatly change the efficiency of the hand-brake
by adjusting the length of the cable-outer sheaths that go to each rear
caliper.

These sheaths have a thread on the end, and two nuts, that hold them onto
brackets on the rear calipers. By moving the two nuts together up or down
the thread, you can change the effective length of the cable-outer.

I've forgotten if you want them longer or shorter. Whatever it was, it
seemed counter-intuitive to me, and I have the repair bills to prove it, so
be carefull. Test it out on the flat, not my drive-way :-(

Good Luck,

Fletch.