DIY: How to easily adjust the handbrake/emergency brake handle.

Hello People

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Probably pretty obvious to some people, but here's a noob friendly guide.

So previously I had to pull the handbrake up way too far for it to even start to engage, and all the videos I found involved tightening it at the drum, which is more of a hassle than its really worth.

This is a simpler fix, at the handle. I did this on the automatic '98 LX sedan, though I don't see it being too different for others.

1. Make sure it's safe for you to mess with the handbrake without the car rolling into something. For me doing this on a sloped driveway, this meant actually parking the car in Park, instead of Neutral (gotta love that ignition switch recall).
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2. Remove the plastic trim surrounding the handle. It's just held in with clips, so pull on it. Just be a little careful you don't break anything. I start at the front (towards the dash) and move to the back.
Best way I found is to first remove the trim surrounding the shifter, and then pulling up from underneath that. Then at the back, just pull up the trim from the gap behind the handbrake.
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3. You'll start to see the mechanism for the handbrake, but you won't really have access to the part we want to adjust.
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(Note the brass colored rod going to the back)

4. For that, open the lower/bigger compartment of your armrest/cubby. Take out anything you have stored in there. You'll see where the bottom of it has a seam to remove the panel.
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you can try lifting it with a flathead screwdriver, but it's way easier to go underneath it and just push up near the front. Then slide it forward a little bit and it'll come right out.
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5. You should now see that. The two cables go for the left/right rear brakes. They attach to that bracket that connects it to the brass colored rod in the middle. There's an adjustment nut at the back.

6. Lower the handbrake. As in, just the way you would normally disengage it to go somewhere. Grab a wrench, I believe its either 11 or 12 mm, and tighten that nut to adjust it. The end of that rod (that connects to the handle) is threaded, so you're just adjusting that distance Up to you how much you want to tighten it.

7. Make sure you DON'T OVERTIGHTEN IT. You (probably) don't want to have it engaged when the handbrake is down. That's why you adjust it when its down, so you can leave a little bit of slack. Just wiggle the two cables to make sure they're not too tight.

8. Test it to make sure it's alright before putting everything back together. I was already in my driveway so I just put in neutral and let the car roll a bit, and then pulled the handbrake.

9. Once you're happy with it, put everything back together.

10. Become the FWD drifting king of your neighborhood next time it snows.
 

RedRyder

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Nice, so you just turn the nut that's at the back of the brass rod between the two cables that go to the rear?

Repped, and posted in Master DIY list.
 

Hello People

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Nice, so you just turn the nut that's at the back of the brass rod between the two cables that go to the rear?

Repped, and posted in Master DIY list.

Yep exactly. As you tighten it, it pulls the cables and bracket towards the front.
 

InspiredCG2

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Awesome! I was looking for this diy, but couldn't find it anywhere. Thank you! Simple can go long ways in this case haha
 
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