Adjusting hand brake for 2008 Mazda 3 hatch-back

[YepYep]

Should be same for all other models in the same generation right?

I noticed I need to pull the handle a bit high to fully engage the hand brake and I just used the size 10 wrench to adjust it right this morning...

What I want to ask is I remember the Mazda 3 hand brake is one kind of the auto-adjustable hand brake. You just need to pull it to the end for some times, and it will lock to a lower position by its own. I remember I did this type of adjusting some times before. But not this time...

I want to know if this means I will have some work to do later? I have a set of new disc and pads a year ago. But never touch the brake wire yet.

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[morganc]

The adjusting screw attached to the parking brake mechanism is only used to adjust out cable stretch. All parking brakes in most of automotive history are self adjusting in terms of maintaining the proper gap between pads/rotors or shoes/drums. You can have your pads air-tight against the rotor, but if your cable is stretched, you still have to adjust out the slack for it to engage.

[YepYep]

Thanks for the input Morgan ~

I think my 'self-adjusting' here only means how high we can pull the handle until it's locked up at a proper position ...

I.e. Usually we can pull the handle up and hear about 5 click sounds ( if for women, maybe they can only pull up for 3 to 4 clicks?!). But sometimes we don't need to pull it all the way to the end to provide enough parking brake power to the rear wheels...

And in the time before, use the same force apply to the brake handle, the brake cable will become loosed with time and you can pull the handle upper and upper to more clicks... Then I can pull it all the way to the end and release it and repeat this 2, 3 times and it will re-lock back to a lower position and I never need to manual adjust the height by turning the adjustment nut...

But this time, I have to manually adjust it by the nut on the cable end... Just want to know why ~

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[natspriceless]

I.e. Usually we can pull the handle up and hear about 5 click sounds ( if for women, maybe they can only pull up for 3 to 4 clicks?!).

Ummmmmmmmmmmm........:facepalm

I personally press the button to ensure I don't hear any clicks then release it when the leaver is as high as it can go. I can tell if its fully engaged by just ever so slightly shifting my weight while still in the drivers seat

[morganc]

The self-adjusting mechanism (actuating it 2-3 times) will only bring the pad so close to the rotor...otherwise you'd have too much drag. What I'm trying to say is that your cable has stretched in the last while, so you have to turn the nut to compensate for it. Going forth for the next year or so, actuating the handle 2-3 times will work again, but the cable will always stretch and need the nut adjusted periodically.


Thanks for the input Morgan ~

I think my 'self-adjusting' here only means how high we can pull the handle until it's locked up at a proper position ...

I.e. Usually we can pull the handle up and hear about 5 click sounds ( if for women, maybe they can only pull up for 3 to 4 clicks?!). But sometimes we don't need to pull it all the way to the end to provide enough parking brake power to the rear wheels...

And in the time before, use the same force apply to the brake handle, the brake cable will become loosed with time and you can pull the handle upper and upper to more clicks... Then I can pull it all the way to the end and release it and repeat this 2, 3 times and it will re-lock back to a lower position and I never need to manual adjust the height by turning the adjustment nut...

But this time, I have to manually adjust it by the nut on the cable end... Just want to know why ~

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[YepYep]

The self-adjusting mechanism (actuating it 2-3 times) will only bring the pad so close to the rotor...otherwise you'd have too much drag. What I'm trying to say is that your cable has stretched in the last while, so you have to turn the nut to compensate for it. Going forth for the next year or so, actuating the handle 2-3 times will work again, but the cable will always stretch and need the nut adjusted periodically.Thanks and glad to find out things is normal ~ [emoji16]

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