I'm a retired Senior Master BMW tech...Your E-brake vid was quite conclusive, as you covered the 'mystery hookup' of the Bowden cable to expander! Nice clean operation, better if you had applied some lubriplate to the friction area behind shoes on dust plates. I'm sure you have helped many with this tutorial. Thank you.
Hi Mike, I've got an E39 (520i) and I've done the Handbrake adjustment several times (both before and after having replaced the Handbrake cables and shoes). I've followed the BMW manual (as well as the Bentley manual which says the same thing) down to the dot. For some reason, I keep getting the same results: Braking action starts on the second click but no matter how hard I pull, it's never strong enough to actually hold the car by itself on a ramp. The parts are of good quality. The manuals say to tighten the rear adjuster until the wheel can't turn and then back it off 12 clicks, then the rest is done from the front.
Ummm, Me commenting shows that this is a timeless video. LOL... This is probably the best of the bunch, on parking brakes. One thing I hope everyone does without fail is to use a proper RESPIRATOR, a paper dust mask isn't sufficient when exposing yourself to brake dust and contaminants left behind when changing brakes. Thanks @E39Source for making life simpler...
11:20 - Thank you for so eloquently explaining how to get that small spring in. Love the idea of installing it FIRST, then wrapping the subassembly around the hub. genius. Good work! Frank
Excellent clear voice and good video! An important point I'd summarize for the viewers who want to adjust the brake without pulling the drum out comes around the time code 12:30. To loosen the parking brake, insert a flat-bed driver through one of the lug hole to reach the adjustment screw and pivot the flat-bed tip downwards (move your hand upwards) to move the parking brake adjustment screw one notch loose. To tighten it, pivot the flat-bed tip upwards.
Just put a wheel bearing into my little bro's E46 323I, had to do some double checking on the parking brake reassembly and your video took care of it for me. Thanks!
quick tips: if youre doing this, loosen the cables, then adjust at the wheel area, after youre done do the final adjustment at the cable again, this way you will get the max brake
I really enjoy these videos for the BMW cars I have 2- 46 Bmw 328i and an m3 both cars run great because of these good videos that I can go to whenever I need maintenance and can save money by not taking it to the dealer keep up the good work very informative
Nice video .....wee bit dissapointed that u never replace doing all this - dust plates That is a pain in the back side In my car those are so rusty and bolts with the spring never hold the hand brake shoe I ended up drilling 5p coin and I bolt it together that way Passed my MOT on this temporary solution just about -16% is bottom line My parking brake was 16 I bought set of dust plates and a hand brake shoe kit Gonna get the new shoes (£25 Bosch )and the adjusting bolt with the part holding cable next week .... And at the summer time ( if we lucky to get any sun at all here in Belfast ) I going to replace the whole thing together on my e46 318ise Great video and of course 👍👍👍 Good luck 😎
Bedding procedure: Go 40 km/h, pull the handbrake until you feel it braking the car. Add one more click on the handbrake and keep 40 km/h for another 400 meters. Than release the handbrake and let the brakes cool.
Good job bro. thanks for the help. when it comes to reinstalling you can take the adjustment screw side and the first spring. collapse the two pads on the opposite end( just overlapping a little) spring goes in easier.. appreciate your Insight on this project..
12:17 "You can do this with your wheel and all your brakes still on the car btw" This changed my life, I've always taken off the whole thing every time I want to adjust it. Damn
Thanks for this video.... I was going to be changing my rear wheel bearings but it turned into... Trailing are front bushes, Wheel bearings, And full brake rebuild including the Parking brakes and cables! Thanks for the pointers....
good that people like you can be bothered to put the video`s up, i found it more understandable probley as your not an expert and did`nt come out with loads of technical crap a more experianced mecanic would, i had a fair idea of what to do but now after watching this im definitely more confident that i can do the job, so thank you and keep the vids coming....
I’m here for the stupid hook thing that clips on to the cable. Took it off and couldn’t get it back on. This is the only video or resource anywhere that tells you. Thanks!
I was looking for a refresher on my 95 e36 (after a complete bushing refresh) - almost exactly the same except the cable is attached via a pin so it stays in place. - well done.
That was a great video. If you have anything that illustrates replacement of the actual cable that would be great! Only one brake shoes expands when I pull the parking brake handle despite all hardware being new. I am guessing the cable has been stretched and needs to be replaced as well. (It is the only component that has not been replaced so process of elimination dictates the cable is the problem.) Thnx. again!
man you had it easy, in the M3 version of the brake shoe OEM kit the little spring that holds the brake cable side clipper is so SHORT!!! (2/3 of the length vs what you had) took me nearly an hour just to fit back one tiny spring. Had to pull so hard to get it back together, and there is almost no leverage point because the cable clipper need to be in place before the spring is placed back. Rest of it is easy enough. Now I just have to finish the other side....damn. Not sure why they made the M3 kit spring so much shorter, it sure is tight....
I have never had this problem and i work on E46's almost daily, but i have had a few with the rear subframe mounts ripped out of the body, those are good times...
+Nathan's DIY Garage did mine a month ago,,rear subframe reinforcements,,really a expensive jobb hopefully the jobb made from an auto mechanic ( worst ever) i knew more about service than that guy,reason i got to the man was off the price,,paid half but damn expensive either way ( 1000$ ) but i hope i can enjoy my e46 323 convertible..did you sell yours??
+Nathan's DIY Garage i have handbrake probs,,one side brakes better then the other side...so this is the culprit,,i trued to adjust from inside,under the handbrake lever,but to no use,,now i know how to propperly adjust it..next is turbo or engine change
I still have my 323i right now i need to get the interior done and put some miles on it since i just did the head gasket and time certs, luckily the subframe mounts are good on this car, it has 170k miles , i will be hoping to get $3000 out of it since its overall a nice car and it has the 5 speed manual, but i havent looked at the market lately so we will see, also like you said most most BMW shops dont know much they are shifting to more just switching engines and no diagnostics it seems.
Make sure the dust shields aren't rotted because the quarter-turn spring pins can fall out... one of mine did, and the racket was absolutely apocalyptic - I honestly thought that my exhaust was dragging on the ground.
nice camera work , just doing mine and the front rotor retaining screws had to be drilled out but the back came off OK .terrible design for a parking brake , they always rust out & fall apart ., I even snapped one of the caliper bracket retaining screws , what a pain .
Pro tip: If you fold the brake shoes up like a taco and insert the spring, you can unfold them and the leverage does all the work. If you're replacing your hub anyhow, you can do it for both springs. Works for taking them off and putting them on.
YOU could just remove the bracket with the rotor still attached and still able to grease your rotor pins, it saves some time, and makes it easier to hang the rotor.
Currently struggling with my e39 handbrake. New shoes and springs on both sides but the left side cable from cabin adjusted to the max and basically 4-7clicks does nothing and locks it up pretty good at 8+ clicks. Right side is tight on 5+ clicks already. Pretty sure my cable is stretched and needs replacing but not 100% sure. You got any tips or tricks for making sure my cable is bad? Or how to change it easiest way. I think i have to remove the exhaust to change em and since all i got is one jack i dont really want to. Would be easy if i had a lift
The brake should first be adjusted at the wheel with the screw adjuster as shown in this video, and then fine tuned and evened up with the cables at the handle.
@@E39Source i did that, exactly AS the manual says, adjust till wheel no longer turns, 12 notches back and etc. When i went to adjust at cables then left one Is longer, like its at max and right is shorter, my mind tells me that the cable is stretched
It is possible that it has stretched. It's also possible that the cable is not fully seated into the adjuster mechanism or the hooks that guide it under the chassis. To measure the cable for stretch, you'd need to remove it and lay it out flat. Exhaust removal would be required for replacement.
nicely explained tutorial by the way. I have done these shoes many times and totally agree about the poor design. for a system that should only really be used when the car is stationary it amazes me how these brakes can become in such poor condition so quickly. most cars now incorporate the parking brake into the caliper which is better but still has room for improvement. the occasional top end vehicle uses a seperate caliper purely as a parking brake (a bit excessive in my eyes) but by far the worst modern design is the use of electronic motors for parking brakes. the french love this idea, us mechanics deffinately don't! And just to ruin our lives that little bit more certain models are now demanding diagnostic equipment in order to "wind back" these electronic calipers just to fit new brake pads.
My car stood still the whole winter, and the tires rolls partially some inches but suddenly haults. I can rock back and forth and have some rolling wiggle room, but the wheels won't roll all the way around. Isn't this something else than parking break? It seems locked.
It sounds like the parking brake to me. Raise and lower the lever in the car several times. If that doesn't do it, you may need to remove the rear wheel and hit those rotors with a mallet to get the shoes to break free.
@@E39Source Thanks. I will try to check my hand brake pads condition without removing the disc. My car failed MOT due to uneven hand brake, and the shop quoted me to replace the handbrake pads.
I replace the spring kit and the pads but i reused my old rotor and that atachment on the cablee and i cant adjust the handbrake normal it when i do close to normal 10 clicks it sticks and brakes the whole time alone when i do 20 its too far away and wont hold do i need to resurface my inside part of the disc or what to do ?
It sounds like you just need to adjust the cable at the rear wheels. There is an adjustment wheel that can be opened or closed to bring the shoes closer to the rotor surface. 5-7 clicks should have the car held firmly on any incline.
It's a pain. The spring with more coils goes on the bottom (at the adjuster). I use a long 90 degree pick to pull the spring and then have somebody push it into the brake shoe with a screwdriver.
@@E39Source I've just been doing mine now, hence the question. Got it on using a long hex wrench, using the hub as a surface to lever it against. Took a while, but it's done.
ho do u fine tune the cables? i've replaced all of the pads, 1 cable and even 'tuned' everything in place, but it still rolls down even from a fuking 0.00000000001% "hill" like there is no pads at all or smth.... P.S. - u installed both of the adjustment wheels exactly the opposite way that it was before...
+2012isRonPaul By fine tune the cables I probably meant inside the car, under the boot around parking brake handle. With the rotor off, have somebody pull the brake and make sure it's actually moving the pads.
The E-brake on E39's suck you can't do a handbrake turn. Only time the E-brake works is when the road is very slick. They might help shorten stopping distance if you are braking hard from high speeds in a straight line leveled surface I assume just don't expect it to stop the car.
+alexzracer2008 The 330xi is my "beater" that is on a fairly tight budget. I only need a winter weather car for one more year before I move to San Diego where I can enjoy my M5 daily!
If you want to bed in the new handbrake shoes, lift the handbrake while driving slowly for about 10 seconds, and then allow to cool off for two minutes. The main risk is doing it for too long, and causing the shoes to overheat.
My Bowden cable is too short and the expander body doesn't fully "close" thus making my pads touch the rotor even when the controlling screw (the one you can adjust with a screwdriver) is adjusted for minimum expansion. I tried to adjust the cable length from underneath the hand brake handle inside the car using the little screw but the screw is almost at the end of the little pillar it's mounted on. It's if the cable is too short? On the other side of the car I was able to set the hand brake without any problems. Can someone help?
If it's fully loosened in the car and at the rear brakes, I don't know what could be wrong. The cable should have an extra few inches of length in it for adjusting.
***** I've loosened it fully in the car but it's still not long enough, is there any other way to adjust the length? It doesn't seem to be stuck because I was able to win half a centimeter when adjusting it from underneath the hand brake handle (it was already on almost the loosest setting). Also, applying the hand brake does make the little head go further in. I'm beginning to think that the previous owner has cut the cable short for some reason and mounted a new head. From what I've read, replacing this cable is a pain in the ass.
The brake shoes in that type of handbrake assembly should never wear out !!! The brake should be applied when the car is stationary therefore no wear !!, inyour video the car must have had some really wet conditions ??maybe the handbrake was not adjusted correctly causing premature wear and failure ??.
@@E39Source Oh, hey, I didn't expect a reply on an 8 year old video, kudos! :) My comment was sortof in jest, but I do have an issue with my E39 parking brake which is why I found your video. It started catching last summer, to the point where I just "disabled" it by loosening the bolts on the two wires near the handle, and I never use it anymore, i just put it in gear when parking. I don't think the pad lining is worn, because last winter (i.e. 6 months before it started catching) I had a BMW E39 enthusiast shop check the brakes, and although they recommended several new parts and adjustments, they didn't mention the parking brake at all. So, my guess is that the springs and/or other moving parts have just rusted shut to the point of getting stuck, hence my question to just spray some WD-40 through the bolt holes, specifically to try and reach the moving parts. Any risks of doing that you think? I'm not skilled enough to perform the repairs that you're doing in this video, so if I can get away with only loosening up the rust in there and adjusting the wire tension, that would be really sweet.
@@kimkimpa5150 Most shops wouldn't think to inspect the parking brake unless you specifically requested it. The pieces could be seized, though introducing WD40 in this area has a low probability of solving anything in my opinion. If the WD40 touches the pad surfaces, you'll lose all braking friction. A shop should not charge more than 2 hours labor to completely rebuild the brake assembly like I did in this video, which is what I would recommend for you.
I should have used a trim-pod to film that part, I'm sorry it's not complete in that regard. I recall just using needle-nosed pliers to pull the spring over and seat the hook in the second pad, it wasn't a big challenge.
He calls out the part numbers and socket sizes... This guy is good.
I'm a retired Senior Master BMW tech...Your E-brake vid was quite conclusive, as you covered the 'mystery hookup' of the Bowden cable to expander! Nice clean operation, better if you had applied some lubriplate to the friction area behind shoes on dust plates. I'm sure you have helped many with this tutorial. Thank you.
@@swar2000gmail no
Hi Mike, I've got an E39 (520i) and I've done the Handbrake adjustment several times (both before and after having replaced the Handbrake cables and shoes). I've followed the BMW manual (as well as the Bentley manual which says the same thing) down to the dot. For some reason, I keep getting the same results: Braking action starts on the second click but no matter how hard I pull, it's never strong enough to actually hold the car by itself on a ramp. The parts are of good quality. The manuals say to tighten the rear adjuster until the wheel can't turn and then back it off 12 clicks, then the rest is done from the front.
Ummm, Me commenting shows that this is a timeless video. LOL... This is probably the best of the bunch, on parking brakes. One thing I hope everyone does without fail is to use a proper RESPIRATOR, a paper dust mask isn't sufficient when exposing yourself to brake dust and contaminants left behind when changing brakes.
Thanks @E39Source for making life simpler...
11:20 - Thank you for so eloquently explaining how to get that small spring in. Love the idea of installing it FIRST, then wrapping the subassembly around the hub. genius. Good work!
Frank
Excellent clear voice and good video! An important point I'd summarize for the viewers who want to adjust the brake without pulling the drum out comes around the time code 12:30. To loosen the parking brake, insert a flat-bed driver through one of the lug hole to reach the adjustment screw and pivot the flat-bed tip downwards (move your hand upwards) to move the parking brake adjustment screw one notch loose. To tighten it, pivot the flat-bed tip upwards.
Just put a wheel bearing into my little bro's E46 323I, had to do some double checking on the parking brake reassembly and your video took care of it for me. Thanks!
THANK YOU again RYAN!!! Man; YOU have done QUITE a bit for the E39 Community!!!! I am quite appreciative!!
Thank you!!
quick tips: if youre doing this, loosen the cables, then adjust at the wheel area, after youre done do the final adjustment at the cable again, this way you will get the max brake
I really enjoy these videos for the BMW cars I have 2- 46 Bmw 328i and an m3 both cars run great because of these good videos that I can go to whenever I need maintenance and can save money by not taking it to the dealer keep up the good work very informative
Thank you very much for this video, this weekend it is discs pads all around and handbrake rebuild.
You know what you talking about, I like that you humble. Thank you!
Really really well produced vid. Congrats. I thank you for your work.
Nice video .....wee bit dissapointed that u never replace doing all this - dust plates
That is a pain in the back side
In my car those are so rusty and bolts with the spring never hold the hand brake shoe
I ended up drilling 5p coin and I bolt it together that way
Passed my MOT on this temporary solution just about -16% is bottom line
My parking brake was 16
I bought set of dust plates and a hand brake shoe kit
Gonna get the new shoes (£25 Bosch )and the adjusting bolt with the part holding cable next week ....
And at the summer time ( if we lucky to get any sun at all here in Belfast ) I going to replace the whole thing together on my e46 318ise
Great video and of course 👍👍👍
Good luck 😎
Bedding procedure: Go 40 km/h, pull the handbrake until you feel it braking the car. Add one more click on the handbrake and keep 40 km/h for another 400 meters. Than release the handbrake and let the brakes cool.
Good job bro. thanks for the help. when it comes to reinstalling you can take the adjustment screw side and the first spring. collapse the two pads on the opposite end( just overlapping a little) spring goes in easier..
appreciate your Insight on this project..
12:17 "You can do this with your wheel and all your brakes still on the car btw" This changed my life, I've always taken off the whole thing every time I want to adjust it. Damn
I was about to do the same xD thank god I saw this first
Although you made this video a long time ago, Thank you for the detailed explanations! I used it to replace my Parking brakes and Rotors on my e46!
Thanks for this video....
I was going to be changing my rear wheel bearings but it turned into...
Trailing are front bushes,
Wheel bearings,
And full brake rebuild including the Parking brakes and cables!
Thanks for the pointers....
well done tutorial; good teacher, good narration, good camera work. nice job. thanks
Looks fairly easy. Just time consuming. Thanks for the great info.
good that people like you can be bothered to put the video`s up, i found it more understandable probley as your not an expert and did`nt come out with loads of technical crap a more experianced mecanic would, i had a fair idea of what to do but now after watching this im definitely more confident that i can do the job, so thank you and keep the vids coming....
Thanks guys! I had lot of help from your video! Especially where to start setting the shoes !
great DIY..great detail and easy to follow...thanks
I’m here for the stupid hook thing that clips on to the cable. Took it off and couldn’t get it back on. This is the only video or resource anywhere that tells you. Thanks!
Great vid, helped significantly with my parking brake rebuild ...
I was looking for a refresher on my 95 e36 (after a complete bushing refresh) - almost exactly the same except the cable is attached via a pin so it stays in place. - well done.
I'm doing my E39 which is slightly different - adjuster is at 6 o'clock (difficult to see) but with many common parts.
Make sure your feet are bare to do this and any job in the garage.
No Name haha
1:19 for an explanation
I would feel so naked and vulnerable...
Did my parking brakes with help from this video. Thanks !
Thanks so much for this. Everything was perfectly explained. Just did mine today. Far easier than I expected. Cheers
Thanks a lot for taking the time to do this. I appreciate it.
That was a great video. If you have anything that illustrates replacement of the actual cable that would be great! Only one brake shoes expands when I pull the parking brake handle despite all hardware being new. I am guessing the cable has been stretched and needs to be replaced as well. (It is the only component that has not been replaced so process of elimination dictates the cable is the problem.) Thnx. again!
fantastic well explained video .
man you had it easy, in the M3 version of the brake shoe OEM kit the little spring that holds the brake cable side clipper is so SHORT!!! (2/3 of the length vs what you had) took me nearly an hour just to fit back one tiny spring. Had to pull so hard to get it back together, and there is almost no leverage point because the cable clipper need to be in place before the spring is placed back. Rest of it is easy enough. Now I just have to finish the other side....damn. Not sure why they made the M3 kit spring so much shorter, it sure is tight....
I have never had this problem and i work on E46's almost daily, but i have had a few with the rear subframe mounts ripped out of the body, those are good times...
+Nathan's DIY Garage did mine a month ago,,rear subframe reinforcements,,really a expensive jobb hopefully the jobb made from an auto mechanic ( worst ever) i knew more about service than that guy,reason i got to the man was off the price,,paid half but damn expensive either way ( 1000$ ) but i hope i can enjoy my e46 323 convertible..did you sell yours??
+Nathan's DIY Garage i have handbrake probs,,one side brakes better then the other side...so this is the culprit,,i trued to adjust from inside,under the handbrake lever,but to no use,,now i know how to propperly adjust it..next is turbo or engine change
I still have my 323i right now i need to get the interior done and put some miles on it since i just did the head gasket and time certs, luckily the subframe mounts are good on this car, it has 170k miles , i will be hoping to get $3000 out of it since its overall a nice car and it has the 5 speed manual, but i havent looked at the market lately so we will see, also like you said most most BMW shops dont know much they are shifting to more just switching engines and no diagnostics it seems.
Both my e46 and e39 parking brake is useless. E30 was ok but not brilliant.
Awesome video and timing. I'm about to do this on my 323ci.
Very well done, thank you for the thorough explanation!
Make sure the dust shields aren't rotted because the quarter-turn spring pins can fall out... one of mine did, and the racket was absolutely apocalyptic - I honestly thought that my exhaust was dragging on the ground.
Also, a small note on the brake shoes. The OEM is definitely thicker than aftermarket replacements so DIYers, please take heed.
nice camera work , just doing mine and the front rotor retaining screws had to be drilled out but the back came off OK .terrible design for a parking brake , they always rust out & fall apart ., I even snapped one of the caliper bracket retaining screws , what a pain .
I taught it was pretty complicated, but it is okee doable! Good movie!
Pro tip: If you fold the brake shoes up like a taco and insert the spring, you can unfold them and the leverage does all the work. If you're replacing your hub anyhow, you can do it for both springs. Works for taking them off and putting them on.
great tip :)
Mmmmm Taaaaaaco’s
Great video. I am far more confident to take mine apart now. Thanks
I'm guessing E36 is the same... i got something rattling like crazy on the rear of the parking brake so gonna have to check it soon.
I see that you put the adjustment screw on opposite direction on the passenger side from your stock picture. Does it matter?
YOU could just remove the bracket with the rotor still attached and still able to grease your rotor pins, it saves some time, and makes it easier to hang the rotor.
Very interesting! I learned a lot from this video!
Loved it - made me smile, great humour!
Great video ! And .... I like the Xi 4 Snow License Plate :)
Currently struggling with my e39 handbrake. New shoes and springs on both sides but the left side cable from cabin adjusted to the max and basically 4-7clicks does nothing and locks it up pretty good at 8+ clicks.
Right side is tight on 5+ clicks already.
Pretty sure my cable is stretched and needs replacing but not 100% sure.
You got any tips or tricks for making sure my cable is bad? Or how to change it easiest way.
I think i have to remove the exhaust to change em and since all i got is one jack i dont really want to. Would be easy if i had a lift
The brake should first be adjusted at the wheel with the screw adjuster as shown in this video, and then fine tuned and evened up with the cables at the handle.
@@E39Source i did that, exactly AS the manual says, adjust till wheel no longer turns, 12 notches back and etc. When i went to adjust at cables then left one Is longer, like its at max and right is shorter, my mind tells me that the cable is stretched
It is possible that it has stretched. It's also possible that the cable is not fully seated into the adjuster mechanism or the hooks that guide it under the chassis. To measure the cable for stretch, you'd need to remove it and lay it out flat. Exhaust removal would be required for replacement.
Great video, where do you live you have a lot if rust under your car.
+Kayvan Komarizadeh Ohio
nicely explained tutorial by the way. I have done these shoes many times and totally agree about the poor design.
for a system that should only really be used when the car is stationary it amazes me how these brakes can become in such poor condition so quickly.
most cars now incorporate the parking brake into the caliper which is better but still has room for improvement.
the occasional top end vehicle uses a seperate caliper purely as a parking brake (a bit excessive in my eyes) but by far the worst modern design is the use of electronic motors for parking brakes. the french love this idea, us mechanics deffinately don't!
And just to ruin our lives that little bit more certain models are now demanding diagnostic equipment in order to "wind back" these electronic calipers just to fit new brake pads.
Great video. thank you very much. Gotta do my 99 323i
It was a good video and informative..good camera work,maybe a tad more light boys,,but great vid..well done..
My car stood still the whole winter, and the tires rolls partially some inches but suddenly haults. I can rock back and forth and have some rolling wiggle room, but the wheels won't roll all the way around. Isn't this something else than parking break? It seems locked.
It sounds like the parking brake to me. Raise and lower the lever in the car several times. If that doesn't do it, you may need to remove the rear wheel and hit those rotors with a mallet to get the shoes to break free.
where is a good place to order all of these parts in the eu?
Why do you say that they are completely destroyed? The springs don't stretch or something got broken or something not related.
I meant the shoes, pad material had detonated, worn, and everything was very rusty.
@@E39Source Thanks. I will try to check my hand brake pads condition without removing the disc. My car failed MOT due to uneven hand brake, and the shop quoted me to replace the handbrake pads.
@@arpcpro Brake rotor removal will be required to inspect the parking brake shoes.
The BMW E90 is also exactly like this.
Good video man!
I replace the spring kit and the pads but i reused my old rotor and that atachment on the cablee and i cant adjust the handbrake normal it when i do close to normal 10 clicks it sticks and brakes the whole time alone when i do 20 its too far away and wont hold do i need to resurface my inside part of the disc or what to do ?
It sounds like you just need to adjust the cable at the rear wheels. There is an adjustment wheel that can be opened or closed to bring the shoes closer to the rotor surface. 5-7 clicks should have the car held firmly on any incline.
How did you get the big spring in that goes on the opposite side to the adjuster?
It's a pain. The spring with more coils goes on the bottom (at the adjuster). I use a long 90 degree pick to pull the spring and then have somebody push it into the brake shoe with a screwdriver.
@@E39Source I've just been doing mine now, hence the question. Got it on using a long hex wrench, using the hub as a surface to lever it against. Took a while, but it's done.
You might have to replace the brake rotors too. You see, your current rotors have a high wear from the inside where the brake shoes make contact.
that's just how they're shaped.
ho do u fine tune the cables? i've replaced all of the pads, 1 cable and even 'tuned' everything in place, but it still rolls down even from a fuking 0.00000000001% "hill" like there is no pads at all or smth....
P.S. - u installed both of the adjustment wheels exactly the opposite way that it was before...
+2012isRonPaul By fine tune the cables I probably meant inside the car, under the boot around parking brake handle. With the rotor off, have somebody pull the brake and make sure it's actually moving the pads.
I don't have the handle, but the dashboard lever. I'm guessing no adjustment is needed for this part then. Just the shoes in the back.
E38 7-series? I have no experience with that part, but I would imagine that all of your adjustment is done at the rear wheels.
Excellent 👍
XI 4 SNOW, nice plate
The E-brake on E39's suck you can't do a handbrake turn. Only time the E-brake works is when the road is very slick. They might help shorten stopping distance if you are braking hard from high speeds in a straight line leveled surface I assume just don't expect it to stop the car.
BMWs don't have emergency brakes, they're "parking" brakes. Designed to hold the weight of the car on hills without relying on the transmission.
***** some call it tomato , others call it red and soft ., its still good on burgers
Very informative, and very good explained. Thanks a lot for making this video, i still do not want to do the job though :p
Great video. Thanks
nice video. A lot of rust on the brakes. Why not buy a newer beamer? Looks like you have the money to buy one e39source.
+alexzracer2008 The 330xi is my "beater" that is on a fairly tight budget. I only need a winter weather car for one more year before I move to San Diego where I can enjoy my M5 daily!
Do all these parts come with the rebuild kit (PN 34212213311)?
***** Yes, thats like the perfect kit!
The e38 is slightly different; being electronically controlled. But some components are the same
What shift knob do you have?
thanks dude, very informative.
Thanx, awesome..Perfect !!
wait!!!! was that Jeff goldblums voice
If you want to bed in the new handbrake shoes, lift the handbrake while driving slowly for about 10 seconds, and then allow to cool off for two minutes. The main risk is doing it for too long, and causing the shoes to overheat.
Great video.
Thank u !
Great jobs
do u normally work barefoot?
No
great video
Thanks for this video
Great job!
My Bowden cable is too short and the expander body doesn't fully "close" thus making my pads touch the rotor even when the controlling screw (the one you can adjust with a screwdriver) is adjusted for minimum expansion. I tried to adjust the cable length from underneath the hand brake handle inside the car using the little screw but the screw is almost at the end of the little pillar it's mounted on. It's if the cable is too short? On the other side of the car I was able to set the hand brake without any problems. Can someone help?
If it's fully loosened in the car and at the rear brakes, I don't know what could be wrong. The cable should have an extra few inches of length in it for adjusting.
***** I've loosened it fully in the car but it's still not long enough, is there any other way to adjust the length? It doesn't seem to be stuck because I was able to win half a centimeter when adjusting it from underneath the hand brake handle (it was already on almost the loosest setting). Also, applying the hand brake does make the little head go further in. I'm beginning to think that the previous owner has cut the cable short for some reason and mounted a new head. From what I've read, replacing this cable is a pain in the ass.
I don't know of any other way to adjust it. You will likely need to replace the cable, which you're right, is a pain in the ass. Good luck!
***** Thanks and thank you for your help :)
I
thanks video was helpful
HELP does anyone know how to knock off the rear brake sensors in 520i e39. i cant do any burnouts . the just stalls when i touch the breaks
Don't do burnouts. Tires are expensive. Also, the 520i likely doesn't have the power to do them anyhow.
Thank you!
How many miles this car crossed? Thank's
228,000 miles.
E39Source: Awesome!
Great vid!
thank you
Your the man!
no matter how many times I adjust mine, they keep auto tightening to the point I can't drive and have to adjust them. now sure wh
thanks for the handy tip's
Thanks
Where do you buy your parts?
I recommend ECS Tuning or TheBmwMiniPartStore.
-Bobby
***** Bavauto sells nice OEM parts for great fair prices. Figured I'd let you guys know.
Thank you!!!!
The brake shoes in that type of handbrake assembly should never wear out !!! The brake should be applied when the car is stationary therefore no wear !!, inyour video the car must have had some really wet conditions ??maybe the handbrake was not adjusted correctly causing premature wear and failure ??.
The car has always been in Ohio, so long winters, tons of snow and salt, rain, etc wears them out or deteriorates them beyond use.
Not if your doing some mad skids.
Can't you just spray som WD-40 in the bolt holes?
Sure, but that won't bring back the worn pad lining!
@@E39Source Oh, hey, I didn't expect a reply on an 8 year old video, kudos! :) My comment was sortof in jest, but I do have an issue with my E39 parking brake which is why I found your video. It started catching last summer, to the point where I just "disabled" it by loosening the bolts on the two wires near the handle, and I never use it anymore, i just put it in gear when parking. I don't think the pad lining is worn, because last winter (i.e. 6 months before it started catching) I had a BMW E39 enthusiast shop check the brakes, and although they recommended several new parts and adjustments, they didn't mention the parking brake at all. So, my guess is that the springs and/or other moving parts have just rusted shut to the point of getting stuck, hence my question to just spray some WD-40 through the bolt holes, specifically to try and reach the moving parts. Any risks of doing that you think? I'm not skilled enough to perform the repairs that you're doing in this video, so if I can get away with only loosening up the rust in there and adjusting the wire tension, that would be really sweet.
@@kimkimpa5150 Most shops wouldn't think to inspect the parking brake unless you specifically requested it. The pieces could be seized, though introducing WD40 in this area has a low probability of solving anything in my opinion. If the WD40 touches the pad surfaces, you'll lose all braking friction. A shop should not charge more than 2 hours labor to completely rebuild the brake assembly like I did in this video, which is what I would recommend for you.
look man, you did not show how you were putting the two long springs which are most difficult to put on, all the rest is explaiing itself
I should have used a trim-pod to film that part, I'm sorry it's not complete in that regard. I recall just using needle-nosed pliers to pull the spring over and seat the hook in the second pad, it wasn't a big challenge.
@@E39Source yes sir, I was doing the same job with my 528i, nevertheless,your videos are far superior to any on youtube! :)