98 Civic Parking Brake Woes

Hi there,

I have a 98 Civic LX (canadian) with 199000kms on it. Its a 5 speed, with
the D16Y7 engine.

I am completely clueless about the rear brakes, and how the
parking brake hooks up to them. One side of my park brake
sticks quite badly, especially when its cold. So I
disconnected that side as a temporary fix. That was 6
months ago, and I am still no closer to figuring out what
is wrong with it.

Any bright ideas out there? Or even better, PICTURES!
I like pictures.

Thanks
t

 

The Majestic online parts site indicates a 4-Door 98 Civic LX has rear drum
brakes (non-ABS). Correct? If so, these brakes look a lot like my 91 Civic's
rear drum brakes. They may be identical, but I haven't compared the part numbers
yet.

For starters, taking off the drums, spraying everything down with a $2 can of
brake cleaner (protecting parts as directed, if directed), and inspecting is
easy. You'll likely need a couple of bolts to get the drums off.

Taking apart the shoe assembly to the extent you can get at the parking brake is
just a bit more challenging. One of the regulars here advised simply to be
prepared to look at the other side's shoe as needed to get everything back
together. I ended up looking at my Chilton's manual drawing a lot during the
re-assembly, too.

Overall, this was not that difficult if one has some mechanical aptitude and
patience.

I bought a $2 packet of red brake grease at Autozone and lubed as directed in
the Chilton's manual (sliding surfaces, in general).

The online drawings at www.autozone.com for a 1995 Civic LX (again, I think
this is likely the same as your car's drum brakes) seem about as good as one can
get. They appear identical to my Chilton's drawings. Autozone also has a section
on the parking brake that you may want to peruse.

There are also drawings at
http://www.honda.co.uk/owner/CivicManual/index.html, but . Click on brakes, then
"Rear Brake Shoes," Disassembly and Assembly.

It seems to me you should choose to start your troubleshooting at either the
console (just to the driver's right) or at the drums. If you've never cleaned
your brakes (not that this is a big deal), maybe start at the drums.

I trust you have a pair of jackstands. Safety first...

Remember, before removing the drums, have the parking brake off.

Updates welcome, as always.