Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes Brakes stick in 99 SVT

The parking brake has always stuck in my SVT, at least i think that's the problem. I get a nice irritating squeak/shriek every revolution from the rear brakes when I drive. It does it up to about 20 mph, then it's fine, but it doesn't stop, meaning that I could be driving for an hour and it will still do it up to 20 mph every time. It's really annoying now, getting louder it seems too. I thought the parking cable fix was only for the older cars, do SVTs benefit from the TSB too? I've bled them, and replaced both rotor and pad in the past, it has always done it.

The cables seize up some times. I recently replaced one but the kit came with two cables. I if you need one let me know I'll let it go cheap.

It's not likely that your park brake cables have rusted up on a car driven in southern California.

It is far more likely that you have dry caliper slide pins or something else that is not allowing the pad to fully return. You may also have rotor wear such that edges of the pad just never clear the rotor fully.

You need to pull the rear pads off for inspection. With a little luck you may just need to properly lubricate the pins and everywhere the pad backing plate touches the caliper or the rotors machined or both.

Jim, the car used to be a Florida car IIRC, it's been a while since I looked at the Carfax, but I'm hoping you're right. It did it with the old "stock" rotors/pads and does it with the Stazi brakes too. So it's been there thru 2 sets of brakes. And it's WAY louder upon initial take off in the morning after sitting with the brake set. I'll try to pull the pads this weekend, maybe Monday, what am I looking for? Pulling the rears only takes like 5 minutes too!

Dry caliper slides or dished rotors are the main things you would be looking for.