Brakes!!!

[mplante21]

My parking brake is in-op right now. Im going to get my whole brake system done eventually. Im getting front brake service soon (rotors, pads, flush whole system). After that its the parking brake and rear brakes. When you fix the parking brake is that also fixing the rear brakes (rotors, pads, etc)? because fixing the parking brake involves taking off the rear rotors to diagnose. or is it completely separate? Its my impression that when you engage the parking brake you are applying it to the rear of the car and when you are driving and press the brake you are stopping the front tires? am i wrong?

[mplante21]

im a noob to cars but just trying to figure it all out.

[magnetic1]

There are separate pads for the parking brake. So replacing the rear brake pads wont fix the parking brake.

Could be the parking brake pads or adjustment is needed.

[GacAttack]

Good question. It's not obvious until you know a little about automotive brakes.

The front and rear brakes on the e36 are all disc brakes. That parking brake is a rear drum brake. Here's the cool part: the rear rotor is actually designed as both a rotor and a drum. The normal driving brakes are applied as a disc brake, bu the parking brake is actually contained withing the rotor as a drum brake. I think that's really cool. it's been around for a long time, but it's still really cool.

There is a great write up about adjusting the parking brake at www.bimmerdiy.com. Check it out!

It sounds like you're not really the DIY type... is that accurate?
BTW, you are correct in that the majority of the braking force on your vehicle is obtained through the front brakes. However, both axial pair of brakes are engaged when you press the brake pedal.

[Krank]

^+1. Sounds like all you need is a parking brake adjustment by spinning that little star dial on the hub; there's a good DIY at bimmerdiy.com as the member above mentioned. You get to it through one of the lug nut holes, kind of hard to spot without good light; mine was covered in so much dirt that it just blended in with everything else so it took some feeling around to get it. Just take a look at all the brake parts front and rear when you go in for the job.