Dale,

Did you see the procedure posted in bmw-digest v6 #98? Looks perfect for your e36 homepage.

Here it is in case you missed it.

Mike

Wayne asked this about E36 Handbrake Adjustment:

>I spent a half-hour underneath my 94 325i looking for the handbrake
>adjustments and couldn't locate. I checked the FAQs but no info. Is
>there some type of access plate under the car or does the adjustment
>get done on the handle?

Wayne,

The adjustment technique is two-fold. I just did it on my brother's 93 325is a
few weeks ago. The first adjustment is at each rear wheel and the second is at
the handbrake lever. First, loosen one bold on each rear wheel. Raise the rear
of the car on jackstands. Remove the bolt you loosened and look in the bolt
hole w/a light. Turn the wheel slowly and eventually you will find a small
opening with a splined gear that you can turn (with a small long screwdriver) to
adjust the parking brake for that wheel (adjusters at 5 and 7 o'clock if I
remember correctly?). Turn the splined gear (clockwise to tighten, I think?
You can see the threads of the screw so you can figure out which way to turn it)
so that the wheel binds slightly when spun and then back off 1/4 turn. Repeat
on the other side and then you are done with the adjustment at the wheel.
Adjustment two involves trying to make sure that each side is adjusted equally.
At the handbrake lever, pull up on the rear of the boot and that should reveal
the adjustment screw/bolt combo. There is a locking nut and an adjustment nut.
You will need two open-end wrenches (10mm & 12mm?). Loosen the locking nut and
then you can adjust the adjusting nut (makes sense!). The idea is to spin each
wheel and, by the third click up on the handbrake lever, have the wheel stop.
That is the idea -- on my brother's 325is with limited slip, I could not just
spin one wheel (without the other one turning too) so I improvised. I pulled on
the adjustment cable to make sure each had roughly the same amount of tension
and that by the third click of the handbrake lever, the car would stay in place.
When I thought they were even, I tightened the locking nut and pushed the
handbrake boot back down into place. Done!

It was pretty easy and can be done in less than 30 minutes for the first-timer.

Good luck!

Regards,
Pete
90 5er
6877381_at_mcimail.com From digest.v6.n98 Tue Jan 21 20:32:01 1997
From: Peter Rhim <0006877381_at_mcimail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 97 16:22 EST
Subject: Re: <E36> Handbrake Adjustment

Wayne asked this about E36 Handbrake Adjustment:

>I spent a half-hour underneath my 94 325i looking for the handbrake
>adjustments and couldn't locate. I checked the FAQs but no info. Is
>there some type of access plate under the car or does the adjustment
>get done on the handle?

Wayne,

The adjustment technique is two-fold. I just did it on my brother's 93 325is a few weeks ago. The first adjustment is at each rear wheel and the second is at the handbrake lever. First, loosen one bold on each rear wheel. Raise the rear of the car on jackstands. Remove the bolt you loosened and look in the bolt hole w/a light. Turn the wheel slowly and eventually you will find a small opening with a splined gear that you can turn (with a small long screwdriver) to adjust the parking brake for that wheel (adjusters at 5 and 7 o'clock if I remember correctly?). Turn the splined gear (clockwise to tighten, I think? You can see the threads of the screw so you can figure out which way to turn it) so that the wheel binds slightly when spun and then back off 1/4 turn. Repeat on the other side and then you are done with the adjustment at the wheel. Adjustment two involves trying to make sure that each side is adjusted equally. At the handbrake lever, pull up on the rear of the boot and that should reveal the adjustment screw/bolt combo. There is a locking nut and an adjustment nut. You will need two open-end wrenches (10mm & 12mm?). Loosen the locking nut and then you can adjust the adjusting nut (makes sense!). The idea is to spin each wheel and, by the third click up on the handbrake lever, have the wheel stop. That is the idea -- on my brother's 325is with limited slip, I could not just spin one wheel (without the other one turning too) so I improvised. I pulled on the adjustment cable to make sure each had roughly the same amount of tension and that by the third click of the handbrake lever, the car would stay in place. When I thought they were even, I tightened the locking nut and pushed the handbrake boot back down into place. Done!

It was pretty easy and can be done in less than 30 minutes for the first-timer.

Good luck!

Regards,
Pete
90 5er
6877381_at_mcimail.com