I have a 1999 Z3 2.8L coupe I attempted tightening my parking brake today, and ran into a problem. Using the bentley manual for my Z3, I loosened the nuts on the brake cable under the bake handle, then removed one lug nut from each rear wheel, and jacked the car up. The manual instructed me to use a flathead screwdriver to adjust a screw through the hole for the lug nut I removed, turning clockwise to tighten. I a got through all of that just fine until it cam time to tighten that last screw. I turned it maybe 3/4 of a single turn and it fell out. So I removed the brake caliper and tried to remove the drum to reach the screw, but even after removing the rotor tightening screw (which didn't seem long enough to do anything) the rotor and drum wont even budge. My only thought is that it might be rusted to the axel and would need to be broken off, but I really don't wont to go banging on my brake rotor. Oh and this is the driver side if it makes any difference. Any thoughts on how to resolve this?
Be sure your p-brake is released. May want to spray some PB Blaster or something similar around the hub. When it's all said and done. Use some anti-seize where the rotor meets the hub.
Did you check to see that the cable adjusting nuts on the handle were still loose after you jacked the car up. As the suspension sags from the car being raised it can put tension on the e-brake cable and engage the shoes against the drum. With the car on jack stands, try jacking under the trailing arm to relieve the tension on the e-brake cable and see if the rotor/drum frees up. What screw was it that fell out? http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=CK93&mospid=48097&btnr=34_0930&hg=34&fg=30
The screw that fell out was the bolt and spring assembly that holds the shoe steady inside the drum so as to prevent it ftom kicking sideways inside the drum.. I go tit confused withthe one that adjusts the tension on the parking brake shoes. The problme now is that that bolt is rolling around inside the drum and getting buond up between the drum and the shoe. So I need to either pull the drum or try to get this bolt back into its hole...through the lug bolt holes in the drum.
So, it is the shoe retainer, item #7 on the Real OEM diagram, that fell out Typically, the shoe retainer is not a bolt, but is a pin with a Tee shaped head that fits in a slotted hole in the backing plate. You push in against the spring then give it a 1/4 turn to disengage it to remove the shoes. In your case, you were pulling from the backside. I don't think you have any option besides removing the rotor/drum to retrieve and reinstall the wayward pin. Unfortunately without laying my own eyes and hands on it, I'm afraid I don't have much advice for how to actually accomplish that. Where are you located anyway?
This can be a bit of a PITA job. Get some Kroil (great!) or other penetrating oil around the hub center and let it sit for a few hours - or a day. Bang on the drum part with a ball peen (EYE PROTECTION! Ear protection a pretty good idea, too - AMHIK.). Do not hit the disk part. Next, try heating the area of the drum around the hub and keep banging away. This has never failed to break the disk/drum loose for me, although I suppose there could be more stubborn ones out there. As for the disk set screw, I usually throw them away. They only hold the disk in place for ease of manufacturing and they will almost invariably seize and cause you a headache. [Simple solution for seized ones: Drill the head off and leave the stub there as a locator.] Face it: if your disk falls off because this screw is missing, you got much bigger problems ...
I've done work on a Saab once that was missing the set screw for the rotor on the rear wheel, you have no idea how difficult that made it to put the wheel back on, the entire hub was spinning because it was the rear wheel on a FWD car, the rotor was spinning freely of the hub and the whole time I'm trying to hold the wheel up and get all the holes to line up keep the set screw
Weenie. For those who are truly anal retentive, your car may have a wheel locator pin in the tool kit. It either inserts or screws into a bolt hole to locate the wheel as you lift it into place. As I said, drill the head off the thing the first time it gives you a hint of trouble and you'll have the locator.
