1969 - emergency break release (now clicking noise)

[kittycat-girl]

I used the emergency brake (i guess the first time) brake did not release automatically when shifted in Drive - so i used the little release handle next to it and it released it. But now I hear the clicking noise (only when slow driving or stopping) coning from the rear tire - is like a break cable loose because of that emergency break? My normal breaks work perfectly fine - are they connected in any way? What to do?

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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[biddle]

In future posts, please use the 4-digit model year in your subject as prompted. I updated it for you.

 

[OneAmongOthers]

The rear brakes are drums. The parking brake (sometimes called emergency brake), is just your rear brakes. There is a cable connected to them via the pedal in the car. What happens when you push the pedal is that cable manually applies the rear drums brakes. A clicking sound could be something may have broken off or come loose and is possibly rubbing or binding up on something else. There is a lot of components in drum brakes. Springs, cables, pins, clips etc... Lots of things to come loose or break off. This is most often due to age. Also the reason you most likely only hear it at lower speeds is because the higher speed you go other things tend to drown out the sound of the noise. Pull the wheels and inspect the drum brakes and make sure nothing has come loose or broken off. Even the tiniest thing can make a noise considering how tightly packed everything is behind the drum. It can also still seem to function as well because you have to remember that rear brakes do so little braking compared to the front. Seriously... Your front disc brakes do almost all the work stopping your car compared the rear. So you could think your brakes are working fine when in reality something could possibly be tearing up your drum linings or something is bouncing around in there.

 

[OneAmongOthers]

Believe when I say that thinking that little pedal connected to your rear brakes (drums on top of that) is going to be used if your brakes fail is a silly idea. It was meant when your car sat on a hill or incline and you used them so it didn't sit on the parking gear of your transmission. I mean it "could" be used in some emergency situation, but lets be honest when saying if you were traveling at any real speed you could stand on that thing and it has no where near enough force to stop your car. Especially not a 4200lb vehicle. Also lets not forget if you do apply it, it locks itself in place. Meaning you would have to reach under and pull that little handle to release it. Not a good thing to do in an emergency situation.