Classic/Antique Car Repair: Parking Brake Adjustment 1974 Corvette, parking brakes, auto literature

Question
My parking brake handle comes all the way up without engaging the parking brake.  I think there are two adjustments that need to be made.  First the cable needs to be tightened under the car, and second, the parking brakes themselves need to be expanded in the rear.  Are there any step by step instructions on how to do this?

Answer
Yes, there are detailed directions in your factory shop manual.  If you are going to be maintaining this car, you should get one, as it will answer any question you will ever have about the car.  They run on eBay frequently, or you can contact one of the auto literature dealers and buy one immediately.  I use Ed Faxon at www.faxonautolit.com, but there are many others.

I can give you the quick version:

Jack up the rear of the car (use safety stands!) so you can remove each rear wheel.  Look through the hole in the hub between two of the lug studs so that you can see the adjuster.  You'll have to rotate the hub so that the hole is at the bottom.  Reach through the hole with a screwdriver and operate the adjuster by lifting UP on your end of the tool, repeat this one click at a time until you cannot turn the hub by hand, then back off 6 to 8 clicks.  Now, pull the  parking brake handle up 2 clicks, then go under the car and adjust the cables at the equalizer (where the two wheel cables loop around the adjustable "pulley") until there is a slight drag at both rear wheels when you rotate them by hand.  Now, with the handbrake lever all the way off, there will be little or no drag, but the brake should hold the car  firmly on a hill.

Dick