By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse
On a 1999-2001 Saab 9-5, a weak or sloppy parking brake is almost always one of three things: the small brake shoes inside the rear discs have worn and drifted out of adjustment, the cable has stretched or seized, or the shoes are contaminated or glazed. Saab's own procedure says that if the rear wheels do not lock by the 4th notch of the lever, the system needs adjusting, and the fix is to set the shoes first and the cable second, never the other way around.
How the 9-5 Parking Brake Works
The 9-5 uses disc brakes at the rear for normal braking, but the parking brake is a separate mechanical system. Each rear disc has a small drum built into its center hat, and inside that drum sits a pair of parking brake shoes mounted on the backplate, along with an actuating lever and an adjusting unit. When you pull the lever in the center console, the cable pulls the actuating levers at each wheel, which push the shoes out against the inside of the drum.
This design matters for diagnosis. The rear pads and caliper play no part in holding the car when parked. You can fit fresh rear pads and still have a parking brake that will not hold, because the shoes and cable are a completely separate circuit. Saab's workshop information lists the parts involved as the shoes, return springs, retaining pins and springs, the actuating lever, the adjusting unit and the cable.
Symptoms and How to Diagnose Them
- Lever pulls too high before the car holds. Saab's check is simple: count the clicks. If the wheels do not lock on the 4th notch, adjustment is required. After a correct adjustment the rear wheels should lock at the 2nd to 3rd notch.
- Car creeps on a slope with the lever fully up. Usually shoes worn thin, shoes contaminated with grease or brake fluid, or a cable that is seized partway along its run.
- Parking brake stops working in winter. An owner complaint filed with NHTSA on a 2000 9-5 describes the cable routing causing wear that let water into the cable, where it froze and left the parking brake non-functional in cold months. If yours works in summer and not after a freezing night, suspect the cable.
- Rear dragging, heat or a scraping noise after adjustment. The shoes have been set too tight, or the cable is holding the actuating levers partly applied.
- Lever will not return or one wheel stays locked. A seized cable or a stuck actuating lever at that wheel.
To narrow it down, raise the rear so both wheels spin freely, release the lever, and turn each wheel by hand. Then have a helper apply the lever one notch at a time. If one side grabs early and the other never grabs, the problem is at that one wheel (shoe wear, adjuster, or its end of the cable). If both sides are equally loose, adjustment is the first thing to try.
Common Causes
| Cause | What you notice | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Shoes out of adjustment | High lever travel, both sides equally weak | Adjust shoes, then cable |
| Worn or glazed shoes | Adjustment helps briefly, travel returns | Replace shoes, inspect adjuster and levers |
| Contaminated shoes | Poor hold even when correctly adjusted | Find the leak, replace shoes |
| Stretched or corroded cable | Uneven engagement, winter failures, sticky return | Replace cable, then adjust |
| Worn actuating lever or adjusting unit | Adjuster will not hold its setting | Replace parts during a shoe job |
A common mistake is to crank the cable adjusting nut tighter to take up lever travel without touching the shoes. That hides worn shoes for a while and can leave the actuating levers partly applied, which causes drag. Saab's procedure specifically has you confirm the cable is not pulling the actuating levers before adjusting the shoes, and loosen the cable nut if it is.
The Adjustment Procedure
This is Saab's order of operations for the 9-5, summarized from the factory workshop information.
Step 1: Adjust the shoes
- Release the parking brake fully.
- Make sure the cable is not pulling on the actuating levers. If it is, back off the cable adjusting nut.
- With the rear raised and the wheel off, use a screwdriver on the adjuster (reached through the access hole in the disc) and turn it until the brake disc locks.
- Back the adjuster off until the disc turns freely.
- Repeat on the other side.
- Refit the wheels. Saab specifies 110 Nm (81 lbf ft) for aluminum wheels, and notes the wheel must hang freely while the bolts are tightened.
Step 2: Adjust the cable
- Apply the lever 1 notch.
- Raise the car so the rear wheels turn freely.
- Reach the adjusting nut on the lever through the opening in the front partition behind the mat in the center console storage compartment. Tighten it until the brakes just start to engage.
- Release and reapply the lever. The rear wheels should lock at the 2nd to 3rd notch.
- Lower the car.
If you cannot reach a lock at the 2nd to 3rd notch with the shoes correctly set, or the setting will not hold, the shoes or hardware are worn and need replacing.
Replacing the Parking Brake Shoes
Shoe replacement means removing the rear disc, so it pairs naturally with a rear pad and rotor job. Saab's sequence is: remove the brake disc, remove the return spring, unhook the cable from the actuating lever, remove the inner return springs and the retaining pins, then take out the shoes and adjusting unit. Saab lists dedicated spring tools for the return springs and retaining pins; a generic drum brake spring tool does the same job. Inspect the actuating lever and adjusting unit for wear and replace them if needed.
Reassembly is the reverse, then adjust the shoes and cable as above, refit the wheels, lower the car and pump the brake pedal to bring the rear caliper pistons back out before driving. Check the brake fluid level and road test.
What to replace at the same time:
- Rear pads. The disc is already off. For Aero models we carry EBC Redstuff ceramic low-dust rear pads for the 1999-2001 Saab 9-5 Aero and the more aggressive EBC Yellowstuff street and track rear pads for the 9-5 Aero.
- Rear rotors. If the braking surface is worn or the drum section inside the hat is scored or worn past its limit, new shoes will not hold well. See our brake rotors.
- Hardware. Springs and pins lose tension with heat and age. A brake hardware kit is inexpensive insurance.
- Cable. If it is frayed, rusty or sticky, replace it now, before you adjust anything.
How Hard Is the Job?
Adjustment alone is an easy driveway job: a jack, stands, a flat screwdriver and access to the console. Plan on some patience finding the adjuster through the access hole, since you are working partly by feel. Shoe replacement is moderate. The springs are the fiddly part, and it helps to photograph one side before you take it apart so you have a reference. Anyone who has done a drum brake job will find it familiar.
One safety note: the 2001 9-5 was included in NHTSA recall 03V006000, which concerns contamination between steel and alloy wheels that could lead to wheel bolt fractures. When you have the rear wheels off, look at the mating surfaces and bolts, and check with a dealer or NHTSA whether the recall work was completed on your car.
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Shop Brake Pads & Kits →Frequently Asked Questions
How many clicks should the parking brake on a Saab 9-5 take?
Per Saab's procedure, the rear wheels should lock at the 2nd to 3rd notch after adjustment. If they do not lock by the 4th notch, the system needs adjusting.
Can I just tighten the cable at the lever?
Not as the first step. Saab has you adjust the shoes at each wheel first and only then take up slack at the lever. Tightening the cable alone can mask worn shoes and cause the rear brakes to drag.
Do new rear pads fix a weak parking brake?
No. The 9-5 parking brake uses separate shoes inside the drum section of the rear disc. The pads only handle normal braking.
Why does my parking brake stop working in winter?
Water in the cable can freeze and lock it. An NHTSA owner complaint on a 2000 9-5 describes exactly this. Replacing the cable is the lasting fix.
Is there a parking brake recall on the 1999-2001 Saab 9-5?
We found no brake-related recall in NHTSA's recall data for the 2001 9-5. The recalls listed cover the fuel system, ignition module, wheels and air bag labels.
Should I replace the shoes when I do rear rotors?
If the shoes are thin, glazed, contaminated or the car holds poorly, yes. The disc has to come off either way, so it saves doing the labor twice.
Sources
- Saab WIS - Adjusting the handbrake shoes, 9-5 (9600) 2001 - 4th-notch check, shoe adjustment steps, wheel torque
- Saab WIS - Adjusting the handbrake cable, 9-5 (9600) 2001 - cable nut location, 2nd to 3rd notch lock
- Saab WIS - Handbrake shoes, 9-5 (9600) 2001 - removal and installation sequence, parts involved
- NHTSA complaints, 2000 Saab 9-5 - owner report of water entering and freezing the parking brake cable
- NHTSA recalls, 2001 Saab 9-5 - recall list including 03V006000 wheel bolt campaign, no brake recalls
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