The Miata parking brake is a common source of frustration, and the quirk is this: it is adjusted primarily at the rear caliper, not just the handle, and the rear caliper pistons must be wound in, not pushed, when you service the pads.
The two things owners get wrong:
- Winding, not pushing, the rear pistons. The rear calipers integrate the parking brake mechanism, so the pistons retract by turning them clockwise with a proper cube tool or wind-back tool, not by squeezing them straight in with a C-clamp. Force one straight and you damage the self-adjuster inside.
- Adjustment order. A weak or long-travel parking brake is usually because the rear pads and caliper self-adjusters are worn or the cable has stretched. You set the running clearance at the caliper first, then take up the remaining slack at the handle. Cranking the handle cable to compensate for worn pads leaves the foot brake dragging.
The procedure in short:
- Make sure the rear brakes are in good order and properly adjusted at the caliper before touching the handle.
- Operate the parking brake lever several times to let the self-adjusters take up, then check handle travel.
- Adjust the cable at the handle only to remove final slack, aiming for firm engagement within a few clicks.
If your handle pulls to the roof and barely holds, do not just tighten the cable. Check rear pad wear and the caliper adjusters first, or you will mask a real wear problem and end up with dragging rear brakes.