Handbrake adjustment

B

Bertz4

Member
 Stourbridge
The handbrake has always been a bit poor on my car with about 9-10 clicks on the lever. Changed the rear shoes this week as one of the linings parted company with the metal. Carefully adjusted the new shoes with the adjusters but could not get any improvement on the operation or lever travel. Decided to have a read up on the process and discovered I had missed setting the service lockout which is located under the handbrake lever shroud. Removed the shroud and found the lock was actually already engaged, released the lock and now have perfect handbrake operation, fully on at 4 clicks. Feel a bit of a twit for not reading up in the first place, a little knowledge as they say.....
Posted for anybody else who’s made the same mistake.
 
Will be delving into mine soon as I want to check out the condition of the shoes, had the car since last September and handbrake has only three clicks to be on, it dosn't feel right to me so will check the shoes and readjust, I did know about the service lockout under the lever must check to see its not been left locked in like you found.
 
Messed mine up first time round also. Ended up adjusting it loads of times and got there in the end.
 
Ive been meaning to adjust my handbrake shoes as well as they're a bit poo (rear left is jammed/seized closed so I cant adjust it outward to tighten).

Tried giving it a few whacks with a screw driver + hammer but looks like it'll be a rotors-off jobby to fix.... but too lazy :P
 
Spent most of the day stripping the rear disc/drums down, found the service reset spring under the handbrake lever but had a peroblem latching it, finally managed to latch it by compressing it with a long screwdriver then giving it a wack with a hammer to engage the latch. Turned my attention to the discs and removed the calipers and pads followed by the caliper carrier bracket. Managed to find the adjusting ratchets through one of the wheel bolt holes and backed them off so the disc/drum came off with a few taps of a hammer. Shoes were fine and just a bit of dust in there, cleaned it all up and refitted, I did take the adjusters out and added a dab of coppereaze grease to the inner workings, there wasn't any sign of them having anti seize on them so worth doing. Adjusted till the drum locked and then backed off till there was no sound of binding. Once completed the other side, released the service spring and tested the operation of the handbrake, all seems well got 4 clicks on the ratchet, I think the shoes were overadjusted before with 3 clicks being available, feels much better with 4 clicks now. Pads were all fine with loads of material on them, just lubed the sliding faces when I refitted them. Quick test run and then put the car away. Feel better now that I know the state of the rear shoes and pads.
 
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