Handbrake issue

C

cococola

Member
 west midlands
My Z4 handbrake clicks up 4/5 notches and yet it still wont hold properly. I know the brakes themselves are not worn and wonder what the course of action is needed please?
I've seen various you tube clips that say about jacking up and adjusting through a wheel stud hole and wonder if this is what I will need to do. How does everybody else's handbrake feel as a comparison please?
 
MY handbrake is so far worn it only holds on the first or last notch. The handbrakes are auto adjusting so it should after a couple drives adjust into the range you have. But I have got a spare handbrake sitting in the garage waiting to be fitted, cost £100 for a used one from a car someone was breaking.
 
I had to adjust mine.
Found it much easier to take the wheel off. In fact so I could learn about what I was doing, I took the disc off and adjusted it until it was fairly hard to push back on and you could hear very faint rubbing as you turned it. While in there I roughed up the shoe surfaces and the inner drum to remove any glazing.
Bit more laborious but it did the trick.

This sounds a bit rude, but you do know the handbrake acts on separate shoes and a drum inside the brake disc?
 
Thats exactly how it feels with my handbrake having a glazed feel on the shoes rather than a grip feeling. The clicks seem as though they are at the right height? Ive experienced this type of shoes/disc brake set up in a previous life. :D
 
cococola said:
Thats exactly how it feels with my handbrake having a glazed feel on the shoes rather than a grip feeling. The clicks seem as though they are at the right height? Ive experienced this type of shoes/disc brake set up in a previous life. :D
Click to expand...
OK, well that's ok then. I'd be tempted to follow what I did. It's the only way to be sure.
The only other issue is if the ratchet teeth are worn so there's nothing for the handbrake lever to actually latch on to. but that's easily checked.
Mine simply clicked into each notch but didn't stop the car rolling.
Due to wear on the shoes and drums, I found I had to get to the point where it was really hard to force the disc/drum back on, but once fully seated it did rotate ok. A bit of rubbing isn't an issue as once you drive it will assist in deglazing the shoes.
 
I'm unclear how the handbrake shoes/drum could wear given that they are only in use when the car isn't moving. They must have been incorrectly adjusted in the past and have been dragging - same goes for the shoes glazing over.
 
Rockhopper said:
I'm unclear how the handbrake shoes/drum could wear given that they are only in use when the car isn't moving. They must have been incorrectly adjusted in the past and have been dragging - same goes for the shoes glazing over.
Click to expand...
Well I'm perfectly clear there was sufficient wear to cause resistance pushing the disc back on, but once fully seated all was fine.
 
so it must have been adjusted incorrectly then. Probably by someone not releasing the tension in the cable before adjusting them.
 
Thing is; I'm trying to assist the OP by giving him all the relevant information, including not worrying too much if he meets initial resistance when refitting the disc/drum.
Starting a critique of what a previous owner may or may not have done to my car doesn't really further the cause in my view. :wink:
 
OK, well that's ok then. I'd be tempted to follow what I did. It's the only way to be sure.
The only other issue is if the ratchet teeth are worn so there's nothing for the handbrake lever to actually latch on to. but that's easily checked.
Mine simply clicked into each notch but didn't stop the car rolling.
Due to wear on the shoes and drums, I found I had to get to the point where it was really hard to force the disc/drum back on, but once fully seated it did rotate ok. A bit of rubbing isn't an issue as once you drive it will assist in deglazing the shoes.
[/quote]
I think your spot on with the same symtons as mine I will do the same as you have,many thanks for sound advice :thumbsup:
 
cococola said:
I think your spot on with the same symtons as mine I will do the same as you have,many thanks for sound advice
Click to expand...

I hope that solves it. :thumbsup:

BMW handbrakes are fine when they work, but I've had a few with issues including my current Z4. It works fine, but if left on for a few days tends to stick. Luckily where it lives is flat so I just leave it in gear!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom