Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs

Technical Adjusting handbrake

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Technical Adjusting handbrake

GizmOwin

GizmOwin

got biodiesel?
Parked in the garage
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Oct 26, 2007
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Runcorn, Cheshire
Hi,

I'm just curious. I was going to take my car in to the garage to get the handbrake sorted before my MOT next week. It's pretty useless at the moment. It's works, but I'm sure It wouldn't hold me on a steep hill. Is adjusting/tightening it something I could do at home? I know how to access the gubbins from behind the centre console..

Owen.
 
that is where a lot of people go wrong ,if handbrake keeps on needing adjusting levers on shoes will keep on moving forward and not letting brake adjusters to function properly,getting the foot brake/shoes adjusted first after slackening off handbrake adjuster first(y)
 
dirtyhands said:
that is where a lot of people go wrong ,if handbrake keeps on needing adjusting levers on shoes will keep on moving forward and not letting brake adjusters to function properly,getting the foot brake/shoes adjusted first after slackening off handbrake adjuster first(y)
Click to expand...

what's these shoes you speak of? pretty sure giz and shadey plus me all have multiwagons with rear discs and pads

one thing i would add to shadeys comment giz is with mine i found that one side wasn't working as well as the other because the left side handbrake cable had a break in it you might not notice this by just tightening up the adjuster nut inside the car i found it best to bung the rear up on axles stands and gradually apply the hand brake one notch at a time them go to each rear wheel and try pushing it round that way you can tell if both rear brakes are being applied the same amount at the same time.
 
not aware of discs and pads on rear,but beware if that is the case do not over tighten as most of those setups used are automatic adjusters ,let off hand brake adjustment first and pump brake pedal hard to readjust,think about 5 or 6 notches on handbrake may be the norm? recheck as mentioned in other post for checking .
 
yampug said:
what's these shoes you speak of? pretty sure giz and shadey plus me all have multiwagons with rear discs and pads

one thing i would add to shadeys comment giz is with mine i found that one side wasn't working as well as the other because the left side handbrake cable had a break in it you might not notice this by just tightening up the adjuster nut inside the car i found it best to bung the rear up on axles stands and gradually apply the hand brake one notch at a time them go to each rear wheel and try pushing it round that way you can tell if both rear brakes are being applied the same amount at the same time.
Click to expand...

After adjustment, approx 3 - 4 clicks, less than 3 will stretch the cable too much when applying the hand brake.
 
dirtyhands said:
not aware of discs and pads on rear,but beware if that is the case do not over tighten as most of those setups used are automatic adjusters ,let off hand brake adjustment first and pump brake pedal hard to readjust,think about 5 or 6 notches on handbrake may be the norm? recheck as mentioned in other post for checking .
Click to expand...

Discs and Pads for me any day over drums and shoes, There for the cars of the fifties and sixties, even my VW Porsche fastback has discs all round. Just shows rear brake design has not really improved since the fifties.
 
dirtyhands said:
that is where a lot of people go wrong ,if handbrake keeps on needing adjusting levers on shoes will keep on moving forward and not letting brake adjusters to function properly,getting the foot brake/shoes adjusted first after slackening off handbrake adjuster first(y)
Click to expand...

The Stilo's hydraulic brakes auto adjust everytime the brake pedal is pushed.

The nut at the rear of the center console is only used to take up the slake in the handbrake cables as they stretch over time and to take up the slack in the hand brake mechanism as the pads/disc's wear.

The nut at the rear of the center console does not directly effect the brakes in anyway unless its over tightened, in which case it just applies the handbrake.
 
oh yes pds and discs all round,only i assumed it was shoes on rear,other point to note is on many cars the pads rust into the carrier and are harder to move and might need removing and filed down.
 
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