Righto - Fiat have blessed us owners with a pretty bad setup here. How it works is a bit like this:
You pull the lever, which pulls the cable.
The cable pulls on 2 linkages, one either side, which go into the brake drums and press the brake shoes against the drum.
This all works fine up to a point, and there are a few common problems here.
Firstly, the little linkages are made from mild steel, and rust quite quickly. There is a pivot on them, held with a big rivet, which seizes solid when it gets rusty.
This causes a few problems, namely that the handbrake can pack in completely or seize fully or partially on.
If it seizes fully on, you'll soon know about it as you'll have a top speed of about 5 mph!
If it seizes partially on, the more common option, the brakes drag a little, rob you of power and miles a gallon, and increase rear tyre wear. You will probably find that the handbrake won't hold the car at all well on a hill too.
These little linkages are about £8 each from Fiat, it's really not worth freeing a rusty one off as it won't last (trust me!)
The other component is of course the handbrake cable. These can wear out through general use, but if you're suffering from seized linkages it'll get extra hammer through you tugging the lever harder and harder trying to get the car to stay still. These are about £16 each from Fiat, and I'd reccommend a genuine Fiat cable, they seem to last quite a bit longer than (not much) cheaper other-make cables.
Just to prove that it's not all bad news
a dragging rear brake can cause the drums to get hot and damage the rear wheel bearings and also glaze the brake shoes.
If you have a dragging handbrake, I'd reccommend you change both rear linkages (work a little grease into the pivots before putting them in), the handbrake cable and the rear brake shoes & brake springs at the same time. Cost you about £50 for a DIY job, but at least then you know you'll have no more bother for a couple of years.
the correct adjustment for the handbrake is when it just starts to drag on the 3rd click.
You pull the lever, which pulls the cable.
The cable pulls on 2 linkages, one either side, which go into the brake drums and press the brake shoes against the drum.
This all works fine up to a point, and there are a few common problems here.
Firstly, the little linkages are made from mild steel, and rust quite quickly. There is a pivot on them, held with a big rivet, which seizes solid when it gets rusty.
This causes a few problems, namely that the handbrake can pack in completely or seize fully or partially on.
If it seizes fully on, you'll soon know about it as you'll have a top speed of about 5 mph!
If it seizes partially on, the more common option, the brakes drag a little, rob you of power and miles a gallon, and increase rear tyre wear. You will probably find that the handbrake won't hold the car at all well on a hill too.
These little linkages are about £8 each from Fiat, it's really not worth freeing a rusty one off as it won't last (trust me!)
The other component is of course the handbrake cable. These can wear out through general use, but if you're suffering from seized linkages it'll get extra hammer through you tugging the lever harder and harder trying to get the car to stay still. These are about £16 each from Fiat, and I'd reccommend a genuine Fiat cable, they seem to last quite a bit longer than (not much) cheaper other-make cables.
Just to prove that it's not all bad news
a dragging rear brake can cause the drums to get hot and damage the rear wheel bearings and also glaze the brake shoes.If you have a dragging handbrake, I'd reccommend you change both rear linkages (work a little grease into the pivots before putting them in), the handbrake cable and the rear brake shoes & brake springs at the same time. Cost you about £50 for a DIY job, but at least then you know you'll have no more bother for a couple of years.
the correct adjustment for the handbrake is when it just starts to drag on the 3rd click.
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