Technical Crap Handbrake

[sugar]

The handbrake on my 1994 900 cinq is crap so today I tried to improve it. I removed the drums, both of them and the shoes looked glazed so I thought I would just 'scuff' them up a bit with emery cloth and everthing would be dandy... but it wasn't, in fact I think it's worse!
I have tried adjusting the handbrake cable as per the Haynes manual but this made little difference.

Does anyone know if the rear shoes self adjusting, I know on some Fords you can adjust the shoes by levering them outwards with a screwdriver, click by click until they are lightly rubbing the drums. is there a similar set up on the cinq? Or could my problem be that the drums are past their minimun wear point? I didn't measure them with a vernier caliper as time was running out and i had to be somewhere. I dont think this could be the case as the car has only done 70k and there wasn't much of a lip inside the drum.

Any ideas??

 

[custard]

there well known to be poor
https://www.fiatforum.com/cinquecento-seicento-faqs/93876-cinq-sei-handbrake-issues.html

plenty of other threads on the handbrakes

 

[Aust]

cinq handbrakes are just ****.. something you will need to come to deal with
the fuel guage is something to be desired also
i always park my car in gear anyway.. so no major trouble there

 

[AppleSei]

The saving grace is the parts are cheap and its not too hard or difficult to sort out

 

[sugar]

Cheers guys, I'll look into the threads and measure my drums...

Another job to do...

 

[StoneNewt]

cinq handbrakes are just ****.. something you will need to come to deal with

Try telling that to POWL, his Sei' & Cinq' will do 180 (& even 270s if you're good enough) with impunity on dry, hot tarmac. Okay his Sei' not being able to pull to the 4th click is probably a little to tight but it proves just how good the 'cento handbrake is if it's given some TLC.

 

[balidey]

Does anyone know if the rear shoes self adjusting, I know on some Fords you can adjust the shoes by levering them outwards with a screwdriver, click by click until they are lightly rubbing the drums. is there a similar set up on the cinq?

Firstly, my handbrakes are both fine. Current car sailed through last 2 MOT's. But they need to be adjusted right or they can appear crap. There is a 'auto adjuster' (very basic rivet in a slot) but you may need to adjust it yourself a couple of times before it gets centred. Once thats done the friction adjuster can take over. Look after the bits of the mechanism, or replace if old or worn (the cable, the pivot bar and the rubber seal) then there is no need to slag off the handbrakes.

 

[randomizered]

try reversing at moderate speed and pulling on the handbrake, it can force the adjusters to move a bit more

Kristian