Technical Hand Brake

[norspeed]

2010 Fiat 500 Lounge 118,500 miles.
I have replaced the Rear Sub Frame, Shock Absorbers, Rear Brake Drums, Wheel Cylinders, Brake Pads, All springs on brake shoes, Brake Fluid, Wheel Bearings, Handbrake Cables, And all the hydraulic brake lines, but although the Hand Brake works, It is not great on a very steep hill, what else can i do to make it better ?

 

[bugsymike]

2010 Fiat 500 Lounge 118,500 miles.
I have replaced the Rear Sub Frame, Shock Absorbers, Rear Brake Drums, Wheel Cylinders, Brake Pads, All springs on brake shoes, Brake Fluid, Wheel Bearings, Handbrake Cables, And all the hydraulic brake lines, but although the Hand Brake works, It is not great on a very steep hill, what else can i do to make it better ?

If everything is perfect inside the brake drums and self adjusters working correctly and handbrake cable free in operation, then I would look to the quality of the brake shoes, always assuming you have bedded in the brakes as they don't work efficiently for the first maybe 100 miles or so.
Often if you take the drums off where new shoes have been fitted you will find they are only touching on part of the friction material/linings initially hence low efficiency.
I once fitted new brakes alround on a car and driving down the hill on it's first test it would barely stop, but after a few miles it was fine.

 

[Yeoblade]

CAREFUL driving with the handbrake on can speed up the brake break in period

 

[bugsymike]

CAREFUL driving with the handbrake on can speed up the brake break in period

Yes I agree, though I tend to do it on and off to avoid overheating the brakes, but it does help in bedding in the brakes.

 

[Yeoblade]

CAREFUL driving with the handbrake on can speed up the brake break in period

I also do it just before the MOT to make sure the drums are clean and working their best.

 

[norspeed]

If everything is perfect inside the brake drums and self adjusters working correctly and handbrake cable free in operation, then I would look to the quality of the brake shoes, always assuming you have bedded in the brakes as they don't work efficiently for the first maybe 100 miles or so.
Often if you take the drums off where new shoes have been fitted you will find they are only touching on part of the friction material/linings initially hence low efficiency.
I once fitted new brakes alround on a car and driving down the hill on it's first test it would barely stop, but after a few miles it was fine.

The self adjusters were replaced as well.

 

[bugsymike]

The self adjusters were replaced as well.

I read that, but are they fully adjusting up correctly, I have often found not, so I nearly always manually adjust them, though do be careful when doing that. I have even seen left hand adusters fitted on right hand side, that was on a Citroen and had the effect of unwinding the adjustment.
The critical thing with hand brake is how it works in the drum, as no amount of cable adjustment will bring back efficency if the fault is in the drum.

 

[norspeed]

I read that, but are they fully adjusting up correctly, I have often found not, so I nearly always manually adjust them, though do be careful when doing that. I have even seen left hand adusters fitted on right hand side, that was on a Citroen and had the effect of unwinding the adjustment.
The critical thing with hand brake is how it works in the drum, as no amount of cable adjustment will bring back efficency if the fault is in the drum.

What about the bottom location for the shoes on the backplate, does that part wear enough to make a difference to the alignment of the shoes ?

 

[bugsymike]

What about the bottom location for the shoes on the backplate, does that part wear enough to make a difference to the alignment of the shoes ?

I have never seen one that had caused that problem in over 50 years in the motortrade.