did the handbrake today

black olive · 11th November 2007, 18:03

did the handbrake on black olive today. it was shocking, handbrake lever right up to the top, and not holding the car
I removed the rear calipers and discs, the drums were full of brake dust and rust, the surfaces were very pitted, and the shoes glazed, dont know how they have got in such a state on a 3 year old car.

Ive cleaned the drums with a flap wheel in the drill, deglazed the shoes, and wire brushed everything in sight.
Ive adjusted the shoes up, and the handbrake now actually will hold the car.
I think the handbrake lever travel is still excessive, the nut is fully adjusted up though ( not by me) , Im wondering whether the cable has got stretched.

Keith · 11th November 2007, 18:20

I had the same problem and at £350 a disk and £100 plus for OEM shoes that helped the time to sell decision

Did you grind off the lip on the edge of the drum if not you won't get it adjusted properly and that leads to more travel on the handbrake

The mechanism across the entire range is ghastly the 260 especially so and I may well have to replace the cables in my CDT as they have seemingly lost the elasticity and that is what you need for the brake to hold properly

JohnDotCom · 11th November 2007, 18:22

I rely on the Autobox for parking.

black olive · 11th November 2007, 18:29

I did Keith, Id printed out your notes from when you did the 260, and used them for guidance, found them very useful:lol:
there was a lip on the shoes, and small lip on the drum, plenty meat left on the pads though, and the disk pads have been done 10000 miles ago so like new.

there is plenty life left in the disks yet, so I have time to save up for another pair !!

Keith · 11th November 2007, 18:49

Hmm in that case you may be looking at new cables I think they only need to be over stretched once by incorrect adjustment and that's it, stuffed

Possibly a better type of friction material might help, they have Gandalf 520 on the shoes iirc but I never found out if 520 meant anything or if the original supplier were Gandalf

JohnFol · 12th November 2007, 07:59

I found that I can adjust mine so they hold correctly, and within 2 weeks, at least 1 side is not holding.

I am wondering if the toothed adjuster can gradually unwind through useage.

Sad to say, my old morris marina's had a similar adjuster but it was self adjusting!

Keith · 12th November 2007, 10:59

My Picasso only has drums on the back and they are self adjusting, a nice simple mechanism which works fine. The handbrake is wonderful and the drums so efficient there is a pressure bypass linked to the ABS system

When looking at in-disk designs that plague so many makes of cars not just ours it does make you wonder how they got it so wrong

I no longer just do mine on the adjuster I take the drum off and remove any form of lip on drum or shoe to ensure everything touches at once ie so you then truly adjust to the minimum clearance

I also adjust them with the handbrake cable completely undone nut as well so ensuring the horrible operating cam is a closed as poss

Then I finally do the cable, that works well for a while but it does not last and does not "feel" right.

Although oddly my ZTT was perfect and I never needed to touch it ever which makes me think once the cable is over stretched it is a lost cause

I now want to get a brand new set of Handbrake cables then I will take mine off and measure to see if they are stretched!

black olive · 12th November 2007, 12:04

drove to work this morning and th handbrake actually feels a lot better than it did yesterday, it now feels like its doing something tangible and solid. Ive done a few slow coasts to a halt with it on, and will do a few more, to knock any high spots off the shoes, and bed them in, once that is done I will have another adjustment session, I think Im going to make a couple of tools out of 1 inch square bar, with two holes in, so I can bolt the disc down tight with a couple of wheel nuts, through the holes, and also use them as a handle to twirl the discs round when adjusting, so I dont run the risk of trpping my finger between the disc and suspension arm like I did yesterday

11th November 2007, 18:03	#1
black olive I really should get out more....... 260 SE vin 214 ( last mark 1 260 ) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2,009 Thanks: 1 Thanked 8 Times in 4 Posts	did the handbrake today did the handbrake on black olive today. it was shocking, handbrake lever right up to the top, and not holding the car I removed the rear calipers and discs, the drums were full of brake dust and rust, the surfaces were very pitted, and the shoes glazed, dont know how they have got in such a state on a 3 year old car. Ive cleaned the drums with a flap wheel in the drill, deglazed the shoes, and wire brushed everything in sight. Ive adjusted the shoes up, and the handbrake now actually will hold the car. I think the handbrake lever travel is still excessive, the nut is fully adjusted up though ( not by me) , Im wondering whether the cable has got stretched. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

11th November 2007, 18:29	#4
black olive I really should get out more....... 260 SE vin 214 ( last mark 1 260 ) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2,009 Thanks: 1 Thanked 8 Times in 4 Posts	I did Keith, Id printed out your notes from when you did the 260, and used them for guidance, found them very useful:lol: there was a lip on the shoes, and small lip on the drum, plenty meat left on the pads though, and the disk pads have been done 10000 miles ago so like new. there is plenty life left in the disks yet, so I have time to save up for another pair !! __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

12th November 2007, 12:04	#8
black olive I really should get out more....... 260 SE vin 214 ( last mark 1 260 ) Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2,009 Thanks: 1 Thanked 8 Times in 4 Posts	drove to work this morning and th handbrake actually feels a lot better than it did yesterday, it now feels like its doing something tangible and solid. Ive done a few slow coasts to a halt with it on, and will do a few more, to knock any high spots off the shoes, and bed them in, once that is done I will have another adjustment session, I think Im going to make a couple of tools out of 1 inch square bar, with two holes in, so I can bolt the disc down tight with a couple of wheel nuts, through the holes, and also use them as a handle to twirl the discs round when adjusting, so I dont run the risk of trpping my finger between the disc and suspension arm like I did yesterday __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

11th November 2007, 18:20	#2
Keith This is my second home ZT400 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ellesmere Posts: 5,948 Thanks: 0 Thanked 43 Times in 29 Posts	I had the same problem and at £350 a disk and £100 plus for OEM shoes that helped the time to sell decision Did you grind off the lip on the edge of the drum if not you won't get it adjusted properly and that leads to more travel on the handbrake The mechanism across the entire range is ghastly the 260 especially so and I may well have to replace the cables in my CDT as they have seemingly lost the elasticity and that is what you need for the brake to hold properly

11th November 2007, 18:22	#3
JohnDotCom * Rover 75 FaceLift Tourer CDTi 170BHP Auto ConnSE 2005 Model Starlight Silver Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Abergele Posts: 28,735 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts	I rely on the Autobox for parking.

11th November 2007, 18:49	#5
Keith This is my second home ZT400 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ellesmere Posts: 5,948 Thanks: 0 Thanked 43 Times in 29 Posts	Hmm in that case you may be looking at new cables I think they only need to be over stretched once by incorrect adjustment and that's it, stuffed Possibly a better type of friction material might help, they have Gandalf 520 on the shoes iirc but I never found out if 520 meant anything or if the original supplier were Gandalf

12th November 2007, 07:59	#6
JohnFol Gets stuck in 75 Conn SE - XVWY* Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Reading Posts: 564 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	I found that I can adjust mine so they hold correctly, and within 2 weeks, at least 1 side is not holding. I am wondering if the toothed adjuster can gradually unwind through useage. Sad to say, my old morris marina's had a similar adjuster but it was self adjusting!

12th November 2007, 10:59	#7
Keith This is my second home ZT400 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ellesmere Posts: 5,948 Thanks: 0 Thanked 43 Times in 29 Posts	My Picasso only has drums on the back and they are self adjusting, a nice simple mechanism which works fine. The handbrake is wonderful and the drums so efficient there is a pressure bypass linked to the ABS system When looking at in-disk designs that plague so many makes of cars not just ours it does make you wonder how they got it so wrong I no longer just do mine on the adjuster I take the drum off and remove any form of lip on drum or shoe to ensure everything touches at once ie so you then truly adjust to the minimum clearance I also adjust them with the handbrake cable completely undone nut as well so ensuring the horrible operating cam is a closed as poss Then I finally do the cable, that works well for a while but it does not last and does not "feel" right. Although oddly my ZTT was perfect and I never needed to touch it ever which makes me think once the cable is over stretched it is a lost cause I now want to get a brand new set of Handbrake cables then I will take mine off and measure to see if they are stretched!