Handbrake Adjustment

[Guest nelly]

Helloooo!

 

I know I'm risking ridicule in admitting this but ... I drive a Fiat Cinquecento. There - I said it!

 

Anyway - the damn thing failed MOT today. I've fixed the majority of the problems tonight but the handbrake failed and was reported as:

 

"Nearside rear service brake Negligible effort"

 

plus

 

"Rear brakes do not increase and decrease at about the same rate"

 

... in the tester's own words.

 

The receptionist wasn't able to explain this any further though it kind of makes sense to me.

 

Anyway - any ideas how I should go about rectifying it and how would I know if I had?

 

I'm just off out to pick up a curry but I'll be back in half hour or so. (Anyone want a poppadom?)

 

cheers,

 

nelly

[Guest MikeD318]

Check both drums and make sure all the mechanisms move when you apply the hand brake, you may also have an adjuster on the drums and you may just need to adjust one side up a bit, check the cable is working okay. Handbrakes are fairly simple usually so the problem should be fairly easy to spot if you give them a good going over and while you have it all appart you may as well change the shoes because it'll save you having to take it all apart again

 

Hope this helps.

Mike.

[Guest nelly]

Another evening up on the axle stands then!

 

Ok - that'll all be useful practice for doing the same when I get to that part of my build. Having done it all, how will I know that everything is pulling at the same rate - observation? Or will I just have to hope for the best given that I've overhauled things and it all seems to be working?

 

I must get round to buying the workshop manual!

 

Cheers Mike,

 

nelly

[Guest MikeD318]

Provided the pads are worn equally and it's just down to adjustment you can do it by adjusting them the same amount each side then find a nice big hill to test them on. If you're still unsure wether they are adjusted equally, go to a large empty car park, drive along in a straight line and pull the handbrake up hard, you should be able to feel what side is pulling more. Make sure the car park is large and empty though, incase you get too enthusiastic.

[Guest nelly]

Sounds like fun. The Cinqy is pretty light so it shouldn't be too difficult to feel the pull.

 

That's my Sunday sorted then! Off to local parts factor tomorrow, leave work a bit early and make the best of the light.

 

Cheers again,

 

nelly

 

No-one wants this leftover Cauliflower Bhaji then?

[Guest chris brown]

This is a common problem on Fiats. Handbrake links inside the drum seize if you have to remove the shoes to free them it is easer to remove the Hub first as the adjusters are like small clutches fitted over pins protruding from the backplate and if you bend these they will not work properly. Also make sure that the pistons are not seized (causing service brake problem)

Hope this helps

Chris

[Guest chris brown]

Forgot to say if problems are both on same side it may be a cylinder leaking. If so replace cylinder and shoes (both sides) and bleed offending corner.

[Guest nelly]

The handbrake never sticks on, though has to pulled on fairly hard to get it to work. I haven't noticed any other braking problems so I don't think anything is seized.

 

What the hey! Let's see what happens when it all comes apart.

 

Cheers for the advice Mike, Chris.

[Guest Mike Perry]

Nelly

 

I concur with Chris.

A common problem with the small Fiats was the handbrake actuating levers inside the rear drums would sieze.

Solution was to dismantle and free off the siezed pivot.

Panda was particularly prone to this.

[Guest V8K]

No-one wants this leftover Cauliflower Bhaji then?

 

tried many things in my time but never cauliflower bhaji

[Guest Liam]

No-one wants this leftover Cauliflower Bhaji then? 

 

Enough with the curry already! my nearest decent curry house is several hundred miles away across the north sea! :boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo: :boohoo:

 

And don't start on fish and chips with mushy peas either....

 

Ex Pat-Phil

[Peter Bell]

Check the cable hasn't partially siezed, the brakes may be ok. especially if the braking was fine on the foot brake.

Peter.