How To Tight Handbrake

[Guest janis]

So after fitting my new cosworth clutch cable i had wee bit of time check my handbrake..

After my little accident not showing my bro where the hanbrake is we took kit for a spin with handbrake on..it stopped working..when i jacked both sides up with handbrake on it turns very hard by hands and i took hubs off and all looks sweet..nothing broke or bent..so i belive it worn at the back and just need some tightening..i read somewhere that if u over tight handbrake it coud affect back brakes?drums can heat up?is it need tighten with wee plastic nuts at back axles?any tips or advice?

[Guest 2b cruising]

Hi Janis.

First of all make sure the automatic foot rake adjusters are working freely by manually turning in both direction on the little ratchet wheel in the drum.

To turn one way you must disengage the pawl from the ratchet. Easy done with a fine screwdriver.

Then adjust them out until your drums are tight to go back on.

When drums are on press the brake pedal several times and apply handbrake a couple of times.

Your drums should now be free as this centralises the shoes.

Repeat the whole thing again and get to point where your shoes are out as much as possible, but your drum turns easy.

Your handbrake might now work.

To get your handbrake adjustment right it should take around 4 clicks to fully be on.

Adjust this by the large plastic knob on the cable outer shield, under the car.

You turn it so that it moves along the outer cable to shorten the front of the cable between the adjuster and the U joint.

Always make sure your drums turn free after releasing the handbrake or footbrake.

If you achieve this you will not overheat or glaise your brake shoes.

First thing to do before adjustment, if your shoes are shiny after running with handbrake on, take the shine off them using scratch paper.

If your shoes have hardened because of the heat you will need to change them.

 

Hope you understand all this for what is considered an easy task.

Just trying to lay down things in set stages for you.

I'm gone now.

Edited September 16, 2015 by 2b cruising

[agent_zed]

you could find you don't have any more adjustment depending on how your handbrake was setup. The 2b in general required the builder to shorten the inner cable and put a new lug on the end (i've done this myself). So if the builder didn't shorten the cable enough you won't be able to wind the adjuster any more if it's at the end of it's travel.

 

Hopefully that isn't the case but if it is you need to shorten the cable, give a shout if you need instructions on doing that.

[Guest janis]

Ouu i never even seen that rachet wheel..i understand absolutely nothing about shoes..once i change them on my road car and promice myself never touch them again

I think i read this post again in garage with drum off and then i might understand..thanks for the start anyway lads..i know what to try now..

[Guest Tim Norman]

Stick a photo on here so people can identify the bits to adjust,

As they say, a picture paints a thousand words.

[Peter Bell]

There are 2 different rear drum sizes, each has different adjusting systems, just to add a little more confusion.

[IanS]

My car just pased the MOT this year with the handbrake and rear brakes just above the limit.

So I took the rear drums off for the first time since the build 18 years ago, The rear right wheel hydraulic cylinder had started leaking and contaminated the shoes.

I got new wheel cylinders and new shoes.

The new shoes have the leading shoe with a reasonable amount of friction material but the trailing shoe is very thin and I cannot get them to work very well (probably because they do not conform well to the brake drum) so I am trying to obtain a better set but no one is answering how thick the new shoes are. The problem is that these have been out of production too long to give much choice of spares.

[Guest mower man]

CORRECT WAY to adjust Ford hand brake systems [ sierra ,capri , escort ] 1 ensure that self adjuster works ,if it don't refurb or manualy adjust after slackening any cable adjustment 2 with drums and wheels bolted up ensure no binding ,you must have the weight on the springs i.e. no chassis jacking ,go underdiff if solid axle or stands under trailing arms arms or platform lift or pit then adjust cable to give fully application at 4/5 clicks . every stage is important esp slackening cable before correcting wheel adj my car would lock rears at 20 mph , no special linings nothing trick just as ford intended, Discs same procedure ! happy h/brake turns!!

[Guest janis]

So took my drum off..look at it for ages..seen wee ratchet but still no idea haow to..i maybe just that tick?

There is some pics anyway..

[Guest janis]

[Guest janis]

[tractor]

Isn't there an adjuster actually at the hand brake in the cabin

[Guest janis]

Dont think there is and if is then i cant get at it anyway..i understand how the wee ratchet works anyway..there is no wheel but like half wheel..now i need to play with it till its working as above..

[tractor]

Don't think I ever adjusted hand brake mostly cos never used it i do remember I did put it on when I took it for its last Mot the examiner jumped in it and drove it into garage to test it i was waving my arms at him cos I new he hadn't released handbrake all he said was that works well then and it passed!!!!!

[Guest janis]

Yea and then i forget about it and let my brother drive few miles..

I get it adjusted on one side but other side can still be turn..i was thinking that cable woud level it off but it dont..