Handbrake adjustment

[Czechboy]

Hi all. Im sorting out my car this weekend as it failed its MOT and is going for its re-test on monday. I have come accross a problem though. I need to tighten up my handbrake as apparently it has "no reserve travel". But im not too sure how to do that. I have taken the handbrake cover off and a can see the pair of cables going up to it with an adjuster, but the adjuster is already at its tightest setting. The question is: Can I adjust my handbrake cable from the inside of the rear brake drums? and if so......how do I take the brake drums apart???? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Cheers

 

[m0rk]

You can't....

if it's too slack you need new cables

OR

remove the nuts on the adjustment - and put 2 'bigger' nuts as spacers, then refit nuts

total bodge, but works

 

[hopkinsgm]

...how do I take the brake drums apart...

A damned sight easier than putting them back together, i'll tell you that for nowt...

@ m0rk - there's actually a little wedge shaped thing in the drum that's supposed to adjust the shoe position so that as the shoes wear, the brakes still work. I say "supposed to" because these were notoriously rubbish on mk1 & mk2 Golfs, etc. which use basically the same drum. If I recall correctly, changing the cable is a "drum off" job anyway, so...

Having backed the rear wheel nuts off, put car in gear and chock front wheels, then jack up rear of car. Support on axle stands - depending on how co-operative everything is being, the car may be up in the air for a while, and besides, you'd never work under a car that was only supported on a jack (would you?). Now remove the rear wheels. Looking at the middle of the drum, you'll see a (usually shiny) metal dome. Pop this off using a flat bladed screwdriver. Having taken this off, you'll see a castellated "thingy" - it's not a nut, it's to stop the nut underneath from rotating - on the stub axle with a split pin to keep things from moving. Remove the split pin and the castellated "thingy" should now just lift off, revealling the nut underneath. Undo the nut (which shouldn't be tight) and, assuming you remembered to let the handbrake off before starting work, the drum should now lift off.

Note from bitter personal experience... Having taken the drums off, it's worth working on one side at a time so you have one side with the brake shoes where they're supposed to be that you can use as a reference. If you're not familiar with the innards of a drum, and particularly the shoe arrangement, it's not entirely obvious where everything goes, and from memory the pictures in Haynes are not particularly helpful. And trying to figure it out when you've got a b*stard behind the eyes having taken both sides apart the night before and gone out on the lash is not funny, is it m0rk?

Whilst you've got the drums in bits to replace the handbrake cable, you might as well replace the shoes and fit new wheel bearings (bearing kit costs approx £6 per side from GS&F or about twice that from Halfrausds). You know it makes sense.

Should all go back together as it came apart. If re-using existing bearings (cheapskate), don't forget to settle the bearings, torque 'em up, chuck a wheel on and check it turns and there isn't excessive pay in the bearing, then whip the wheel back off, replace the castellated "thingy" and lock it all up with a new split pin. Oh, and clean and repack the dust cover with fresh grease.

 

[Czechboy]

Cheers for the responces guys. I have ended up usings m0rks method. So i have just used some old nuts as spacers and therefore have tightened up the cable. Before i did this the handbrake would "bite" on the 6th click, now it bites on the 2nd already. And the rear wheels still spin freely when the handbrake is off. Wohoo!!!!

Now the next thing towards my MOT that needs doing is changing the C.V. boot (rubber geitor), which is going to be a MISSION. Not too sure if it isnt too big a bite for me to take tho. But the garage wants £60 for replacing it. But its a nice sunny afternoon so i might as well give it a go.

 

[ibiza_95]

£60 is cheap for that cos if what ive been told is correct everything has to come off... just what ive been told.

mine had a hole in but the MOT guy looked up in his chart about possible fixings for it and you are allowed to fix it if there is a hole in it.

i used a puncture repair kit on mine and it passed and seems to hold pretty well, just thought id let you know about patching it up cos according to the MOT guidelines you are allowed to do it

 

[Gunga]

At £60 I would get them to do it, it's a real git of a job! The upshot of not getting it done properly isn't worth thinking about but it would be more than £60 put it that way

 

[Czechboy]

I couldnt patch the CV boot up because it was completly split into two parts. So I let ther garage do it. Another of my MOT failitures were my headlights, as the brackets were snapped and therefore my headlights were loose. I tried glueing them back on but they just snapped back off. So ended up making myself some metal brackets and fixed the headlights in place using them. And they hold superbly.

Overall the MOT repairs cost 113 pounds, as the garage has to change the CV boot, adjust the headlights, sort out the emmisions and apparently locate some brake fluid leak. PLUS 30 for pads and CV boot kit, PLUS 45quid fot the actual MOT test. Guess its not that bad for a 12 year old car tho.

BUT to add to my expences list and bad luck, I managed to hit a curb on a roundabout on the way back from the MOT station, resulting in a blowout on one of my brand new Toyo tyres. NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! The alloy wheel is also a bit dented (hopefully not warped tho) AND the tracking is out a bit as well. I´ve checked the axle,wishbone and suspension and they all seem OK tho. But a car sure is a big money hole. And its not any better if you are a student with tight parents that wont contribute even a penny. So i had to drink my sorrows

rant over