Blasted handbrake mechanism!
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 8:50 am
Hi all
I have been having fun and games with my handbrake mechanism. I ordered a new set of pads from MEV and they arrived promptly. Then I took the nearside assembly apart and fitted them, only to find that instead of pivoting on the pin they jammed up. So I had to take them out for a fettle, during which time one of the pads became unstuck from the metal bit. Unimpressive quality. And it was a bastard to get out. I ended up reusing the old pad as it wasn’t worn on that side.
I also discovered the caliper wasn’t centred on the disk, so I shimmed it out with a pair of washers.
Inner piston appeared to be stuck (despite being stainless). I worked it back and forth a few times and shoved some brake grease under the dust cover. Also, reset the handbrake “springs” (bent bits of metal that hold them away from the disk when not in use). I seem to have lost the clip that stops the funny cone shaped adjuster nut from coming loose (maybe it wasn’t there to start with, I don’t recall it falling out).
All this and the handbrake still does not work. What a crap design. I tried to take up the slack in the cable by winding the tensioning adjuster out at the front of the car. All that did was reduce the handbrake travel. I will probably have to tighten up the caliper adjusters too, but I am beginning to suspect that there is something wrong with the rods. Maybe stretched?
I have been having fun and games with my handbrake mechanism. I ordered a new set of pads from MEV and they arrived promptly. Then I took the nearside assembly apart and fitted them, only to find that instead of pivoting on the pin they jammed up. So I had to take them out for a fettle, during which time one of the pads became unstuck from the metal bit. Unimpressive quality. And it was a bastard to get out. I ended up reusing the old pad as it wasn’t worn on that side.
I also discovered the caliper wasn’t centred on the disk, so I shimmed it out with a pair of washers.
Inner piston appeared to be stuck (despite being stainless). I worked it back and forth a few times and shoved some brake grease under the dust cover. Also, reset the handbrake “springs” (bent bits of metal that hold them away from the disk when not in use). I seem to have lost the clip that stops the funny cone shaped adjuster nut from coming loose (maybe it wasn’t there to start with, I don’t recall it falling out).
All this and the handbrake still does not work. What a crap design. I tried to take up the slack in the cable by winding the tensioning adjuster out at the front of the car. All that did was reduce the handbrake travel. I will probably have to tighten up the caliper adjusters too, but I am beginning to suspect that there is something wrong with the rods. Maybe stretched?