Handbrake adjustment

[john.p.clegg]

Dear All
Just a quickie,it's time to adjust my handbrake again (M.O.T.Time) and was wondering with there being two tie rods running parallel with the A frames if there was anything similar to bump steer with the handbrake i.e. as the roadwheels move up and down does the handbrake mechanism move in/out of adjustment....

Any thoughts anyone??

John

[Elanman99]

John, I am sure your assumption is correct and that handbrake adjustment changes with suspension movement however the effect is probably too small to worry about.

If and when I adjust my handbrake I do it by reaching under the car whilst it is stood on four wheels and I have never experienced binding or excessive handbrake travel.

Once I realised/learnt/twigged/discovered what the caliper 'centralising strips' really do my handbrake pad usage has changed dramatically. I am on the same set of handbrake pads I fitted about 10 years ago (25/30,000 miles) whereas I probably went through 5 sets in the first 15 years of the cars life.

Ian Phillips

[patrics]

Hi John,
Yes you are correct and this is why the hand brake tree should be free to move in both planes but this compensation only works if suspension travel is going in opposite directions ? ie cornering. During braking it could potentially apply the handbrake.
Regards
Steve

[john.p.clegg]

Steve
Interesting,well what about the old hump-back bridge at speed,is the handbrake applied at both take-off and landing?

John

[patrics]

Hi John,
Yes it would in theory but may be not in practise it would depend on the stack up of all the clearances.
If Ian can get 25000 miles from a set of pads then it must be okay but then again they should last for the life of the car if only applied statically
Regards
Steve

[steveww]

I also find it better to adjust the handbrake with the car on the ground. It is a bit of a pain to reach under the car but not impossible. It is also a good idea to fit a compression spring between the arms of the levers to help hold the pads off the disk when the handbrake is not applied.