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[Andy A]

Long nosed pliers or a 10mm ring spanner.

Which is a choice of dexterity 

Best have the swear jar ready

I'm already skint because the jar is full.  Hope I have better success with the other side.  On the good side it should only ever have to be done the once. 

[Entwood]

Did mine the other week, three of them went in like a dream, 30 seconds each max .. the fourth one   Well after an hours swearing at it I was stopped by Mrs E for lunch, went back after lunch .. and the sodding thing went straight in first time !!! Not a job I enjoyed doing at all 

[tigers_gonads]

Long nosed pliers or a 10mm ring spanner.

Which is a choice of dexterity 

Best have the swear jar ready

This with a blob of superglue 

[Andy A]

I'm trying everything suggested at the moment. One side done still having problems with the other side.

What way round does both adjusters go back in? Adjustment ring to the front or to the back or does it not matter?

I put the N/S facing the front of the car.

[terry paget]

Getting those clips on must have driven many an OOFer to distraction. Last time I was doing it, in desperation I  found on  a shelf this packet of handbrake spares, bought in my Senator days. I used new springs and caps and they went on a treat.
I aligned the spring over the pin and in line with the hole in the hub. With LH finger behind the pin and the retaining cap glued to an 8mm long socket I pushed it through the hole, compressed the spring and turned the  socket - on it went.

[terry paget]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mintex-MBA711-parking-brake-shoes-FIT-KITS-Replaces-KIT969-03013792432-669243/362214214289?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D52945%26meid%3D6bc43ee595244c338846fcc8b2be31da%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D401252326435%26itm%3D362214214289&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
Still available £8.05

[Doctor Gollum]

I'm trying everything suggested at the moment. One side done still having problems with the other side.

What way round does both adjusters go back in? Adjustment ring to the front or to the back or does it not matter?

I put the N/S facing the front of the car.

Both the same is best practice, although either or is fine

[Andy A]

Managed finally to get the other 2 on. Adjusted the shoes each side with the adjuster and then adjusted the handbrake cable but the N/S wont hold at all. No resistance. The O/S holds really well. Am I right that the hand brake cable must be at fault?

All the very load squeaking is gone from the rear and the hand brake does feel a lot lighter to pull up. So defiantly needed doing.

Thanks for all your advice so far.

[terry paget]

Check that the near side cable outer has not slipped through the coil on the semi-trailing arm. If it has that would explain it.

[Andy A]

Managed finally to get the other 2 on. Adjusted the shoes each side with the adjuster and then adjusted the handbrake cable but the N/S wont hold at all. No resistance. The O/S holds really well. Am I right that the hand brake cable must be at fault?

All the very load squeaking is gone from the rear and the hand brake does feel a lot lighter to pull up. So definitely needed doing.

Thanks for all your advice so far.

[Andy A]

Check that the near side cable outer has not slipped through the coil on the semi-trailing arm. If it has that would explain it.

The old cable is still on the car and welded in place with dirt and crust and still in place where its always been.

I have a new Pagid cable here, but I'm wondering if I should just let the garage do the cable and recheck and re-adjust everything I've done. Although I'm happy that both sides are back together correctly and I adjusted the star wheel until the wheel couldn't be turned and then backed them off until they just freed. I don't know whats going on with it.

[BazaJT]

Is there some kind of balance bar arrangement to equalise the effort? If so could this somehow be at fault?

[Nick W]

Is there some kind of balance bar arrangement to equalise the effort? If so could this somehow be at fault?

The bar it attaches too on the handbrake lever does that job.


If only one side is working, then disconnect the cable from both wheel ends and check that the inner hasn't seized somewhere. It might also be that the cable has stretched and isn't giving enough travel.


But WHY piss about when a new cable is sitting on the bench? Fit the bloody thing, and move on.

[ajsphead]

Did you test the handbrake with the car up on axle stands under the forward arms of the subframe. If so the cable has probably crushed and/or broken. One side not working with everything adjusted correctly is either a seized or snapped cable. Get someone to work the handbrake while you look at the joint where the lever inside the drum attaches to the cable. If there's unequal effort on the levers it's probably the cable, if there's equal effort then it may not be adjusted as well as you think.

[Andy A]

The cable must be the problem. I had someone pull the handbrake up and down and the is very little movement on that side compared to to other. I manually pulled the cable behind the drum and turned the wheel by hand and could stop the wheel turning like this.

So its time to have a go at putting the new cable in.

I'm not in the best of health at the moment but I would like to complete the job myself.

I will have a go tomorrow, but the outer cable that is secured in the rear swing arm bracket is well and truly rusted in there. How do I take get it out without damaging the bracket?