Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Figureman52 on 18 August 2014, 18:11:58
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Hi, can anyone tell me which way to turn the adjusters for the handbrake adjustment please. I need to reduce the travel on the handbrake.
Thanks.
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Cable sets adjustment. Shine a torch in the adjuster, watch for more thread. Usually up to push shoes out. Go as far as to lock the wheel with adjuster, then back one or so off so it's loose. Do this on both sides, then nip cable up using a 13 spanner :y
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Meant to say shine torch in where the star adjuster is
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Cable sets adjustment. Shine a torch in the adjuster, watch for more thread. Usually up to push shoes out. Go as far as to lock the wheel with adjuster, then back one or so off so it's loose. Do this on both sides, then nip cable up using a 13 spanner :y
Not quite ;D Direction depends on how the adjuster is fitted and which side... ::)
Lefthand wheel...
Star nearest front shoe, adjusment access forward of hub centreline.
Up to expand shoes
Down to release shoes
Star nearest rear shoe, adjustment access behind hub centreline.
Up to release shoes
Down to expand shoes
Righthand wheel...
Star nearest front shoe, adjustment access forward of hub centreline.
Up to release shoes
Down to expand shoes
Star nearest rear shoe, adjustment behind hub centreline.
Up to expand shoes
Down to release shoes
And that's that :y
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Thanks for a very thorough explanation.
Will the adjuster only turn so many times, what happens then? Mine won't turn anymore and the shoes arn't gripping.
Is it likely that the shoes need replacing?
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Sounds like it, fully open the wheel should lock.
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Thanks for a very thorough explanation.
Will the adjuster only turn so many times, what happens then? Mine won't turn anymore and the shoes arn't gripping.
Is it likely that the shoes need replacing?
Try it the other way :y
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Cable sets adjustment. Shine a torch in the adjuster, watch for more thread. Usually up to push shoes out. Go as far as to lock the wheel with adjuster, then back one or so off so it's loose. Do this on both sides, then nip cable up using a 13 spanner :y
Not quite ;D Direction depends on how the adjuster is fitted and which side... ::)
Lefthand wheel...
Star nearest front shoe, adjusment access forward of hub centreline.
Up to expand shoes
Down to release shoes
Star nearest rear shoe, adjustment access behind hub centreline.
Up to release shoes
Down to expand shoes
Righthand wheel...
Star nearest front shoe, adjustment access forward of hub centreline.
Up to release shoes
Down to expand shoes
Star nearest rear shoe, adjustment behind hub centreline.
Up to expand shoes
Down to release shoes
And that's that :y
sorry to resurrect an old post but i'm about to do this and having tried it before with no luck i'm keen to know in advance which way to turn the handbrake adjusting star. having looked at many pics the thread is standard right hand thread and the star is the female part. this means on the passenger wheel if the star is offset to the left, nearest the front shoe, meaning the male thread enters the female from the left, then pushing on the top of the star (turning the star 'up' as you're looking at it) will pull the male thread into the female and contract (release) the shoes, not expand them as above. have i got that wrong?
it would be nice to have a definitive answer, in the guides perhaps, there's nothing worse than fumbling about trying to get the female part to turn which is hard enough and then finding it's pushing out the male when you want to get it in. i am aware of possible innuendo in this post.
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Trial and error or pull the disc are the only two surefire ways :y
If it turns easily then you're slackening it, if it's tight then you're tightening it...
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trial and error is an option but ive already tried it, plus its nearly zero C out there. i think you were onto something by checking the location of the star, near the front shoe or the rear. i just think it is the other way - if say on the passenger wheel the star is nearest the front shoe then turning the star upwards must surely slacken the brakes.
if the star wont turn easily it could be 5 things - pads are already tight on drum, spring is stopping star turning, thread is seized, adjuster is fully in, adjuster is fully out (pads so thin adjuster is at max before pads make contact).
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trial and error is an option but ive already tried it, plus its nearly zero C out there. i think you were onto something by checking the location of the star, near the front shoe or the rear. i just think it is the other way - if say on the passenger wheel the star is nearest the front shoe then turning the star upwards must surely slacken the brakes.
if the star wont turn easily it could be 5 things - pads are already tight on drum, spring is stopping star turning, thread is seized, adjuster is fully in, adjuster is fully out (pads so thin adjuster is at max before pads make contact).
the star only has 5/6 points and is a snug fit on the upper shoe spring, so it's going to be tight, but slackening does feel easier...
I'm 99% positive the guide is the right way round... makes sense with it in front of you :y
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trial and error is an option but ive already tried it, plus its nearly zero C out there. i think you were onto something by checking the location of the star, near the front shoe or the rear. i just think it is the other way - if say on the passenger wheel the star is nearest the front shoe then turning the star upwards must surely slacken the brakes.
if the star wont turn easily it could be 5 things - pads are already tight on drum, spring is stopping star turning, thread is seized, adjuster is fully in, adjuster is fully out (pads so thin adjuster is at max before pads make contact).
Yep spring is in awkward place >:( I was debating to make the hole on the disc bigger so that access is more clearer , why the hell vauxhall didnt do that :( Even if you shine a torch in you still cant see enough and its hit or miss if your turning the right way ::) The thing to do is once you have got the correct way is mark it down on a reminder or score the drum with an arrow or paint an arrow to the direction of undoing .
Again why couldnt vauxhall stamp a simple arrow of rotation on the drum >:(
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trial and error is an option but ive already tried it, plus its nearly zero C out there. i think you were onto something by checking the location of the star, near the front shoe or the rear. i just think it is the other way - if say on the passenger wheel the star is nearest the front shoe then turning the star upwards must surely slacken the brakes.
if the star wont turn easily it could be 5 things - pads are already tight on drum, spring is stopping star turning, thread is seized, adjuster is fully in, adjuster is fully out (pads so thin adjuster is at max before pads make contact).
Yep spring is in awkward place >:( I was debating to make the hole on the disc bigger so that access is more clearer , why the hell vauxhall didnt do that :( Even if you shine a torch in you still cant see enough and its hit or miss if your turning the right way ::) The thing to do is once you have got the correct way is mark it down on a reminder or score the drum with an arrow or paint an arrow to the direction of undoing .
Again why couldnt vauxhall stamp a simple arrow of rotation on the drum >:(
Because the direction depends on how it is all assembled. ;)
It's only 2 bolts to remove the caliper and it's good practice to check the condition of the shoes anyway, so I always take a look inside and verify which is the correct direction.
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Because the direction depends on how it is all assembled. ;)
Exactly
It's only 2 bolts to remove the caliper and it's good practice to check the condition of the shoes anyway, so I always take a look inside and verify which is the correct direction.
Well worth doing :y
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The shoes are probably original, and knackered. And auto hand-brake adjusters are terrible for seizing.
Pull the discs, clean and replace whatever is necessary and adjust to spec. You'll be able to set the shoes so that you don't need to adjust them much.
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There is no auto adjuster...
People know my view on handbrakes.....and how you either do it properly or don't bother as otherwise the results will be very below par.
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There is no auto adjuster...
People know my view on handbrakes.....and how you either do it properly or don't bother as otherwise the results will be very below par.
What people ::) ;D A decent rubber mallet is very handy for getting the drum over the lip + a big ish swear box :(
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There is no auto adjuster...
People know my view on handbrakes.....and how you either do it properly or don't bother as otherwise the results will be very below par.
What people ::) ;D A decent rubber mallet is very handy for getting the drum over the lip + a big ish swear box :(
I find that, if you relax the adjuster fully, the drum practically falls off.
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finally got round to doing this (adjusting the star adjusters) so here is an update.
actually much easier than i found last time, trick is to get a magnifying glass or jewellers loupe and look in the hole with a torch. then you can clearly see the star and the thread next to it. i've forgotten now which way round mine were but this definitely works - if the thread shows on the left of the star then push on the bottom of the star with a small screwdriver to tighten the handbrake. if on the right, push on the top. check the wheels spin freely before adjusting - they may be a bit stiff. adjust until the wheels are stuck, then back off one star point so they rotate as freely as they did before. that gave me a handbrake that kicks in immediately you lift it. if you prefer a more travel which probably most people do then turn the star back two goes.
backing off the star once the pads are against the drum is not as easy as tightening it.
well worth spending the time to check which way to wind the star before starting to move it.
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I always adjust brake shoes with a forehead torch on. Look at the star wheel, it is a nut on a screw; work out which way you need to turn it to unscrew it - that's the way to tighten the brake. If you intend to remove the disc/drum fully slacken the adjuster first, otherwise the shoe linings will snag on the unworn rim of the drum.
What fails on the handbrake is the scissors lever arrangement pulled by the cable seizes solid, then you loose the 4:1 mechanical advantage. It's a bore to rectify, means stripping the brake right down freeing it up, and reassembling, but very rewarding. Buy a set of aftermarket shoes before you start, you will prpbably need them. Vx shoes are very dear.