Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tick Tock]

All input greatly appreciated 

Rain and other matters have stopped play, but hope to resume this weekend and report back with results. I can't sing the praises of this forum enough, where would we be without t'internet?

[Tick Tock]

I've now had a chance to go back out there and carry out the adjustment with a bit more confidence.

Thanks for all the feedback and additional pictures - I can now find the star wheel and adjust it with my eyes closed!.... well you can't see anything anyway. Drivers side is UP to tighten, and managed around 5 clicks before drum went solid. Backed it off 1 click and operated handbrake lever a few times. Double checked adjustment by clicking up, (drum went tight) and then backing off 1 click.

Now just the other side to do, and then will need to maybe adjust cable underneath car (heat shields off, etc).

[omega3000]

Nice one  There is a knack to adjusting the star wheel , something ive never mastered on many occasions 

[terry paget]

If you still want to get the drum off, you will have to back the adjuster off all the way, not just one click. If you have got the calipers off, you might as well get get the drums off to inspect the handbrake gear and blow it clean of dust (wearing breathing mask of course). If all looks well and the scissors shoe spreader arrangment at the bottom is working freely, you may choose to reassemble, adjust brake, then cable, and submit for MOT. If the scissor lever arrangement is not working freely you will have lost the 4:1 mechanical advantage it gives and it will fail MOT.

[78bex]

Just some input if you throw the towel in like me. I know my limitations 
On my MOT last week, once again the handbrake was an advisory, only now with a  27% imbalance between the both sides. I have tried myself in the past year to fix this one, but the drum was stuck fast on the nearside; so I gave up
MOT inspector told me 30% imbalance was a fail, so I asked if his boys could sort it & he quoted me £50 to strip, clean & adjust the handbrake mech. & I told him about the probs I had encountered with the drum. On collection, he said the drum popped off OK with a little help.  . Wow the handbrake feels strong now, with a nice pull up to the third click.

[omega3000]

Just some input if you throw the towel in like me. I know my limitations 
On my MOT last week, once again the handbrake was an advisory, only now with a  27% imbalance between the both sides. I have tried myself in the past year to fix this one, but the drum was stuck fast on the nearside; so I gave up
MOT inspector told me 30% imbalance was a fail, so I asked if his boys could sort it & he quoted me £50 to strip, clean & adjust the handbrake mech. & I told him about the probs I had encountered with the drum. On collection, he said the drum popped off OK with a little help.  . Wow the handbrake feels strong now, with a nice pull up to the third click.

You needed a bigger hammer 

[78bex]

Just some input if you throw the towel in like me. I know my limitations 
On my MOT last week, once again the handbrake was an advisory, only now with a  27% imbalance between the both sides. I have tried myself in the past year to fix this one, but the drum was stuck fast on the nearside; so I gave up
MOT inspector told me 30% imbalance was a fail, so I asked if his boys could sort it & he quoted me £50 to strip, clean & adjust the handbrake mech. & I told him about the probs I had encountered with the drum. On collection, he said the drum popped off OK with a little help.  . Wow the handbrake feels strong now, with a nice pull up to the third click.

You needed a bigger hammer 

I belted it really hard............with my claw hammer  that lesson cost me £50

[terry paget]

I hope you mean the brake holds the car on a steep slope easily, with modest lever pull. If the scissors shoe spreading assembly is rusted solid you can adjust it so that it feels solid on the third click; what it will not do is hold the car on a steep hill. If it feels suddenly solid, be suspicious; if it feels springy it is working properly.

[terry paget]

Sorry to go on, but I am a fan of the Omega handbrake. Working properly it is excellent, I reckon drum handbrakes are the best. I attach a pic of the vital components. Bottom right are the scissor shoe spreader bits; bttom right is the lever pulled by the cable by hook on right; the flat item to its left is folded double, and sits astride the RH lever, with the bottom fork engaged on the pin on the RH lever. The handbrake shoes engage in the V shaped notches in them. As the cable pulls the RH end of RH lever, you can imaginethet the notches move further apart, 1/4 as far as the lever is pulled, ergo a 4:1 mechanical advantage. After 10 years service and water ingress the assembly rusts solid, so no leverage.
Bottom left are the components of the upper adjuster, with star wheel.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/l87vo2wdp407jc6/hbrakeADJ40%25.jpg

[05omegav6]

I always aim for being able to torque the wheel bolts against it

(with the wheel off the ground, obviously  )

[omega3000]

Dont you find this spring gets in the way , its a bloody nuisance when trying to locate the star wheel through the poxy little hole 

[05omegav6]

Dont you find this spring gets in the way , its a bloody nuisance when trying to locate the star wheel through the poxy little hole 

You're a daft brush sometimes 

Actually a very efficient piece of design... the spring effectively locks the adjuster, preventing it from self adjusting off

[amba]

I find the knack to adjusting it is 2 thin screw drivers.

Through the hole you get the first and force the spring down so its not pressing against the star wheel.Second screw driver can then rotate the star wheel as required.When removed spring sits back against star wheel causing it to not undo.

Fiddly but well doable

[omega3000]

I find the knack to adjusting it is 2 thin screw drivers.

Through the hole you get the first and force the spring down so its not pressing against the star wheel.Second screw driver can then rotate the star wheel as required.When removed spring sits back against star wheel causing it to not undo.

Fiddly but well doable

Will try that next time ... sounds a better idea  than one big
flat blade jamming against the spring