Handbrake pretty shit?

[A L 3 X]

As in the title, MOTer mentioned it being poor, showed my mechanic and he said pads and discs are fine, and they are returning back to the stops properly whatever that means? So unsure exactly what could be the issue? Ive noticed if i press the footbrake down and then click the handbrake on it will hold better, still struggles on really steep hills though?

[micky boy]

Have you tried tightening it by the hand brake its self in side the car? if you lift the plastic cover off there should be a 10mm bolt screw that down (make sure the hand brake is down why you do this ) dont go bad though just bits at a time and that should sort it out!!!

[pick1]

Agreed ^^^

[morgey]

Rear brakes are shocking, I've refurbed my rear calipers and they're still terrible. Think my rears were 16% efficeint last MOT and they need to over 15% :/

[StuDoc 72]

your gna have to get in about it. Infact sorry to contradict here fellows,

but you should loosen off the cable inside to as loose as it will go then remove the wheels and calipers, clean up your pads and caliper carriers.

Then using a screwdriver long ways unwind the caliper piston until there is a bit of resistance in turning the disk when the caliper is in place.

Then once you have done this adjust the cable up inside the car. This is the proper procedure for adjusting a handbrake.

If this doesnt work then you need a couple of handbrake cables matey.

[pick1]

All good matey the more opinions the better to help solve a problem

[Socks]

Alex, you can get to the 10mm inside the car without removing the trim...

May help! Dont go mad tho!

[Liam_D]

I think Starlet handbrakes are just pretty poor. Every one ive ever drove has had a shitty handbrake.

[A L 3 X]

Cheers guys, i'm not sure exactly how the MOT man nipped it up but I assume inside the car?

StuDoc....what do you mean by "your gna have to get in about it" ?

And what exact bit do you mean to adjust long wasy with the screwdriver? Do I need to take the pads out themselves?

[morgey]

The rear calipers wind in, they have two notches cut into the piston to allow a proper tool to locate into it but you can use the shaft of a screwdriver to do it instead. But it would be far easier to find/borrow/buy the tool to do it ;)

And yes the caliper and pads need taking off the car, but leave the pipe connected!

Edited October 9, 2012 by morgey

[StuDoc 72]

Cheers morgey

by "your gna have to get in about it" I just meant get your hands dirty.

Yeah theres a proper tool for winding them you can use a caliper wind back tool or a ratchet cube which is the cheaper option. Or as I said the shaft of a screwdriver which is free as I assume you have one.

[A L 3 X]

Cheers morgey

by "your gna have to get in about it" I just meant get your hands dirty.

Yeah theres a proper tool for winding them you can use a caliper wind back tool or a ratchet cube which is the cheaper option. Or as I said the shaft of a screwdriver which is free as I assume you have one.

Ah right yeah i've done this before on an old car with the piston part, would doing this make the handbrake better then?

[morgey]

Ah right yeah i've done this before on an old car with the piston part, would doing this make the handbrake better then?

i would try this method below, he sounds like he knows what he's on about. i haven't tried doing mine this way but its got to be worth ago!!

your gna have to get in about it. Infact sorry to contradict here fellows,

but you should loosen off the cable inside to as loose as it will go then remove the wheels and calipers, clean up your pads and caliper carriers.

Then using a screwdriver long ways unwind the caliper piston until there is a bit of resistance in turning the disk when the caliper is in place.

Then once you have done this adjust the cable up inside the car. This is the proper procedure for adjusting a handbrake.

If this doesnt work then you need a couple of handbrake cables matey.

[A L 3 X]

Aye I will try this on my day off, sounds promising.

[LukeSR]

Mines so bad it wouldn't even lock the rear in the snow!

[StuDoc 72]

Yeah doing that will make the handbrake 10 times better. Its the proper practice for adjusting a handbrake.

[Max9650]

my handbrakes fine, locks up in the rain easily and holds the car fine on hills, about the only thing that works on the car though

[StarletMad]

Had the same on my MOT the guy got inside and wound off the 10mm nut and pumped the footbreak like crazy for a bit.

A handbreak doesn't need to be 2-3 clicks think mines about 6-7.

He just done it back up finger tight and then pinched it up a little

[morgey]

Yea i think its got to be over 15% on 7 clicks or below, basically enough to hold it on a slight incline so not much really!

[A L 3 X]

Like I says mines strange, if you just lift the handbrake its crap, if you hold the footbrake down whilst lifting the handbrake lever its alright, still not great on steep hills though.

Ill try the method above at the weekend lol

[JayJ]

I have to change my left handbrake cable after failing mot. Cable is totally stuck and I can't even get it connected with the caliber.

i have released the caliber end already and I'm currently waiting the part to arrive, but if someone have pics or how-to guide for the lever end where the cables connect, please put it here! :-)

[StarletMad]

Have a look on tgtt their wiki is a bible

[JayJ]

couldn't find from there

[StuDoc 72]

What is it your struggling with mate? Its pretty straight forward.

Are you talking about disconnecting it from the cable nearer the front I assume up behind the exhaust?

[JayJ]

Yes StuDoc, the front end. I have to rent a place to get the car up, so I just wanted to know what to expect to get the job done as fast as possible with the minimum costs. :-)