Variable hand brake

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Nov 7, 2016

Hi
The hand brake on my 1995 defender is very hit and miss. One time you can pull on the hand brake and it feels good, another time you can pull it on and there's no reserve travel and it hardly holds. When it's good and holds well the travel is half that when it doesnt.

The hand brake cable is only a year old, and I'm fairly used to adjusting them despite having limited knowledge with drum brakes.

I have watched a YouTube video regarding adjustment and replacement but i don't think that will sort it.

Any ideas? Thanks

lynall · Nov 7, 2016

Are you adjusting the cable or the adjuster?
The fit and forget answer is the x brake it just works.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Nov 7, 2016

lynall said:
Are you adjusting the cable or the adjuster?
The fit and forget answer is the x brake it just works.

I normally use the adjuster on the back of the drum.

Trouble is, in its best state the hand brake feels perfectly adjusted. However a mile down the road it could pull up vertically and barely hold. So I have to switch engine off and leave it in gear to hold

flat · Nov 7, 2016

warped handbrake drum or worn shoes?

Turboman · Nov 7, 2016

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
I normally use the adjuster on the back of the drum.

Trouble is, in its best state the hand brake feels perfectly adjusted. However a mile down the road it could pull up vertically and barely hold. So I have to switch engine off and leave it in gear to hold

You definitely have an issue, probably to do with the adjuster mechanism inside the drum.

Your brake is slightly different to mine, only in that your cable goes direct to drum, whereas mine goes onto a bracket with an actuator rod.

But either type should get no wear in normal use. I haven't adjusted mine in 8 years, and it works perfectly.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Nov 7, 2016

Thanks chaps.

I did wonder if it was a warped drum, I haven't left the hand brake on in my ownership, but then again I did buy the vehicle with a snapped hand brake cable.

Any ideas how I can go about fixing it?

Turboman · Nov 7, 2016

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thanks chaps.

I did wonder if it was a warped drum, I haven't left the hand brake on in my ownership, but then again I did buy the vehicle with a snapped hand brake cable.

Any ideas how I can go about fixing it?

Probably have to take it apart, visually examine the drum, shoes, and adjuster. It is quite simple, but a fiddly dirty job. Parts are available, or like he sez^^^^^^^^^^, you could fit an x brake instead.

flat · Nov 7, 2016

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thanks chaps.

I did wonder if it was a warped drum, I haven't left the hand brake on in my ownership, but then again I did buy the vehicle with a snapped hand brake cable.

Any ideas how I can go about fixing it?

take it all off and replace anything suspect, take the drum to an engineering workshop and have them turn the inside 'true' then refit

its either that or something isnt set up right inside or has come away etc.

strip, clean, inspect and replace.

flat · Nov 7, 2016

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thanks chaps.

I did wonder if it was a warped drum, I haven't left the hand brake on in my ownership, but then again I did buy the vehicle with a snapped hand brake cable.

Any ideas how I can go about fixing it?

where are you in the country?

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Nov 7, 2016

Turboman said:
Probably have to take it apart, visually examine the drum, shoes, and adjuster. It is quite simple, but a fiddly dirty job. Parts are available, or like he sez^^^^^^^^^^, you could fit an x brake instead.

flat said:
take it all off and replace anything suspect, take the drum to an engineering workshop and have them turn the inside 'true' then refit

its either that or something isnt set up right inside or has come away etc.

strip, clean, inspect and replace.

flat said:
where are you in the country?

Thank you all.

Looks like a job for next weekend then. I don't know why, but I always hate messing with the hand brake, ball ache of a job haha.

As for checking if the drum is warped, could I just take the rear prop off, tighten the adjuster until It binds slightly and just see if the binding is consistent? It's only a hand brake after all. So it's not like I'm going to feel brake judder or anything.

If the binding is consistent I take its not warped. And if not then it's new drum or machine it out?

And Wolverhampton west mids, flat.

flat · Nov 7, 2016

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thank you all.

Looks like a job for next weekend then. I don't know why, but I always hate messing with the hand brake, ball ache of a job haha.

As for checking if the drum is warped, could I just take the rear prop off, tighten the adjuster until It binds slightly and just see if the binding is consistent? It's only a hand brake after all. So it's not like I'm going to feel brake judder or anything.

If the binding is consistent I take its not warped. And if not then it's new drum or machine it out?

And Wolverhampton west mids, flat.

Yep that's pretty much exactly how I tested mine, and for the same reasons.

Just wondered if you were near. Would come and help as have stripped mine a couple times to get it working right. But your miles away lol

Kwakerman · Nov 7, 2016

Find a clear stretch of road, drive slowly (10mph ish) and gently pull the handbrake on with the button held down. Once you have taken up the slack you should feel the vehicle just start to slow, if you can feel the handbrake handle lightly pulsing then you probably have a warped drum.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Nov 7, 2016

flat said:
Yep that's pretty much exactly how I tested mine, and for the same reasons.

Just wondered if you were near. Would come and help as have stripped mine a couple times to get it working right. But your miles away lol

Kwakerman said:
Find a clear stretch of road, drive slowly (10mph ish) and gently pull the handbrake on with the button held down. Once you have taken up the slack you should feel the vehicle just start to slow, if you can feel the handbrake handle lightly pulsing then you probably have a warped drum.

Thanks anyway flat. Much appreciated! And Cheers kwakerman, that's a good tip. I'll do that tomorrow, and report back.

lynall · Nov 8, 2016

On my series which is pretty much the same, one of the wedge was fitted back to front by the previous owner honest! and now Ive sorted it, fitted a speedi sleeve to stop the leak its actually works nicely, for now

Kwakerman · Nov 9, 2016

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:
Thanks anyway flat. Much appreciated! And Cheers kwakerman, that's a good tip. I'll do that tomorrow, and report back.

Having had a second think about it I don't think it will be a warped drum, it if it were then the handbrake would become effective again once the drum had rotated to the 'tight' spot which would only be about 1/4 revolution of the drum (probably about 1 foot travel distance. For it not to hold and allow the vehicle to roll would have to be a different issue.

zeaphod · Nov 9, 2016

I agree. More likely something is out of place in the drum. Get the drum off and have a look - there's not much to it.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Nov 9, 2016

Kwakerman said:
Having had a second think about it I don't think it will be a warped drum, it if it were then the handbrake would become effective again once the drum had rotated to the 'tight' spot which would only be about 1/4 revolution of the drum (probably about 1 foot travel distance. For it not to hold and allow the vehicle to roll would have to be a different issue.

zeaphod said:
I agree. More likely something is out of place in the drum. Get the drum off and have a look - there's not much to it.

Cheers chaps.

I drove it yesterday with the handbrake on very slightly, just enough to feel it bind on the handle etc. And the handle doesn't pulsate like its warped, not even slightly. So as you say, it's a case of stripping it down and inspecting

IamRobbie · Nov 10, 2016

I had a problem with mine after leaving it on whilst off roading . New cable didn't fix it. A fill strip down and clean all the adjusters and re grease. You'll want a can of brake cleaner and a some rags. I did both of the ywo mechanisms and used a full can of brake cleaner all over the shoes and drums as I'd previously fitted new shoes before off roading. After that just put it back together and adjust as you have done. Hopefully should be your fault and not a warped drum. X eng are good but pricey

Oldseadog · Nov 11, 2016

Is the drum tight on the propshaft bolts?

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 · Dec 17, 2016

Evening all.

Finally managed to get round to tackling this job today, had to replace a propshaft UJ on the rear prop too.

When I first took the hand brake off, I couldn't see what the issue was, it even looked fairly clean in there too.
On further inspection and some time scratching my head. I noticed the shoes were the wrong way round, the leading and trailin edge of the shoes were opposite to what they should be.

Could this be the cause of the problem? I don't actually think it was me that fitted them incorrectly, but either way they were fitted wrongly. One shoe has actually worn to about 2mm on one half of it. The other half and other shoe not so bad.

So I've cleaned the adjuster and all the springs etc. Going to copper grease where necessary and I've ordered some new shoes.
Hopefully this does the job and I have a fully functional handbrake again.

Thanks alot

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