Stance

Stance

Well-Known Member
Last spring I took and built my back drum brakes with new parts. Brakes work well but I have been having problems to get the hand brake adjustment right. It either doesn't hold at all or sticks. Just found from older topics that there are different cables for FL1. The cables I got from Autodoc are the one in the picture - have I got the wrong ones? My car is 2004 sport stw TD4 manual.

I have done the shoe adjustment multiple times following the instructions, shouldn't be that hard to get right. So started to doubt that maybe my parts were wrong.
 

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Can't say if the cable is correct or not, but often these types of problem are because a bit (is it the adjuster?) has been installed back-to-front.

It must be quite easy to do, cos a couple of people have done it and the brakes appear to go back together correctly.
 
That could also be possible. You mean the bar with forks in the ends and the adjustment wheel?
 
That's the correct looking cable.

First off, are you backing the cable adjuster (under the arm rest), before attempting to adjust the rear brakes?
Are you adjusting them by hand, or letter the auto adjuster do it?

Have the auto adjusters been put in the correct side?
 
Nodge68 said:
That's the correct looking cable.

First off, are you backing the cable adjuster (under the arm rest), before attempting to adjust the rear brakes?
Are you adjusting them by hand, or letter the auto adjuster do it?

Have the auto adjusters been put in the correct side?
Click to expand...

Yes I have backed the cable adjustment so that it is loose. Then adjusting manually buy turning the adjuster wheel so that shoes start to bind into drum but I can still move wheels by hand easily. And after that tightened the cable adjustment.

I have to take the wheels and drums off now and take pictures to check do I have my adjusters wrong way.
 
Not 100% clear in photo, but the toothed wheel looks to be upside down. This means left and right adjusters may ha e been swapped at some point.
Best check is that the metal hooked plate that turns the adjuster should hook and rotate the adjuster as the hook travels downwards. If it rides over the teeth then it is wrong. Yours look like the hook is stuck under the adjuster tooth, again, suggesting upside down. Left and right hand adjusters are different and have opposite adjuster threads.
Hope that is your issue.
 
Also, check in the manual that the fork on the adjuster is correct. There is a long prong and a short prong. I thought the long prong goes at the rear to work the pivoting counter lever fixed to the shoe.
 
These look ok to me.
LNuZBurl.jpg
1

l9m9x0xl.jpg
2

And you have adjusted through the rear back plate hole, yes with handbrake cable loose, so the drum just drags, or you can lock the drum off then back the knurled nut off by three clicks each side.
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3

f2zefJJl.jpg
4

You then adjust the front handbrake cable.
DC4kSvDl.jpg
5
 
Last edited:
Maybe a previous owner error.
Always do one side at a time to prevent mix up and always emulate the adjustment to make sure it works before reassembly.
 
andyfreelandy said:
Maybe a previous owner error.
Always do one side at a time to prevent mix up and always emulate the adjustment to make sure it works before reassembly.
Click to expand...

The starting point was that back brakes were totally sized when I got the car. Had to clean and get everything moving again, so could be my fault too.Think I'll get new adjusters also now and put these back together with new shiny parts.
 
Of course if they are upside down, footbrake applications will be un adjusting the shoes and making the situation worse!!

Don't forget to clean the shoe rests on the backplate and apply some copperslip grease.
Lubricate all pivots with copperslip. Not too generously!

New adjusters with sharp teeth always work better.
Other way of testing it is get someone to very gently press pedal with drum off and watch the adjuster work. Don't press pedal too hard or you might fire the hydraulic piston out.
 
Can you clarify the long and short fork ends on the non adjusting end of the adjuster John?? Can't remember if the long prong goes to the rear or the front of the shoe. Thanks
 
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