Hi,
Just fitted new front and rear discs/pads(black diamond/predator) to my Dec.91 4x4 cossie.Went for gentle 10 mile test drive.Brakes are shit at the moment, presumably until bedded in. But the handbrake will not hold the car. Before new brakes , it held perfect on my sloping driveway when not in gear as I frequently lock car on turbo timer.Also it now pulls up so high that its pointing to the rear view mirror!! Excuse my ignorance but is this normal , can I adjust it, Do I need a new cable?
Hope someone can sort me out--Appreciate all help---CHEERS

 

Update for anyone who's interested.....Adjusted the cable tonight and the handbrake is now 'tight' and comes up barely 3 notches, but guess what.... it still works like shit and will not hold the car on even a gentle slope!!!! Anyone out there with any suggestions or similar experiences.....Sorry its a boring subject ---handbrake---- but eh its pissing me off. As for the new black diamond discs and pads, after about 150 miles they are now spot on.

 

jack the car up at the back with the hand brake on,try & turn the wheels by hand to see if it's both side's that's turning, if it's only one try checking the sliders are moving & that the pad's can move in the caliper, also get a mate to pull the handbrake on & off while you check the caliper where the handbrake cable loops on to it, see if it moves, if this does move try pushing it a bit with a screwdriver to see if it will go any further & stop the wheel from turning, also get your mate to press the foot brake & see if the wheel stops, if it doesent stop it's time for a new caliper

 

you need to slacken the handbrake cable right off.

Pump footbrake loads of times then adjust the cable to takje out slack.

Should work then.




john

 

might be a silly question, but you did use the wind back tool to wind the pistons back in on teh calipers...?

 

Cheers GAZ345 , RSjohn and Dave H.

Problem now seems to have righted itself.......Several days of applying on and off stacks of times and it now holds. ( Did use the windback tool on rears-Loaned it from mate at local ford dealers--They've only got one ! )

Thanks for reading and all advice----CHEERS-----NORMAN

 

just a point of intrest, sykes pikevant doa winf back tool , available form most motor facotrs and its only about 12 quid

 

Norman,
Take the time to look closely at the handbrake levers on the calipers...
For proper operation it is ESSENTIAL that the levers are not partially seized, and return FULLY and easily to the backstop position when the handbrake is released. If they don't the self-adjusting mechanism won't work correctly and there won't be enough effort applied to the handbrake mechanism no matter how tight you make the cable.
This is a common problem, where the cable gets tightened, on the grounds it will make the handbrake work better - in fact it has quite the opposite effect.. the levers get seized easily then don't return fully, and you'll have no chance of it working as it should. Unfortunately the only surefire way of freeing the levers off sufficiently if they are more than slightly tight, is to dismantle the caliper

 

Thanks richm,
Will do this week
Cheers Norman