handbrake quite high?

[pondweed]

asked garage about handbrake which is still quite high after brake service. They said that drums (HDi 90 Estate) get a bit lipped after 130k.. and that accounts for the lack of adjustment and also perhaps the fact that I have a fair travel on the brake pedal (completely safe, but a bit more squashy than I'd like)
Does this sound sensible, and is only fix new drums/pads. Its had new cables fitted a while back.
thanks

[mjb]

Unfortunately the 406 handbrake sucks. There's no other way to put it... A new set of drums and shoes will temporarily fix the problem for a few months but then it'll be back to being sloppy I'm afraid

[pondweed]

well in a perverse way, at least it is good news that it's bad news....! I'll just persevere.

So does that also mean that the pedal feel is naturally a little soft because the adjustment is so rubbish?

[DaiRees]

I adjusted mine last weekend. Was surprisingly easy to do (once you find the bloody adjusters) and the handbrake is now excellent.

Has yours got discs or drums on the back?

[pondweed]

drums....

[DaiRees]

Ah, then ignore everything I said.....

[steve_earwig]

Lipped? It doesn't take 130k to do that. You can take the lip off with a file if the drum isn't worn past its' limits but the lip should only make it hard to take off (you'd have to back the adjusters off manually - they are automatic, right?) because, unless the drum is so worn the adjusters are at the end of their travel or siezed, they should still be taking up the slack. You might find whoever did your brakes just last shoved the drum back on and didn't give the adjusters a chance, maybe because of that damn lip...

To check the wear on the drum you'd really need a large internal micrometer. Hmm, got one of those? Me neither.

I can't advocate just grinding the lip off because I can't see how worn your drums are from here, so, if there is a significant lip I'm going to suggest new ones from your local friendly motor factors, plus the shoes (unless they're almost new...). Make sure your adjusters work properly. Dob some copper slip about too.

On the other foot, if you can't see what this lip fuss is about, just check out your adjusters, and maybe your cables (just in case the mechanic was drunk). Find a new mechanic.

[puglover]

just done my rear brakes (drum ) including new shoes and wheel cylinders cos the seals went and knacked the shoes.... also found the "auto" adjusters dont

so i did it manually on the adjusters now i got a good hand brake and a foot pedal that works the brakes instantly rather than when it felt like it lol

takes some time to set up manually but well worth the time and effort in doing it

btw i took the lip off with a wire brush on a drill and one of those sandpaper grindy disc things for a drill

[steve_earwig]

Tip: I did the brakes on my Ashtray once, bluddy seals went again. Factors sold me the right seals but the wrong shoes. It was Saturday evening and I needed the car the next day so I boiled the shoes for 2 hours. They were still in it when I sold it.

Edit: Not that I advocate driving for years on them but it could get someone out of a hole.

[locoboy]

Sorry for the hijack but can the handbrake not be adjusted at the handbrake end too?

I fitted new disks/pads/drums and new handbrake shoes for my MOT last year and adjusted them up with the long threaded bit on the cable where it splits left and right.

It was ok for a bit then it went pant again.

Is there any more adjustment available at the hendrake end of the cable?

(it was only rear part i replaced as it was all corroded)

Thanks

[mjb]

It was ok for a bit then it went pant again.

Unfortunately as any guitarist or cyclist will tell you, cables have a bad habit of stretching a fair bit when newly installed...