Handbrake cable replacement

[John C]

I've got a 2002 75 CDT that now done just over 90,000 miles, and the handbrake has had the usual problems for a while i.e. barely up to the job but just getting through the MOT with the cable adjuster on max.

I assumed it would be the cables, having tried the full adjustment treatment already and still the handle needed to be pulled back to nearly vertical to hold the car.

So I bought new cables, and knowing what a tricky job they are I left them in the garage for two years before finally taking the plunge. And when connecting up to the shoes, I found that the hubs and shoes were shot. No meat left on the shoes, and badly scored hub surfaces.

For the benefit of anyone having similar problems, I suggest you try the following;

1) Always start at the rear hubs first: check the condition of the shoes, and make sure the hub face that they press against isn't badly worn or scored.
2) Make sure you follow the procedure for setting the shoe adjusters. First slacken off the nut at the handbrake, then turn the shoe adjusters until the hub is locked up, then back off 5 clicks. This is a pain, as you can barely see the things. I used a flat headed screwdriver and a torch to see inside the hub, but it's well worth the effort.
3) Then adjust the nut at the handbrake, leaving no more than 25mm of thread showing.

Do the cables stretch? If my experience no! Brand new cables were exactly the same length as the 10 year old ones - in fact the small cable at the lever was actually longer than the original!

Cable.jpg

And the old ones were in good nick so that was a waste of over £120.

For those of you who are sure you need to replace the cables, beware. Trying to do so from underneath looks almost impossible without special tools - I did it from inside the car and that was bad enough. It involves removing the centre console, front seats, rear seat cushion and slitting your carpet - this gives access to a rather crude looking metal plate which can be taken off to give access to the cables as they enter the cabin.

Carpet.jpg

Cover.jpg

They are held in place with spring clips. I used a small jubilee clip to compress them.

Clamp.jpg

Access from underneath is via a small hole below the handbrake (rectangular rubber grommet),

Linkage.jpg

but this isn't directly below the clips so you would need to make up a tool to reach back and squeeze them.

At the hubs, people have had problems getting the old cables off the backplate - beware, they are only a push fit and you just need to use some WD40 and gently twist the metal ferrule with some water pump pliers. A bit of patience and both sides came away quite readily, having first appeared to be seized or held in place by unseen clips!


Hope this is some use. I've found the forum very helpful on a number of jobs and I wanted to contribute something for a change.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by John C

1) Always start at the rear hubs first: check the condition of the shoes, and make sure the hub face that they press against isn't badly worn or scored.
2) Make sure you follow the procedure for setting the shoe adjusters. First slacken off the nut at the handbrake, then turn the shoe adjusters until the hub is locked up, then back off 5 clicks. This is a pain, as you can barely see the things. I used a flat headed screwdriver and a torch to see inside the hub, but it's well worth the effort.
3) Then adjust the nut at the handbrake, leaving no more than 25mm of thread showing.

Hope this is some use. I've found the forum very helpful on a number of jobs and I wanted to contribute something for a change.

John, please do not take this the wrong way, but you fell into the trap of believing the cables had stretched and they never do. Good details on the problems of changing the cables though.

The issue you had was entirely due to the handbrake compensator, which you took a photo of. The last one with the red arrow on it, clearly shows that your compensator has stretched. A number of people replaced the cables at great expense, assuming cable stretch to be the cause, but several month ago it was discovered to be all due to the issue with the compensator stretching. If you look at the gap between the two brackets of the compensator, that should be about 1 to 2mm with the item under tension.

Replacing it with new is only a temporary fix, because it will certainly stretch again in use and may even get to the point of parting. The fix is to either get your old one modified by me, or Arctic so it cannot stretch again. You can search the forum to compare the two methods and maybe do the necessary yourself.

You also fell into the trap of doing the adjustment at the drum by the book, which unfortunately doesn't basically work. The book says adjust at the hub until tight, then back off by five clicks, which leaves you with a rather large gap between shoe and drum to be taken up somewhere.

The correct procedure, is slacken the nut off completely, then turn the star wheel until it locks the drum, then back off until the drum is just free to turn and no more - at each side. Only then adjust the nut under the lever.

With a properly modified replacement compensator fitted, the hub adjustment done correctly and the adjuster nut under the handbrake tightened down to show around 25mm of thread - your handbrake should start working on the first click. On the second click it should hold the car on most slopes, the third click should be able to leave rubber on the road if applied on the move.

There is an absolute mass of information on the handbrake issue and the solution, in the forum.

I'm offering a FOC repair for the compensator, which involves reforming it to the correct shape and welding it to reinforce it. Arctic uses a different method using a tiny shackle to repair it.

The good news I suppose, is that you now have very easy access to the compensator, whilst the rest of us have to do battle with that unwieldy carpet :-)

[John C]

Hi Harry, there seems to have been a lot of debate about the cables over the years. The compensator wasn't regarded as part of the issue at the time I bought replacement cables.

You are right about the cables not normally being the culprit. In the event mine were fine. I just hadn't rechecked the shoes and I believe they were the main problem. And the discs were in a very bad state too.

Good point about backing off 5 clicks. Mine needs further tweaking, so I guess 2 or 3 would be more like it!

Like I said in my post replacing the cables was an expensive mistake in both time and money and what got my handbrake sorted was new shoes and discs, with the rear adjusters re-set.

I saw the articles on the compensator and I didn't think it had moved enough to mess with it. In the event I've got my handbrake working with the compensator untouched, but maybe some have stretched more than mine if the cable adjustment has been over-done. I guess if the adjusters are cranked up with the shoes and hubs as shot as mine were, and as we know the cables don't stretch, then the compensator will take the strain.

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully all of this information will save others from even attempting cable replacement until they have tried the easier stuff. The Haynes manual suggests replacing cables from beneath the car, having removed the exhaust, then finding someone with fingers like E.T. to reach back blindly through the access hole to do battle with the clips. All to replace something that is unlikely to need replacing!

Thanks to all who have shared their experiences on this forum - so far it's saved me grief on dodgy indicators, a boot that wouldn't shut properly, and the dreaded thermostat job (ta Jules..).

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by John C

Hi Harry, there seems to have been a lot of debate about the cables over the years. The compensator wasn't regarded as part of the issue at the time I bought replacement cables.

You are right about the cables not normally being the culprit. In the event mine were fine. I just hadn't rechecked the shoes and I believe they were the main problem.

Good point about backing off 5 clicks. Mine needs further tweaking, so I guess 2 or 3 would be more like it!

Not even 2 or 3 clicks - Tight up, then just back off just enough to clear the drum, I do it two or three times to get it just to the right spot where it just clears, with maybe an application of the handbrake in between, just to square up the shoes to the drum.

I managed to sort out my handbrake before the compensator issue came to light and did manage to get mine working on the first click back then and only later discovered it was a slightly stretched one.

Some months later, someone decided for what ever reason to fit a replacement compensator and happened to compare the original with the new one and found it had stretched, innocently mentioning it on the forum - not seeming to even realise they had found the cause of an issue that has been plaguing the 75 for years.

I would definitely suggest you sort out that compensator, irrespective of how well it works at the moment - it is a quite serious safety issue, they are hidden and I suppose could let go without any warning. They only really need to stretch a mm or so with the handbrake applied, for the handbrake to release. You really cannot beat the feeling of being able to apply that handbrake as hard as you like, with the confidence that the compensator will not stretch.

Your compensator is probably around the middle of the range of how far they have been found to have stretched.

I'm really surprised at the shoes being worn out, it is not as if they should wear on normal use. Mine are good as new at 100K.

[John C]

Ta for the advice about the rear adjusters. And yes, I was amazed at the state of the shoes and discs having checked them just before ordering cables. OK, that was 2 years ago but they were in good shape then after 8 years.

It's almost like someone drove with the handbrake on, because they were down to the steel

Not me guv!

[Arctic]

HI John
What a shame you did not read this before you tackled the handbrake or the rear shoes issue and cut the carpet your handbrake compensator will need to be modified and changed as it is only a matter of time before you will be back to square one from you photo i would say your compensator as stretched about 8mm a the moment.

Such as this


you will need a modified one such as these but i have opted for the stainless steel shackle one so have many of the other members.


the stainless shackle compensator

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...4&postcount=15

the thread on modified compensator good reading
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=95772


Arctic.

[John C]

Quick update, I adjusted the shoes at the hubs as Harry suggested and the handbrake is fully on with 3 clicks and has passed its MOT.

I haven't touched the compensator, but I will bear it in mind in future if all else seems in spec.

For me it was the shoes and discs/hubs, not the cables or the compensator.

My advice would be always check the state of the shoes and hubs first, and adjust as per Harry's advice - don't back them off 5 clicks as per the Haynes manual.

If that fails, check your compensator. Cables will probably last the life of the car - mine at 10 years old were fine and hadn't stretched at all.

[graham7777]

Hi, iv had new brakes fitted at quick fit on Tuesday they said the hand brake comes right to the top because they are new discs and shoes when l got the car home the hand brake cable clicked as far back as possible and did not work how true is this thanks graham7777

[Stickman]

Sounds like your problem is with the compensator buddy
Regards
Chris

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by graham7777

Hi, iv had new brakes fitted at quick fit on Tuesday they said the hand brake comes right to the top because they are new discs and shoes when l got the car home the hand brake cable clicked as far back as possible and did not work how true is this thanks graham7777

..and like many, they don't understand the system and its known issues.

It will be the handbrake compensator which has deformed and / or the brake shoes which may need to be properly adjusted at the wheel. The compensator can be sorted quite easily and permanently, read my link below.