Correct Procedure For Hand Break Adjustment?

[rct]

ok just had to fit a set of new pads to the rear of my zx td 1993 (lucas front and rear)

now i wound back the top adjuster bar on both sides after fitting the new pads and put the drums back on.

i have a perfect offside rear now and a very poor nearside?, i also readjusted the hand break cable as per the haynes manual!.

 

so where did i goe wrong, any ideas?

many thanks.

RCT

[Guest Colin Hunter]

It would seem that you did everything OK for the most part. I assume you mean shoes rather than pads as you mention drums.

 

Did you make sure that the adjuster bars operated freely before replacing them and that the little lever on the shoe was making proper contact with the ratchet wheel on the adjuster. If all is OK in that area, try removing the relevant wheel and, with a slim screwdriver blade in through the bolt hole, adjust the brake up until it begins to drag, then back off a couple of notches. Do this both sides then readjust the handbrake cable as per Haynes. "Settle" the brakes in by operating the handbrake and footbrake together and in turn about a dozen times and they should be OK.

 

I had horrendous trouble with the back brakes on my son's ZX. It was bought for a song at 9 YO and 97,000 miles and needed a fair bit of work for the MOT. The rear brakes were one area. They got new drums and shoes, one new wheel bearing and a new wheel cylinder and one cable. I made sure not to mix up the adjusters as they only work on the side they're meant for.

 

However, the brakes kept going out of adjustment so I stripped both sides down together and compared the adjuster bars. Not only were they in the wrong sides, but the small adjuster ratchet wheel was screwed onto the bar the wrong way round on both sides. They must have been put back like that at some time in the past. This was actually adjusting the brakes OFF rather than ON if you get my drift. Once I had figured this out (by "assembling" the brakes on the bench and simulating the braking/adjusting action) and rebuilt them as I thought they should be, they have been fine since and we have a nice firm pedal which bites after a relatively small movement.

 

Cheers. Hope this helps <_<