S type Rear Calipers

[oldtimer]

Hi Mike and all,
I've just been looking for something and by chance came across a response from you Mike on a brake related question back in June
Quote:- It has been known for the ramp and lever to become siezed. I think that quote is correct. That of course, being on the rear brake caliper.

The reason for raising the subject is that having just examined the Renault brake cables I found one where the inner cable, at the end which attaches to the caliper, was bent to ressemble a letter 'S' along with several broken strands. In addition the end fitting on the outer casing was 80% broken off which had allowed the ingress of water and road dirt.

I think you would agree that cables of this type are designed to pull not push. I would suggest that the handbrake element of the caliper was not entirely free to move and for this reason the cable collapsed into this disfiguerd S shape during the brake release process.

So, this highlights your point of ensuring that the hand brake function at the caliper is free and smooth in operation ensuring that the return spring returns the lever to the fully off position and not relying on the cable to push the lever to the off position.

At the next scheduled service perhaps consideration should be given to the above.

This adds another element in my quest to fully understand how the mechanical components of the electric handbrake work.

Oldtimer

[J44EAG]

The Renault system may or may not be different to an S-type caliper. Regret I don`t know anything about the Renault system so hard for me to comment.

As I recall, the S-type has a single pull cable from the handbrake lever ( manual lever on the early cars) which then tightens and across axle cable which pulls the caliper levers and applies the "handbrake" ie forces the brake pads into contract with the discs. Release of the handbrake lever in the car, slackens the cable which then slackens t across axle cable and leverage force relaxes and the pads come off contact with the discs. If one or other of the levers do not release due in most circumstances due to corrosion, then the back brakes will bind.

Mike