Idiots guide to handbrake hub cleaning?

[bmc123]

My car just failed the MOT as the passenger side handbrake is hardly registering on the test roller is there an easy way to sort this? I assume a general clean up should sort it but is there anything I am likely to need once I go in there?

[joejag308]

Searching my old head, i seem to recall it had a lot to do with the centre swivel link seizing up.....just allowing one side to work. this gave the handle signal as though both sides actually worked. The cure was ( i think ) to strip down and lubricate the swivel assembly.

[ptjs1]

bmc123,

I'd also start looking at the central cable linkage first. However, if you do have to remove the disc and get in there, there's a couple of things you might consider:

Make sure you back off the brake shoe adjuster before trying to remove the disc. The disc can be a nightmare to remove if the shoes are even slightly in contact. Use a torch through the hole so you understand where is the adjuster.

If you do remove the disc, check the integrity of the pins that hold the handbrake shoes in place. They work in the opposite way to many older cars ie they are inserted from the shoe side and go through the back plate and then are turned through 90 degrees to hold them in place. The retaining slot in the back plate can distort allowing the pin to pull back through. If this has happened, you could buy a cheap brake drum kit from a motor factors and put a cup washer on the outside of the backplate to hold the pin in place. (This will make more sense when you see it!)

Start with the cable linkage and hope the problem is there!

Good luck

Paul

[bmc123]

Cheers - pretty annoying that I failed on just that - everything else is spot on but that's Northern Ireland's MOT system for you - something a mainland garage could have sorted we have to pay another £18.50 for a retest

[bmc123]

B*&*&^*&^*&%%!!!! Of course Murphy's law has applied itself and the linkages are fine - there is no adjustment left in the shoes on the left so it looks like a new set of shoes and discs may be in order - my mechanic advises its best to do these in pairs even though the drivers side looks like new. And to add to my misery its getting close to the July holidays over here and the garage closes for a week so even if I do find the parts at a reasonable price (and again being in Northern Ireland we get hit with some nasty postage charges) I wont be able to get the work done for at least a week.

(insert various swear words here)

recommendations for parts suppliers? and anything I need apart from a set of shoes and drums/discs?

[bmc123]

scratch that.. seems all I need is a set of shoes for the handbrake as all it did was strip the shoe.

[bmc123]

......and finally, it's passed. One new set of shoes later and another trip up to the MOT station, and 5 minutes later out the other side with a certificate.

Now, next job front drivers side wheel bearing

[joejag308]

there are some quite cheap Jags to be had ...even in N Ireland.... .........keep going it will sort itself out eventually!!!!