Handbrake Adjustment

[skymera]

Hi All,

 

Quick Q on handbrake adjustment.

My handbrake seems to work okay enough to stop itself rolling down a hill but even at 7 clicks it doesn't feel like it's holding well.

 

(checking 7 clicks due to mot coming up)

 

Am I able to simply release the handbrake and tighten the adjuster nut slightly? 

 

I've seen a few threads that say to release handbrake, wind the adjuster out, pump the brake, like the handbrake to 1 click then adjust till it drags on the discs.

 

I have no issues with binding rear brakes. Rear calipers were new 1 year back.

[Krzys]

You want one click on it when you adjust it. Then as you said, once you can feel it dragging when you spin a rear wheel it should be tight enough.

Obviously you do this with the rear wheels off the ground.

[Butcher]

I'm not entirely sure how the auto balancing on the handbrake is supposed to work. But if it looks well balanced as it is (i.e. if the junction where it splits to two cables isn't wonky and looks to have equal tension on each) I'd be tempted to just go ahead and tighten it up. 

 

Do make sure it's balanced though, as if it isn't, and all the force is going to one wheel, then you're losing 50% of your stopping power straight away. As Krzys says, both wheels off the ground to do it properly, and that will help you test how well balanced they are too. 

[civicturbo79]

slacken the cables right off on the adjuster nut in the rear ash tray , make sure the lever arms on the rear calipers are all the way back on the stops , then pump the brakes or drive the car around the block then adjust the cables to where you want the handbrake around 4 clicks is about right . you need to have everything loss and the levers on there stops so the adjusters inside the caliper do there job first . then adjust the cable .