Help with handbrake adjustment

[vinvan]

Our 69 has discs on the front and late bay drums on the back. The handbrake is an early bay configuration. i.e. adjustable at the lever base in the cab. Everything on the rear is new (backplate, drums, shoes, cylinders, springs, spreader plates and handbrake cables) apart from the brake levers on each side for the handbrake. We have checked them against pics on different web sites and they seem to be correct for the late Bay (1973 onwards).

The problem is this:

No matter how much adjustment we make on the brake adjusters (the star wheel ones in the drum) and the cable adjusters on the handbrake lever in the cab. We cannot get the handbrake to work with any real force. If we do get it to work at all, the rear brakes get very hot, very quick and they smell. We have measured the handbrake cables and they are the correct length.

Can anybody point us to a possible solution? We are at the point of taking a sledgehammer to it!!! Driving us nuts! Help! :sign0009:

 

[Moseley]

How are you adjusting it? The cables should be slackened off fully and the pads adjusted at the drum end so that they are backed off a click (Bentley suggests 3 clicks but I've always found this to be too much) at the point where they just start to drag. It is important that the pedal is pumped regularly through this process to ensure that the pads are centred and you a getting an accurate idea that the drag point is not because the pads are on the piss. Only then should the handbrake cable be adjusted. From memory, the handbrake is pulled on 7 clicks, and then the cables tightened again until the pads just start to drag. Again, it's worth repeatedly pumping the pedal and re-checking to make sure you're adjusting at the right position.


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[slow-lane-Matt]

I recently had this problem - the solution for me was to adjust the brakes as normal with the star adjusters, with handbrake adjusted so no friction.

Take bus for spin and brake with foot brake as hard as you can without locking up from 30 MPH a few times, then 40 then 50.

This shapes the new shoes to any irregularities on the drums.

Re-adjust brakes with star adjusters - now the handbrake should adjust just fine.

 

[Mucka]

I've had this issue recently with my crossover, the brake lever arm didn't fit the hole without drilling it slightly to fit the correct hole on the pads.

The brake leaver arm should be on the very top hole, also if they are later drums sometimes the balance bar is worn.

 

[alikat]

I did read on Samba that the metal backing part is now T25/Vanagon not Bay on the Chinese shoes. Maybe this is related.

 

[cunning plan]

Check that the chassis tubes that carry the handbrake cables are not damaged or too straight, they actually need a bit of a bend in them to 'shorten' the cable.

Do not put too much of a bend in though, you will just cause friction and probably break the tack-welds holding the tubes on. :character0036: