Handbrake not working after changing brake shoes

[john279]

I changed the rear brake shoes, but now handbrake is not working at all.
I have repeatedly operated handbrake (haynes says to operate a few times to bring shoes up to drums).

I've checked both wheels & everything is in place, I took my time.

Unfortunately in between doing each wheel, I had to move the car & I operated the handbrake !!
So one wheel had new shoes, other wheel still had old shoes, I moved car & operated the handbrake.

Could the problem of handbrake not operating be related to this ??

Looking at Haynes I see there is a Handbrake Cable Adjuster & Equaliser underneath the car.

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When I moved car, afterwards handbrake was working on the wheel I changed shoes on & not on one I hadn't changed.

I thought, shoe adjusters & linkage are out of synch, better go back to beginning.

Took both wheel hubs off & reset adjuster strut to fully contracted, so both adjusters were at same setting for new shoes.

But now handbrake is not working on BOTH wheels (it was working on wheel I changed shoes when I moved car).

Any ideas what problem is ??

Could it be something to do with the Handbrake Cable Adjuster & Equaliser ??

 

[Micra 110]

How many times did you pull up the Handbrake(with the Button pushed in) and with the Brake Drums on?

Don't forget that the Adjusters do the Job of pushing out the Brake shoes so you might have to lift the Handle a number of times.

You may have to start again or you could pop round to your 'Garage round the corner'

Also, get a Camera and take some shots before during and after, a picture says a thousand words

 

[john279]

How many times did you pull up the Handbrake(with the Button pushed in) and with the Brake Drums on?

Don't forget that the Adjusters do the Job of pushing out the Brake shoes so you might have to lift the Handle a number of times.

You may have to start again or you could pop round to your 'Garage round the corner'

Also, get a Camera and take some shots before during and after, a picture says a thousand words

Pulled handbrake loads of times, 40 or more times.
It's got to be something simple & silly.

I'll go to garage to get it checked.

I did take pictures before & after.

 

[Speedle]

check the adjusters, make sure they are moving freely and the mechinism working. you could have put the adjusters on the wrong way round which would stop the handbrake auto adjusting

the adjusters will be the issue here

 

[SammoHung]

sounds like theres lots of slack in the cable...so that pulling the lever isnt causing any pulling on the cable at the drums-end (so ajdusters might not even be moving even thouth thay may be fine)


can you check that the cable is reasonably taught before levering...you may have some adjustment in the center cable adjuster neer the fuel tank to initialy to solve this?

 

[john279]

check the adjusters, make sure they are moving freely and the mechinism working. you could have put the adjusters on the wrong way round which would stop the handbrake auto adjusting

the adjusters will be the issue here

It's sorted now, took it to local garage, who took off brake drums & said the adjusters had not been adjusted.

He used screwdriver to push adjuster star wheel, so shoes moved outwards up to drums. He kept doing this until, shoes were close to drums & drums could just be pushed on (did it there & then, charged me £34.50, Kwik-Fit would have done free check, guess they would have charged to adjust).

Haynes doesn't say this, just says to operate handbrake few times to operate automatic adjusters.

The online workshop manual here says to move adjuster so shoes are 0.5mm from drums:
Full Workshop Manual -Links to Useful Threads

As usual, something basic & simple.

 

[Speedle]

aye you need to manually adjust up the shoes and then pull the handbrake a few times, £34 sheets is a lot for winding a wheel!..... next time come to us dude the peeps on here know there stuff and will save you a fortune

 

[john279]

aye you need to manually adjust up the shoes and then pull the handbrake a few times, £34 sheets is a lot for winding a wheel!..... next time come to us dude the peeps on here know there stuff and will save you a fortune

Yes, but why isn't it in Haynes ???

Haynes says to wind shoe adjuster back fully, then pull handbrake few times to operate automatic adjusters.

It's easy when you know how, yes £34 is lot, but if you need problem sorted, paying somone few quid is worthwhile to get it done, you pay for their experience. I did say £34 was a lot to manager at till, but it was good that it was a simple problem quickly solved.

But at least now I know an extra trick !!!