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Mk2 Mondeo. New rear shoes leads to no handbrake.

Hi all.

The rear brakes on my car had never been changed in the 9 years since I had bought it and were squealing nicely. But the handbrake was working as well as any other I've had and the brakes still stopped me.

Anyway, I decided they needed changing. I put new discs and pads on the front last year so I might as well do the backs to match.

I bought cheap shoes from ebay, (probably my first mistake) and fitted them. The change went easily but the handbrake was crap afterwards. I assumed it would 1, bed in and 2, adjust automatically. (Well, it HAS got automatic adjusters!) It hasn't, they're still crap.

Although not a professional mechanic I have done most of my own servicing since I were a lad. Brakes, front and rear, I've done loads on loadsa cars so I'm not incompetant. Even if I can't spell it.

This evening I took them apart again to 'ave a look. I could find nothing obviously wrong. The drums are OK. The cylinders are moist enough to stick a little dust to them, but not leaking enough to get the shoes wet. The adjusters on the top bars in the drums were so stiff I couldn't move them, so I gave them a *hint* of thin lube to make sure they worked OK.

All the components are in their proper places, secured properly and assembled cleanly. I checked the diameters before I installed them as there are two slightly different sizes. So WHY does my handbrake lever now pull up almost to ther vertical? WHY can I get NO grip on the handbrake at all? There is no adjuster in the cable I can wind up, but it was fine before so I shouldn't have to do anything but release it, not tighten it.

Google has not helped. There are hundreds of handbrake problems out there but nothing that seems to match this. Oh well, it looks as if I'll be buying more new shoes. Could it be they're SO crap they don't grip?

Ideas on a BMW750 please, to my front door!

Reply to
Mike Barnard
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shoes the right way round? make sure the adjusters move freely and manually adjust them up till you can just get the drum on. If the cylinders are damp then they need changing. I have also recently seen seized cylinders on an early mondeo, and that is rare these days. handbrake adjuster is at the handle end of the cable. I have also seen brakes that have been replaced without re-connecting the handbrake cable inside the drum!! but I expect that you have not done that.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

Most cars I've had that had so-called self-adjusters required you to tighten the adjuster up to only just allow the drum on. Then they would keep adjusting OK after that. Never could understand why they wouldn't adjust from the slack position.

Rob Graham

Reply to
Rob Graham

you could line the shoes with cardboard and still get some grip, so I would not chuck them just yet.

Reply to
Mrcheerful
[...]

All the Fords I've tinkered with in this respect over the last 20 or so years have adjusted fine from being wound right off. In fact, with new shoes you usually have to do that to be able to get the drum on.

Of course, the self-adjust mechanism has to be in good condition, clean and lubricated.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Whelan

You only missed that by an "e".

Did you flick the rubber boots back and see if they were wet inside,

9year old cylinders must need a change, they will not retract fully either due to gunk build up or corroded and the seals worn out.

Because the shoes have not been adjusted up to the drum. I am assuming you have the leading and trailing shoes correctly in place. You did pull apart and lubricate the adjuster, with a Neverseize graphite/copper base grease, thin lubricants pick up dust dry and dry out.

Its not the shoes unless they are incorrect your adjustment procedures.

Reply to
Rob

I have to say that my current car, a Ford, is the only car I've owned on which I have not replaced the rear shoes - so I don't speak from experience of this car!

Rob

Reply to
Rob Graham

'smee again.

I'm typing with dirty fingers and a soggy a*** as I've just spent the last 2 hours sitting on a damp, leaf strewn grass verge. At least it has been sunny here.

I bought new cylinders and good shoes from Partco this morning instead of going to work and did a complete rebuild. Now everything is perfect. Even before bedding in, the handbrake locks one side when applied while driving. Both would be nice, but let's see what the brake meter says at the MOT centre tomorrow.

What was wrong? I don't know for sure but I MUST have messed up the assembly somehow. Thanks for your comments, it's good to know one is not alone!

Reply to
Mike Barnard

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