prolly just needs a good soaking in oil, the most common thing to happen to the handbrake is for it to get bent, think of a 20 stone van driver sliding out of the cab and sitting on it :) also gets whacked when you get in if it's adjusted too high.
I know i took my handbrake lever appart for some reason, but it was years ago,
Whilst your oiling the ratchet, go under the van and oil the pivot points on the handbrake linkage under the back of the wheel arch, should be a boot over the linkage but it is usually rotted out, so road spray goes directly onto the links rods, and one day the long rod will snap where it enters the quadrant and is bent over, goes with quit a twang, but a new cost me 8 quid.
You are dead right about the linkage under the front wheel arch. I had a look this morning before taking it to have the tyres fitted and its covered in muck. Gave it an initial oil up, but will get the muck off and oil it again soon. No sign that a boot ever existed over that linkage and the boot directly under the handbrake moves about as the handbrake is operated. Years ago I put a cable tie on it to make the boot stay tightly in place against the body when handbrake on, but nowadays it just slides down again. I'll have to redo it, but really needs a new boot. The rubber is a bit hard these days and won't to push back into body. I also went backwards following the linkages until I got to the equaliser bar and dabbed a bit of oil around that too as a bit dry where parts slide together. Odd, as I oiled up the underbody last year, must have missed that bit when squirting oil with the air compressor.
After that I followed the cables back to each wheel and noticed the near side cable was loose as it goes into the brake drum (this was all with handbrake off). Where the cable has a metal end that sits into the back of the brake drum, it was waggling about. With handbrake on again it seats back into the brake drum properly, but this doesn't seem right. Wondering if shoes are seized in braked position on that side. Doesn't appear to be any drag, but not sure I'd notice a 300 year oak tree dragging behind this van as it pulls so well. I did leave handbrake off a lot of the time when its been laid up, but there were months when it was on too. If it doesn't come good with use, I might have to get drum off, or at the least, get wheel off and bash drum with a hammer in hope it will ping back into unbraked position. Fat hope I hear you all say! Its only done 60 miles since got it back on road and that was all rural dual carriagway trunk roads and not much brake action.
Might be driving it to London soon, so that will give it a bit of town driving to operate the brakes more. Stops as well as it ever did with the masses of caravan stuff in the back and in straight line. I think I'll try and get that linkage and some other handbrake parts in stock before that link breaks at the the most awkward moment. I have a new ratchet, but not fitted it yet as the tiny circlips that hold the handbrake and ratchet pins in place look like one use only and I don't have any.
Anyway, the handbrake is already behaving better. With a bit more serious freeing up and oiling when I get time it should recover. You are right about the handbrake lever being slightly bent too. It bows slightly towards the side of the seat. As you said, no doubt by over zealous use.
You are dead right about the linkage under the front wheel arch. I had a look this morning before taking it to have the tyres fitted and its covered in muck. Gave it an initial oil up, but will get the muck off and oil it again soon. No sign that a boot ever existed over that linkage and the boot directly under the handbrake moves about as the handbrake is operated. Years ago I put a cable tie on it to make the boot stay tightly in place against the body when handbrake on, but nowadays it just slides down again. I'll have to redo it, but really needs a new boot. The rubber is a bit hard these days and won't to push back into body. I also went backwards following the linkages until I got to the equaliser bar and dabbed a bit of oil around that too as a bit dry where parts slide together. Odd, as I oiled up the underbody last year, must have missed that bit when squirting oil with the air compressor.
After that I followed the cables back to each wheel and noticed the near side cable was loose as it goes into the brake drum (this was all with handbrake off). Where the cable has a metal end that sits into the back of the brake drum, it was waggling about. With handbrake on again it seats back into the brake drum properly, but this doesn't seem right. Wondering if shoes are seized in braked position on that side. Doesn't appear to be any drag, but not sure I'd notice a 300 year oak tree dragging behind this van as it pulls so well. I did leave handbrake off a lot of the time when its been laid up, but there were months when it was on too. If it doesn't come good with use, I might have to get drum off, or at the least, get wheel off and bash drum with a hammer in hope it will ping back into unbraked position. Fat hope I hear you all say! Its only done 60 miles since got it back on road and that was all rural dual carriagway trunk roads and not much brake action.
Might be driving it to London soon, so that will give it a bit of town driving to operate the brakes more. Stops as well as it ever did with the masses of caravan stuff in the back and in straight line. I think I'll try and get that linkage and some other handbrake parts in stock before that link breaks at the the most awkward moment. I have a new ratchet, but not fitted it yet as the tiny circlips that hold the handbrake and ratchet pins in place look like one use only and I don't have any.
Anyway, the handbrake is already behaving better. With a bit more serious freeing up and oiling when I get time it should recover. You are right about the handbrake lever being slightly bent too. It bows slightly towards the side of the seat. As you said, no doubt by over zealous use.
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