Losing my handbrake

[Morr]

After our outing to the Curragh on Sunday, and my Surf’s thorough dunking thanks to poor door seals, it left me with a few minor problems. Trying to dry the bugger out for a start, currently have half the carpets out, with a dehumidifier running inside to dry her out, ah well, twas all good fun



The dunking may have wet my ABS control unit (wherever it is) as I had a warning light for this for a few hours afterwards; this now appears to have resolved itself.



My main concern is that my handbrake is now almost useless! Where before it only lifted a few clicks, now it’s all the way up and pointing at the roof. Otherwise the brakes feel fine and pedal height and action seem normal.

I’m going to pull the rear drums at the weekend anyway, but am curious as to how this has happened; I can’t think how the dunking could have caused it. I don’t think I caught anything underneath, as all looks ok, although until I get it cleaned underneath it is kinda hard to tell.



Any ideas?

[Gizmo]

Coulkd just be mud in the drums...found this after an off-roading trip....once cleaned out everything fine......check any linkages for looseness or could be brake cable gone

[laser_jock@work]

[QUOTE=Morr] thanks to poor door seals, it left me with a few minor problems. Trying to dry the bugger out for a start, currently have half the carpets out, with a dehumidifier running inside to dry her out, ah well, twas all good fun [QUOTE]

Well I hope you only flooded the inside with nice clean water- not liquid mud like I did once!

Sounds like a broken or badly stretched cable(s) or just possibly a loose linkage. Can't see how water would cause it but off-roading generally might.

Nevillef

[Linda]

My main concern is that my handbrake is now almost useless! Where before it only lifted a few clicks, now it’s all the way up and pointing at the roof. Otherwise the brakes feel fine and pedal height and action seem normal.

I’m going to pull the rear drums at the weekend anyway, but am curious as to how this has happened; I can’t think how the dunking could have caused it. I don’t think I caught anything underneath, as all looks ok, although until I get it cleaned underneath it is kinda hard to tell.


Any ideas?

The Bullet's Handbrake cable does this everytime she gets wet. We just tighten it up again and its fine til the next swim.

[Morr]

The Bullet's Handbrake cable does this everytime she gets wet. We just tighten it up again and its fine til the next swim.

You mean it loosens each time? or does it appear to stretch? either way sounds like a wierd symptom to get from water, I can't figure it out myself.
Hopefully thats all I'll have to do too, I'll find out at the weekend.
Have you any theories as to how the water causes this??

[kitesurf_phil]

What is a handbrake? I have an automatic and there is an old umbrella handle stuck in the drivers footwell.

[Morr]

What is a handbrake? I have an automatic and there is an old umbrella handle stuck in the drivers footwell.

Ah well, that's one of the differences between the 2nd & 3rd Gens, they took away the umbrella and gave us a handbrake thingy in the center consol, maybe thats why my Surf had these problems, no umbrella to keep it dry!
Pity really, I prefered the umbrella style one....

[JimL]

I dont like the umbrella handle, when your inchin along in traffic uphill, its a real pain. But wet carpets now thats an even bigger pain

[TonyN]

You mean it loosens each time? or does it appear to stretch? either way sounds like a wierd symptom to get from water, I can't figure it out myself.
Hopefully thats all I'll have to do too, I'll find out at the weekend.
Have you any theories as to how the water causes this??

Dunno, it sometimes happens after a muddy offroad session, its as if the cable untwists slightly and gets to baggy.

Or its just a drum full of mud and needs cleaning out.

(you mean you don't clean out the brakes after every offroad trip like the 'people in the know' advise on other websites? )

[Morr]

Dunno, it sometimes happens after a muddy offroad session, its as if the cable untwists slightly and gets to baggy.

Or its just a drum full of mud and needs cleaning out.

(you mean you don't clean out the brakes after every offroad trip like the 'people in the know' advise on other websites? )

Gotto admit, i can be lazy about doing my own maintenance at times, but this is the first time I've gotten them properly muddy and submerged.
I've a feelin it won't be the last ....

[Morr]

Well I pulled the drums off on Saturday, certainly the easiest set of drums I've removed in quite a while.

I could see no reason here or on the cable run for my very slack handbrake, everything was in order, no mud/grit or other accumulations, drums themselves are like new (altough the leading shoes themselves are quite worn) so I'm still a little perplexed as to what happened, so far Tony's suggestion of the cable possibly unwinding slightly seems as good a theory as any.

Adjusting the handbrake was a simple job at the handbrake handle itself and took all of about 10 minutes start to finish.

Now I just have to get some new brake shoes for it and pull the drums off again, at least I know it will be a quick and easy job to do.