mjdronfield wrote:

OK...Obtained axle stands earlier this week and have attempted, and aborted, adjusting the handbrake.

First off, where are you supposed to support the RR with axle stands ? The instructions with the stands say the car needs to sit "in the cup". There is nowhere that I can see to have them support it properly ;

I wasn't totally happy getting the other side up and resting it all on the 2 points of the stands.

I was also unable to see down the hole for the cog.

Decided would best be done by the garage with the proper kit.

So where is the best point to support the car ?

Thanks.

Would that not fit in the jacking point? Then simply jack the car on from the "stand" point on Rave

Gentlemen IMPORTANT!!!!!! When you want to remove your rear drums/disks, it's IMPORTANT you back off the adjusters first!!!

The pins that hold the shoes to the back plate will pull through said back plate if the adjusters are not backed off far enough, which will wreck the back plates and their replacement means a MAJOR strip down!

You have been warned [/u]

Gentlemen IMPORTANT!!!!!! When you want to remove your rear drums/disks, it's IMPORTANT you back off the adjusters first!!!

The pins that hold the shoes to the back plate will pull through said back plate if the adjusters are not backed off far enough, which will wreck the back plates and their replacement means a MAJOR strip down!

You have been warned [/u]

Good advice Craig, it seams like common sense but I could easily see myself or another member having what is described in the firm as a " brain fart" and just trying to rip these off.

 Bushy

2003 RR Vogue Monté Carlo Blue

i was reversing off my drive when i heard a horrible grinding and scraping noise and when i looked at the rear wheel, one of the brake shoe retaining pins was working its way out from between the rear brake disc and the metal cover which wasn't good.

the hand brake had always been but hadn't got around to sorting it.

when i removed the disc / drum. the shoes, pins retainers and springs all fell out on the floor and the retaining pins had pulled through the back plate.

to replace the back plate is not a 5 minute job so i bought myself some of the old style retaining washers, that would normally be used on the inside of the drum with the pin pushed through from the back, which fitted the pins from the fixing kit i bought off ebay perfectly, and some quik steel putty.

i cleaned up the back of the cover plate with a dremel and fixed the washer in place with the steel, wiping off excess and making sure the pin still fitted through and then held it in place with the shoe and retaining spring and pin until it cured in a few minutes.
i replaced the shoes, adjuster and actuator along with the fitting kit which contains all the springs and pins etc and now the hand brake is ok. i did the same both sides even though the pin hadn't pulled through i added in the washers just for extra strength

i also cleaned up the inside of the drum with a a coarse flap wheel

the repair is really strong and you can just see it on the pic as i had wiped some copper slip over it to protect it from water

anyway hope that helps somebody as its a big job to replace the rear covers

a point on jacking up the car as you need both wheels up in the air, i jack under the rear arm where the rear air bag bolt is as my halfords jack fits in the recess perfectly put an axle stand under the right hand jacking point in front of the rear wheel, let the stand take the weight and then remove the rear wheel, then finally lower the arm all the way back down.

then do the same the other side. leave a door open and also support under the front jacking points with axle stands in case the air suspension has a wobbly and decides to lower the front causing the back to fall off the stands

Just an addition.

The drivers side (UK) the adjuster goes up to expand and on the passenger side down.

Remember, when replacing pads, that the wheel part of the adjust faces towards the front of the vehicle. What doesn't kill you is just bidding it's time.

So when the handbrake shoes are correctly adjusted at the brake end, what's the expected travel of the handbrake lever in the cabin - how many clicks approx from 'off' to 'handbrake fully applied'?

How is the self-adjuster on the handbrake lever supposed to work? Some sort of ratchet mechanism? Is it possible to see the position of the self-adjuster in order to gauge if the handbrake cables have stretched?

Thanks for the info, Nemmi69.

So how many clicks do people find it takes to engage the handbrake? Mine takes about 12 before the handbrake starts to do what little it does, which seems a lot compared to 'normal' cars. Anyone replaced the handbrake cable and found it significantly reduces the handbrake travel? Various comments on various forums that a stretched cable is rarely the problem.

Would someone please explain how the hand break self adjustment works, or supposed to work. Eddie the eagle watch out 👀