We all know that the 90 hand brake can be a PITA so here's a little guide to getting it working well. Actually replacing the linings is a tricky little job and needs some patience and dexterity. But usually, the linings will last a long time. Milners do a replacement hand brake cable with fits beautifully and is much cheaper than OE. Always worth doing that too if you need an overhaul. A key part of the assembly is the bell crank lever. The hole in the middle and the pin can wear. This means that you have movement where you don't want it and you'll have the lever up around your neck before the brake works. You can weld it up and then re-drill it. Or you could speak to our resident part expert the Rt Hon Mr Rubinstein.
They are a drum in disc design. The outside is the main brake and the inner is the handbrake drum.
To start with slacken off the cable inside the cabin. You'll need a long reach 10mm socket and a spanner. I ground one down to make it thin enough.
The cable needs to be completely slack.
The with the wheels off, turn the hub until the hole that you can see though is at 6 O'clock. Use a torch to look through the hole. You will see a toothed cog wheel. With a flat screwdriver, flick this cog toward you and down until it stops. This will release the disc off the hub. You may need to whack it a bit as the disc can stick to the hub with time. Turn and hit, turn and hit. it will come off. Have a good look around inside and a bit of a clean if needed. Check the friction lining thickness on the shoe. Operate the bell crank lever on the back of the brake (attached to the cable) to make sure that the mechanism is free and moving. If it isn't then it's a strip down job. This is the Achilles' heel of the system. Likely as not, the off side one will be sticking.
OK if all is well, put the disc back on and tighten with two wheel nuts to centre the disc. Now wind the cog back the opposite way until it is tight. Try to move the hub back and forth to make sure that the shoes are centered. Just use a bar in the wheel studs. Right, now you need to look at how much movement there is in the bell crank lever on the back of the assembly. this is how much you'll need to take up before the shoes even move. There is a little flat faced bolt on the end of the bell crank with a lock nut. Adjust this until the movement has all but gone from the bell crank lever. Now back the cog off one click and the hub should be free to move again. Now, there is no slack in your system. All of the joints, swivels, guides etc in the cable must be free and moving - yes? No good if they are stiff. Now re tension the cable inside the cab until the wheels stop moving. Put a couple of clicks on the lever first if you like and tension it up - then when you drop the lever, everything will be slack. If you have one wheel that 'comes on' before the other, you can balance them with the little cog, but you shouldn't have to if everything is on the money. You need to be sure that there is no drag with the handbrake off or you'll be wearing your linings out and adding to your fuel load.
Make sense?
Chris
They are a drum in disc design. The outside is the main brake and the inner is the handbrake drum.
To start with slacken off the cable inside the cabin. You'll need a long reach 10mm socket and a spanner. I ground one down to make it thin enough.
The cable needs to be completely slack.
The with the wheels off, turn the hub until the hole that you can see though is at 6 O'clock. Use a torch to look through the hole. You will see a toothed cog wheel. With a flat screwdriver, flick this cog toward you and down until it stops. This will release the disc off the hub. You may need to whack it a bit as the disc can stick to the hub with time. Turn and hit, turn and hit. it will come off. Have a good look around inside and a bit of a clean if needed. Check the friction lining thickness on the shoe. Operate the bell crank lever on the back of the brake (attached to the cable) to make sure that the mechanism is free and moving. If it isn't then it's a strip down job. This is the Achilles' heel of the system. Likely as not, the off side one will be sticking.
OK if all is well, put the disc back on and tighten with two wheel nuts to centre the disc. Now wind the cog back the opposite way until it is tight. Try to move the hub back and forth to make sure that the shoes are centered. Just use a bar in the wheel studs. Right, now you need to look at how much movement there is in the bell crank lever on the back of the assembly. this is how much you'll need to take up before the shoes even move. There is a little flat faced bolt on the end of the bell crank with a lock nut. Adjust this until the movement has all but gone from the bell crank lever. Now back the cog off one click and the hub should be free to move again. Now, there is no slack in your system. All of the joints, swivels, guides etc in the cable must be free and moving - yes? No good if they are stiff. Now re tension the cable inside the cab until the wheels stop moving. Put a couple of clicks on the lever first if you like and tension it up - then when you drop the lever, everything will be slack. If you have one wheel that 'comes on' before the other, you can balance them with the little cog, but you shouldn't have to if everything is on the money. You need to be sure that there is no drag with the handbrake off or you'll be wearing your linings out and adding to your fuel load.
Make sense?
Chris