Handbrake driving me nuts

[tsviatko]

As it goes with these trucks the handbrake was virtually non-existent. So, I disassembled both sides. I changed the pads, the bellcranks and their pins and I made sure that all the pins are lose and greased. So nothing is stuck there now and everything looks pretty good. I also adjusted the starwheels.

Then I drove the truck at like 30kmh and rapidly engaged the handbrake. Only the left side tire got fully seized and left burn marks on the concrete. Repeating that test yielded no different results.

Why might that be? The only thing I can think of is replacing the cables now. But I can't really see how the cables would do that.

 

[silvercruiser]

The cables do stretch so its worth replacing, and i think its just perseverance with the star wheels keep on with fine adjustments and you get there in the end my handbrake works good and will lock both wheels if needed.

you also need to give the shoes some time to bed in and then re adjust

 

[Chris]

Ahh, well one side is slaved off the other so it's quite typical to get them out of balance.

I do the slaved side first then when I do the primary side, I set it one click less for feel than the other side. That way, the magic hand brake fairies seem to even things up. Once the primary side stops, due to contact with the inside of the drum, the other side doesn't move anymore.

 

[tsviatko]

No luck with that Chris. I loosened the primary side a lot (like 8 clicks from folly blocked) and that resulted in no handbrake at all. I.e. the primary side is apparently too lose to work but that does not make the slaved side work.

 

[jbecks]

I like the advert though, it made me chuckle!

IN THOSE 14 YEARS I MUST OF DRIVEN IT 12,000 MILES BELIEVE IT OR NOT

followed by;

MY OLD PRIDE AND JOY THAT NOT ONCE LET ME DOWN

 

[Chris]

Hmm, sounds like the movement is being absorbed somewhere rather than being transferred to the shoe. Have you followed the 'How to get the best from your handbrake' thread yet?

 

[tsviatko]

Is this - http://www.landcruiserclub.net/foru...rom-your-hand-brake/page3?highlight=handbrake the 'How to get the best from your handbrake' thread?

I read through it and found the missing pieces. The black and green springs had been misplaced. I exchanged them and took care of the cables slack and now I get burn marks on both sides So, thanks a bunch Chris that really helped.

The only thing left to bother me now is that used the entire length of the bellcrank stopper bolt to get rid of the slack on the slaved side. So it looks like some part is way off the limits. Provided that bellcranks, bellcrank pins and pads are brand new the only thing that could introduce such amount of slack is the so called 'parking brake wire' (47616-60020). That's the short piece of cable inside a spring that connects the bellcrank to the pad. That must have gotten longer with age. That's the only thing I can think of, really. Any idea how long that should be when new?

 

[Chris]

Hmm, hard to see that it would have stretched. If everything else is new I am struggling I have to confess. Usually it's wear in the hole in the bell crank. I am at the end of my stoppers too, that's not unusual. Just use a 6mm bolt instead. Don't cure the problem just bodge round it!

Glad it's working now. Good stuff. Still can't see that little wire stretching.

 

[tsviatko]

Well that is the thing the bellcranks, bellcrank brackets and pins are brand new and OEM. They were really rusted so I replaced them. With new pads there is not much else left, really.