My handbrake is laregly decorative - any way to make it work

[wca]

My handbrake barely holds the car still on flat. It moves up a few clicks and looks just like a real handbrake, it just doesn't appear to do much in the way of braking.

I have read that the hand brake is a separate system from the main brakes which is a relief. Are there any details of how I can service or adjust it or is it a TVR 'feature'?

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Mate..It should point straight up to the sky like most of ours....There is a process of adjustment but i cant find it at the moment..Even though i had mine done a short while ago the hanbrake has started to get higher and higher again and just about holds the car..I still leave it in gear!!..Especially as i live on a hill....Ziga

PS:There is a thread somewhere on here..Ill have a look in a bit..

[wca]

Mine is flat when not applied and about 45 degrees is as far as I can pull it up. It does hold a bit, just not much. I live at the crest of a hill and depending on where I can park I am either on the flat or just at the start of a steep slope. I always leave it in gear but have visions of finding it 400m away in a wall at the bottom of the hill.

[jmorgan]

Providing the callipers are working there should be a big screw with a split pin to adjust it. That and the cable is seated at the lever and the calliper. May have to take the wheel off, look for a Jag whatever year it is.

Not done it for a while now.

[Lean Machine]

The handbrake on wedges never seem to be any good. The two wedges I had before would go up three or four notches on the handbrake lever but still not grip well on a hill. This wedge I how now however has surprised me. It actually works well. The first wedge I had, like you I was worried about it and took it to a local TVR garage and had them serviced and adjusted. When I got it back it obviously worked better than it did but still not as good as the one I have now. So the moral of the story is, don't expect too much from a wedge handbrake, as long as its good enough to pass the MOT.
Tony. TCB.

[pjtvr390se]

They can be made to work very well, it only cost me some refurbished calipers, new discs and pads and some careful setting up to achieve it.
Absolute 'PITA' job as access is difficult unless the diff is out or you cut a large access hole in the boot or both. My diff was out for repair and I did cut a large hole in the boot.

Edited to add, they are pure jaguar brakes xj6/xj12 1972 to 1980's vintage.

Edited by pjtvr390se on Wednesday 7th December 11:51

[wca]

I think I will wait until I take the body off then. Thanks

[ROOODBOY]

Adjusting the cable and handbrake pads is easy, with the back up in the air (and supported securely on axle stands) you don't even have to remove the wheels;


Release handbrake

Slacken cable right off with the two nuts at the end

Remove split pins (if they are present) from handbrake pad adjusting screws

Turn screws clockwise until wheel locks (make sure it's out of gear) and turn screw back very slightly, usually a quarter turn is easily enough

Adjust handbrake cable with the two nuts until wheels are again not quite locking.

While you're under there make sure the friction material hasn't fallen off of one or more of the handbrake pads, it's not uncommon.


Then, after you've used the handbrake about three times and the lever now points straight up, repeat the process! And so on it goes!

[simonwedge]

Mine works perfectly

[Wedg1e]

It is true that they rarely seem to be that effective: opinion is divided as to whether they were any more effective under the rear end of a 2-tonne Jag but I do recall my dad saying he didn't have any problems with them on his customers' cars, after I described how poor they can be on the Wedges.
As stated, the friction material can detach from its backing plate, probably not helped by Asian manufacture and fitters over-tightening the mounting nuts.
The running clearance should be as small as possible, set by the spring fork, and the self-adjusting mechanism needs to be clean, free from dirt and corrosion and lightly lubricated, and with crisp edges to the ratchetty bits.
Don't over-adjust the cable as you might on other cars, aiming to get as few clicks as possible, because without a good bit of free play at the cable the self-adjusters don't self-adjust. It's best to play with the assembly until you understand what it's trying to do, then you can aim for optimum adjustment.

[RCK974X]

Probably sounds too obvious, but mine worked a HELL of a lot better after stripping them apart and giving them a really good clean and grease before rebuild. The self adjustor mechanism is pretty obvious once you get it off the car, and the 'jaws' pivot on one bolt each, so not too hard to get them off and onto the bench.

I used anti-sieze copper grease, 'cos it's more heat resistant.

I hear they aren't very good as a park brake, and work much better as an emergency brake, because they are a disc brake ?

[Grady]

Mine worked better when I took them off, cleaned and reinstalled and set them up right. A couple of hundred miles later (and almost no use) they are useless (almost) again. Grrrr

[uglymug]

Have to agree on the rebuild and clean. Covered everything in copper grease and it still holds on my steep drive. MOT man said it was good for a TVR !

[jon haines]

This is a common problem on this design of handbrake so not just wegdes that suffer this. after p*****g about for ages trying to adjust the handbrake i took it to my mechanic who got it working but not great. this summer i have replaced the discs/calipers and overhauled the handbrake mechanism it now will hold the car on a 1 in 7 hill as it should do so correct adjustment makes a difference but like all brake issues the overall condition of all the components makes the biggest difference.

[braddeztvr]

Agree with John above. In 24 years I've overhauled mine completely twice in that time, this last time, with new discs.
The key is getting the lever mechanism working really freely, so it needs to be on the bench and taken apart, wire brushed and soaked in WD and then copper grease to all moving parts.
The knack when putting it back together is just getting the right adjustment, as I found out by getting it a bit tight for the MOT and then warmed up the discs a bit on the way home.
The more use the better to stop things ceasing up.
Roar on.

[Wedg1e]

I have a feelng that you instinctively want to set it up with minimal movement of the handbrake calipers, but suspect that a bit of free play is what's needed, otherwise the ratchet mechanism hasn't enough travel to make it work. It's all down to the springy fingers...

[jeff m2]

Wedg1e said:

I have a feelng that you instinctively want to set it up with minimal movement of the handbrake calipers, but suspect that a bit of free play is what's needed, otherwise the ratchet mechanism hasn't enough travel to make it work. It's all down to the springy fingers...

I agree, the ratchet has to be given a chance to make it into the next notch.
Too little play will not allow this.

My 2 cents I think the handbrake cable is way to thick, if it were a couple of guages thinner it would have a bit of "give/spring" and we would get less of a solid feel in the handbrake.
For the record mine holds on a modest slope, but I don't trust it.