Handbrake ratchet

[Mad Mark]

The ratchet on my handbrake has stopped working properly. I have to pull the handbrake up then push it over for it to locate.

Is this a job from inside or below the car to fix?

[Gazzab]

You can bend the handbrake from inside the car, but be careful.

[Mad Mark]

Bending it seems a bit drastic!!! I have always been careful with the handbrake to pull it up straight as I know the angle is not the most ideal in the world so the thought of bending it now seems

[Gazzab]

Pushing the handbrake toward passenger door is a known dealer fix!

[Mad Mark]

That is the way I have to push it to get it to locate. So your saying just give it a bit of an extra shove?

[Gazzab]

I had to carefully bend mine on my 2nd cerb - under advice from the dealer.

[Mad Mark]

ok will give it a go. Thanks gazzab

[mickk]

Anyone else expecting a post from Mark saying "Whats the best way to repair a broken handbrake?"

[Mad Mark]

mickk said:

Anyone else expecting a post from Mark saying "Whats the best way to repair a broken handbrake?"

[Ireland]

All the access to the ratchet bit of the handbrake is from inside the car.

Remove the gaiter (it's probably just tucked in, not glued) and everything is there.

Not sure how much you can do with it though if it's worn.

[tvrgit]

Well I found on mine that the pawl had jammed in the lever, and wasn't releasing / engaging properly (sometimes I had to hit the lever sideways to get the handbrake off - another dealer "TADTS" moment). As said earlier, the gaiter is only tucked in, so you can pull it out and turn it inside-out over the lever. Then I lubricated the ratchet and pawl, and prised the u-shape of the lever open by a tiny amount, so that everything was working freely, then put it together again. Works perfectly now!

[Ireland]

Here's a (poor) picture of what's under there .....



The ratchet mechanism is just to the right of the cable in the picture.

[Mr Cerbera]

There's a cable in that picture ???