FFS... handbrake!
Discussion
Christ on a crumbly bicycle, what does it bloody take to get this handbrake to work properly? Just been and had the 390SE MOTed and it passed OK apart from the handbrake being only just efficient enough to scrape by... despite new discs, pads, springs, extended brake lever and being adjusted to within microns clearance.
I just don't see how the fudge it was supposed to hold a 2-tonne Jaguar when it scarcely has the grip to hold the TVR.
I just don't see how the fudge it was supposed to hold a 2-tonne Jaguar when it scarcely has the grip to hold the TVR.
Nice one on the pass mate..
...Handbrake..You know more than i do on that one matey..Was the cable new?..Is there adjustment in the linkage at the rear and at the handbrake itself..Ive never understood them..Mines okay at the minute but its slowly getting higher...There must be a better way of doing it...I was going to point you to a really good Wedge site but you already know it..
...Handbrake..You know more than i do on that one matey..Was the cable new?..Is there adjustment in the linkage at the rear and at the handbrake itself..Ive never understood them..Mines okay at the minute but its slowly getting higher...There must be a better way of doing it...I was going to point you to a really good Wedge site but you already know it..I concur with others but I replaced my discs, pads and overhauled calipers nearly 3 years ago and since then I have never had a problem with the handbrake it comes on and holds the car with 3 clicks and has never needed adjustment. Before I did this work it was crap and had to be adjusted for every mot so I cant give you a reason why yours does not work unless the adjustment has not been done properly.
Wedg1e said:
Christ on a crumbly bicycle, what does it bloody take to get this handbrake to work properly? Just been and had the 390SE MOTed and it passed OK apart from the handbrake being only just efficient enough to scrape by... despite new discs, pads, springs, extended brake lever and being adjusted to within microns clearance.
I just don't see how the fudge it was supposed to hold a 2-tonne Jaguar when it scarcely has the grip to hold the TVR.
Probably needs a bit of bedding in. Would be interesting to measure the load exerted by the TVR handbrake compared to the Jag handbrake. Enjoy being out and about.I just don't see how the fudge it was supposed to hold a 2-tonne Jaguar when it scarcely has the grip to hold the TVR.
You have to back the cable off and adjust the hand brake calipers until the wheel locks then back them off one turn until wheel turns ! Do this to both calipers then re adjust cable to take slack up ! The way you adjust the caliper is to remove the split pin and wind the screw in what the split pin is holding ! If it is all free it takes 15 to 20 mins . If there seized then good luck !
Edited by pk500 on Sunday 10th May 08:41
pk500 said:
You have to back the cable off and adjust the hand brake calipers until the wheel locks then back them off one turn until wheel turns ! Do this to both calipers then re adjust cable to take slack up ! The way you adjust the caliper is to remove the split pin and wind the screw in what the split pin is holding ! If it is all free it takes 15 to 20 mins . If there seized then good luck !
+1. Adjust at the caliper then take up slack in cable on the threaded adjuster. Mine was not very good for years, until I removed the caliper, de-assembled the handbrake caliper, cleaned and lubricated all moving parts, put it back together and it's now perfect. From lack of use, and only a small movement they tend to seize. Be carefull not to adjust too close, as the disc will swell a bit when warm and you'll smell them stuck on ! Edited by pk500 on Sunday 10th May 08:41
pk500 said:
You have to back the cable off and adjust the hand brake calipers until the wheel locks then back them off one turn until wheel turns ! Do this to both calipers then re adjust cable to take slack up ! The way you adjust the caliper is to remove the split pin and wind the screw in what the split pin is holding ! If it is all free it takes 15 to 20 mins . If there seized then good luck !
Edited by pk500 on Sunday 10th May 08:41
+2
Both my 280 and my 350 have worked well once adjusted like this. Oh and the automatic adjuster doesn't do what it says on the tin never worked on either of my wedges.
Agree with the adjustment advice above.
Another top tip is to make sure the pads and discs have as high friction as possible.
Use trichloroethane to clean them off, and a slight buffing with some sandpaper on the pads especially is there are any shiney areas. If you are clever you could probably do this by slipping a sheet between pad and disc and rotating it through.
If you can't get trich then some petrol followed by a dousing of meths, usually works, to get all the grease off.
If the discs have scoring - don't worry (I think it actually helps a bit!)
Another top tip is to make sure the pads and discs have as high friction as possible.
Use trichloroethane to clean them off, and a slight buffing with some sandpaper on the pads especially is there are any shiney areas. If you are clever you could probably do this by slipping a sheet between pad and disc and rotating it through.
If you can't get trich then some petrol followed by a dousing of meths, usually works, to get all the grease off.
If the discs have scoring - don't worry (I think it actually helps a bit!)
OK, to summarise my experiences with the handbrake on this car, it has always needed a twiddle immediately prior to every MOT (holding - just about- at 6 or 7 clicks... and there are only 9 clicks on this ratchet!). It would then be slacker than an ex-wife within days of adjusting it, but the pads weren't catching the disc and wearing out.
With the diff on the floor I rebuilt the calipers with new, expensive pads and new forked springs. The ratchet mechanisms worked perfectly, in fact too well because however small I set the clearance between pads and disc, as soon as you operated the brake there'd be a click from the ratchet and the pads would lock up on the disc.
So I took the ratchet mechs out completely and just set running clearance by eye and a 2 thou" feeler gauge.
At this stage the diff and brakes (with new discs, degreased with IPA as they had storage grease on) went back in and the cable was reattached and set so that it just to say had slack in it. Now with four clicks it was impossible to turn the hubs by hand but once the wheels were back on I could still turn them. With 6 clicks the wheels would be locked solid.
Back on the floor it was still possible to roll the car but another click stopped it. So then I welded up an extension to the handbrake lever so that the cable would pull further for a smaller arc of lever movement and the car was immobile by five clicks. Cracked it, or so I thought.
At this point it went for MOT but the test showed the brake as barely 20% efficient on the 9th click! How the hell he got it that far I don't know; I recall that several years ago a previous tester managed to rip the friction material off the backing pads trying to get the handbrake on hard enough - which is why I bought the expensive Jag pads instead of the Ebay cheapies.
Out for a drive last night I parked on the steepest hill I could find and the car stayed put, with Nursy and I sat in it, with 6 clicks. So if it can hold the car in practice, what is the rolling road doing that gravity can't?
On the plus side the old bus still goes (and stops) well but to confirm what someone said about Vredestein tyres, the slightest texture of the road surface is now evident. Initial impression is that they grip well during wet cornering and I didn't manage to provoke spin-up under hard acceleration - although it is nearly 3 years since I drove it so maybe I wasn't trying hard enough
I need to adjust the rear wheel camber as they're just about vertical, maybe another shim or two in each side will be enough.
Then there's the seatbelts and the front tie-rod bushes, and the thermostat housing leak... wear in the door bushes, knackered gas struts, radiator looking a bit suspect...
With the diff on the floor I rebuilt the calipers with new, expensive pads and new forked springs. The ratchet mechanisms worked perfectly, in fact too well because however small I set the clearance between pads and disc, as soon as you operated the brake there'd be a click from the ratchet and the pads would lock up on the disc.
So I took the ratchet mechs out completely and just set running clearance by eye and a 2 thou" feeler gauge.
At this stage the diff and brakes (with new discs, degreased with IPA as they had storage grease on) went back in and the cable was reattached and set so that it just to say had slack in it. Now with four clicks it was impossible to turn the hubs by hand but once the wheels were back on I could still turn them. With 6 clicks the wheels would be locked solid.
Back on the floor it was still possible to roll the car but another click stopped it. So then I welded up an extension to the handbrake lever so that the cable would pull further for a smaller arc of lever movement and the car was immobile by five clicks. Cracked it, or so I thought.
At this point it went for MOT but the test showed the brake as barely 20% efficient on the 9th click! How the hell he got it that far I don't know; I recall that several years ago a previous tester managed to rip the friction material off the backing pads trying to get the handbrake on hard enough - which is why I bought the expensive Jag pads instead of the Ebay cheapies.
Out for a drive last night I parked on the steepest hill I could find and the car stayed put, with Nursy and I sat in it, with 6 clicks. So if it can hold the car in practice, what is the rolling road doing that gravity can't?
On the plus side the old bus still goes (and stops) well but to confirm what someone said about Vredestein tyres, the slightest texture of the road surface is now evident. Initial impression is that they grip well during wet cornering and I didn't manage to provoke spin-up under hard acceleration - although it is nearly 3 years since I drove it so maybe I wasn't trying hard enough
I need to adjust the rear wheel camber as they're just about vertical, maybe another shim or two in each side will be enough.
Then there's the seatbelts and the front tie-rod bushes, and the thermostat housing leak... wear in the door bushes, knackered gas struts, radiator looking a bit suspect...
How many of ypu guys have got lsds fitted on your wedges?
and how are these brake tests being carried out?
As with lsd fitted, the brake roller tester is a no go and it should be a decelerometer brake test
Most stuff struggles to get above 20% on the handbrake efficiency anyway, so thats not of much concern
and how are these brake tests being carried out?
As with lsd fitted, the brake roller tester is a no go and it should be a decelerometer brake test
Most stuff struggles to get above 20% on the handbrake efficiency anyway, so thats not of much concern
mk2 24v said:
How many of ypu guys have got lsds fitted on your wedges?
and how are these brake tests being carried out?
As with lsd fitted, the brake roller tester is a no go and it should be a decelerometer brake test
Most stuff struggles to get above 20% on the handbrake efficiency anyway, so thats not of much concern
The 390se should have an LSD so it shouldnt have been on the rollerand how are these brake tests being carried out?
As with lsd fitted, the brake roller tester is a no go and it should be a decelerometer brake test
Most stuff struggles to get above 20% on the handbrake efficiency anyway, so thats not of much concern
^
| Where is Stu when you need him?? ;^)
|
Yeah I get the problem - after I have adjusted mine - to get the very best efficiency I put the handbrake on a little bit while driving around, not more than a mile or two, and only 20-30mph, then adjust them again. This is especially important with new pads to bed them in a little bit.
| Where is Stu when you need him?? ;^)
|
Yeah I get the problem - after I have adjusted mine - to get the very best efficiency I put the handbrake on a little bit while driving around, not more than a mile or two, and only 20-30mph, then adjust them again. This is especially important with new pads to bed them in a little bit.
GOG440 said:
The 390se should have an LSD so it shouldnt have been on the roller
Y'see, I keep hearing this but the 390's always been done on rollers... in fact I've never seen them do any car any other way and the TVR isn't the only car with an LSD so does this point to a lack of knowledge on the part of the MOT testers or just apathy in doing the job properly?Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff