Handbrake adjustment

[Dayvo]

Guys, going to be adjusting my handbrake shoes tomorrow and was after a bit of advise. Do you adjust the drivers side in the opposite direction as the passenger side or is one side a left hand thread and one a right hand thread. Thanks in advance .

 

[VECalaisV8Wagon]

One side is up the other down.

 

[krusing]

This is my rule of thumb, and has always worked for me.

Release the tension of your Hand Brake Cable,
Adjust each side [hand brake shoe adjustor] up so the the disk will not turn easiely,
Then back each side off 20 clicks, [its a feel the vibration through the adjusting tool - flat blade screwdriver with a thin edge]
Then re-adust your hand brake inside the car,
so it comes up 4 clicks of the ratchet,
and then pull it up another 2 clicks, and the wheels should be locked.

 

[Dayvo]

This is my rule of thumb, and has always worked for me.

Release the tension of your Hand Brake Cable,
Adjust each side [hand brake shoe adjustor] up so the the disk will not turn easiely,
Then back each side off 20 clicks, [its a feel the vibration through the adjusting tool - flat blade screwdriver with a thin edge]
Then re-adust your hand brake inside the car,
so it comes up 4 clicks of the ratchet,
and then pull it up another 2 clicks, and the wheels should be locked.

Ok thanks , I'll try that if it ever stops raining.

 

[rambunctious]

This is my rule of thumb, and has always worked for me.

Release the tension of your Hand Brake Cable,
Adjust each side [hand brake shoe adjustor] up so the the disk will not turn easiely,
Then back each side off 20 clicks, [its a feel the vibration through the adjusting tool - flat blade screwdriver with a thin edge]
Then re-adust your hand brake inside the car,
so it comes up 4 clicks of the ratchet,
and then pull it up another 2 clicks, and the wheels should be locked.

Surely you mean then back off each side 2 clicks not 20 ???

 

[Dayvo]

Surely you mean then back off each side 2 clicks not 20 ???

I just re-read, must have missed that the first time . Must be a typo .

 

[Skylarking]

 

[krusing]

No, 20 clicks,
So the wheel can not turn, otherwise the hand brake shoe will always be dragging with 2 clicks, and you will wear it out,
A "Handbrake" is as its described.

The adjuster is a “very fine thread”, and the adjustment wheel Also has small teeth, so 20 clicks is approx 2 revolutions, which is not very much at all,
Which gives the shoe surface enough clearance to the rotor/handbrake drum.
If you have seen one [a handbrake shoe adjustor] off the vehicle, you will understand my rule of thumb.

Edit: In some cases, 20 clicks can be approx. 1.5 or 2 adjuster revolutions.
It may not sound right to everyone, but everyone to their own,
as its worked for me for the 45 years working on [+our] cars.
Holdens, Fords [sorry for swearing] and Mazda's.

 

[krusing]

As Quoted in the first Video !
"Backing it off a Few Turns" [at 2.12] A few turns approx. equates to 20 Clicks [being "each tooth" on the adjuster].

 

[Skylarking]

... The adjuster is a “very fine thread”, and the adjustment wheel Also has small teeth, so 20 clicks is approx 2 revolutions, which is not very much at all..

Yeah, that's my understanding having done a few drum brakes in my time.

I haven't done a commodore since way back when i had a VH but those era workshop manuals had a little more detail in them that todays manuals... for example stuff like hadbrake shoes are correctly adjusted when handbrake lever requires 20kg of force at 4 clicks for the rear wheel to be locked....

As Quoted in the first Video !
"Backing it off a Few Turns, [at 2.12] A few turns approx. equates to 20 Clicks [being "each tooth" on the adjuster].

Yep, turns != clicks and i could have added a comment to make it clear when i linked those videos

Probably of more interest is that the disk should be periodically pulled off to inspect the handbrake pad for wear and the inside drum surface for scores and maybe a cleanup and grease... but the VF workshop manual states nothing about such (yeah i know its electric on VF but the drum linings and mechanism would be the same between VE & VF)...

So these days do people periodically take off the disc to inspect the handbrake shoe or is it a leave it alone until it groans and replace everything?