Handbrake woes

[domi]

Kudos on the writeup!

[VAs Hachi Roku]

That write up works great, I missed the edit as well so one side was bad ass the other was lazy but fixed the issue after redoing it!

[totta Crolla]

Thanks to everyone I have a car that is now legal
My advice if you have a problem with the handbrake is to follow the write up, I used synthetic grease as advised by the way.

[Dr.Ling]

Ok, old thread, I know, but this handbrake adjustment thingy is important! (and please refrain from replying that "we don't need a handbrake to go sideways, just kick the clutch, or install a SR20DET")

I did this adjustment but I think I screwed up, no improvement. Might of course be my handbrake-cables that have rusted, or stretched too much, but pulling the handbrake makes the handbrake-levers on the calipers move, so I think cables and levers are ok. Maybe a piston overhaul is due, cause it was a bitch to turn (though I probably should have at least taken the cap of the brakefluid reservoir, or opened the bleeding nipple on the caliper a bit).

I probably need to know more about how the rear caliper pistons work, because I don't get how (after turning the piston "in" / clockwise, and out again) applying pressure on the piston + pumping the brakepedal will make the piston adjust itself outwards (closer to the inside pad). I thought it adjusts itself further out when it senses less pressure (when pads or discs wear thinner).

And by the way, does the handbrake-lever on the caliper push the piston hydraulicly or mechanically?
I assume the screw inside the piston, which makes itself longer after pad/discwear is the "adjuster", and it's this that makes both footbrake and handbrake work when discs/pads get thinner?

As a supernoob I tend to ramble on, sorry

[Eric]

we don't need a handbrake to go sideways, just kick the clutch, or install a SR20DET



:wink:

[Dr.Ling]

...I guess I had that coming... Congratulations Eric, you're the first to take the bait....

But I guess you don't need a handbrake if you live in Holland og Denmark.... it's all flat... Not so up here

By the way, anyone; With a hydraulic handbrake, can you use it while parking? (as someone said it wasn't practical in a daily driver....)

[Eric]

hydrolic handbrake doesnot work as a parking brake because you cannot lock it up, you can just pull the handle and it will lock as long as you pull the handle.

and yes we need handbrakes in Holland but only in Limburg

[The Doctor]

if you could make it lock up, it could work just as good

[Sanity Clause]

Competition pads won't help either. They need to be hot to work properly.

Hydraulic handbrake will improve things, but isn't legal in all countries, I believe.
Leaving the cable in place as well, should get round this.
Just make sure it's adjusted so that the hydraulics work before the cable.

[Bubble_Drift]

Or just replace your rear caliper. It's probably the inner mechanism in the caliper that doesn't work anymore.