how can you stop your handbrake from binding - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jonjoe · 03-19-2009, 04:01 AM

well had my handbrake adjusted about two months back and it started binding it was at about 9 clicks got it down to 5 or six..so had to bring it back and get it adjusted to about 7 it was ok for about a week now its binding again does anybody know what the correct adjustment is so i can tell the guy in the garage how to do it right how may clicks should it be..its a toyota corolla saloon terra 2005

mikered30 · 03-19-2009, 05:04 AM

The correct procedure is to adjust the star shaped gear in the back drums (if your car has rear drums). The incorrect way to adjust the handbrake inside the car by adjusting the tension to the cable.

jonjoe · 03-19-2009, 06:05 AM

thanks for the reply he said he adjusted it from the back were you take the little plug out at the back wheel what would he be doing wrong theres is brakes on the back so not sure if there is drums on the back..do you know how may clicks it should be..thanks

bbsgarage · 03-19-2009, 10:14 AM

Honestly, you need as many "clicks" as it takes to keep the car from moving when the HB is applied.
The lesser the number the tighter the clearance and the more chance of binding.

r0lla5XRS · 03-19-2009, 08:09 PM

i like mine nice and tight, with my car in drive, i want one click of the handbrake to hold my car, maybe 2.

rsirois · 03-19-2009, 08:20 PM

With my Corolla I notice the handbrake takes a few more clicks to engage every month or so. Cars with rear drums have auto adjusters on the drums that tighten the brakes when you apply the brakes in reverse. If your typical commute doesn't require pulling out of a space backwards and a tap of the brakes in reverse they can loosen up over time.

The cure is pretty simple, either find a hill to roll down backwards or put it in reverse and get the car moving about 5 miles an hour backwards and hit the brakes. Repeat about 5 or ten times and you should find your handbrake engaging a few clicks lower.

r0lla5XRS · 03-19-2009, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsirois

With my Corolla I notice the handbrake takes a few more clicks to engage every month or so. Cars with rear drums have auto adjusters on the drums that tighten the brakes when you apply the brakes in reverse. If your typical commute doesn't require pulling out of a space backwards and a tap of the brakes in reverse they can loosen up over time.

The cure is pretty simple, either find a hill to roll down backwards or put it in reverse and get the car moving about 5 miles an hour backwards and hit the brakes. Repeat about 5 or ten times and you should find your handbrake engaging a few clicks lower.

that's not really the right way to do it. what you're doing there is just tightening the cable, and not adjusting the shoes themselves. what you're supposed to do is adjust the star wheel at the back and that adjusts the brake shoes.

caddymac · 03-20-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r0lla5XRS

that's not really the right way to do it. what you're doing there is just tightening the cable, and not adjusting the shoes themselves. what you're supposed to do is adjust the star wheel at the back and that adjusts the brake shoes.

How is using the auto adjusters in the brake drums tightening the cable???

rsirois · 03-20-2009, 09:19 PM

Auto adjusters are inside the drums. They tighten the star nut when you hit the brakes while moving backwards. This moves the brake shoes out closer to the drum. The handbrake cable is attached to the rear brake shoe. When the rear shoe moves out, it tightens the handbrake cable up, causing it to engage a couple clicks lower.

This all was worked out years ago, and works quite well, as long as you hit the brakes occasionally in reverse. If your driving habits don't include a tap of the brakes or two while backing up, the brakes can loosen up quite a bit.

As someone who's a bit older, I've had a car or two without brake adjusters. VW bugs didn't have them, and you either went to a shop every 2000-4000 miles and had them adjusted or you figured out how to do them yourself. After a few cycles, you figured out the relationship between the handbrake engagement height and the time that's elapsed between brake adjustments.

In the link provided below, The auto adjuster can be seen at bottom and are listed as parts P, Q, R and S. The handbrake cable attached to the lever labelled U and attaches to the rear of the rear brake shoe T.

http://www.careersnet.org/automotive...kes%20TEST.gif