Handbrake problem........advise please

[fionawoods]

Hi everyone, my 1st time on here, i recently bought a 1997 ford puma, no issues good service history etc, i noticed whlist in mac d's drive through on a hill i applied handbrake and took my foot off the pedal and the car (slowly) kept rolling forward? i was in shock! can anyone advise me what this is, i do feel tension when i put the handbrake on and sometimes it stays completely in place as it should but sometimes even when i pull real hard the car can still roll, could it be the tension in the cable need tightning?

thanks fiona x :-(

 

[justR]

Hi!

I had a similar experience with my 99 Puma months ago. A few weeks after this 'experience', she passed the vehicle inspection (I think you call it MOT, in Spain is the ITV) and they tested the handbrake with good results.

I may say that when this happened to me it was a really great slope, and I solved it by using the first gear (like I always do when the car is facing the upper side of the hill) and leaving the steering wheel so that it wouldn't allow the car to go downhill (it would stop with the sidewalk).

Even though I'm surprised that the slope of a Mac D's drive thru is enough for what happened to you. Did you take your handbrake to its upper position? If you didn't, that's it.

If you did, I think it can be the tension in the cable, as you said, or the brakes. Anyway I'm not an expert at all.


Good luck!

 

[justR]

Hi again,

I forgot to say that you should take it to a specialist, because if the problem is in the brakes it also affects to the security when you use the other brake (the pedal brake).


Good luck!

 

[quest63]

There is a small amount of adjustment on the cable via a nut under the handbrake lever gaitor, but it is probably either siezed handbrake adjusters inside the rear hubs or the brake shoes are vey worn, a very stretched cable is also possible but my guess would be the adjusters

 

[fionawoods]

thanks for the advise, it has 6 months still of MOT and brake pads were changed not long ago so that whittles it down a little, think its to the mechanics i go....................thanks x

 

[quest63]

Brake pads are on the front, brake shoes are on the rear so maybe not been changed

 

[PhilLew]

Stop going to McDonalds!!!
the grease from all the burgers contaminates your break lining and stops them working properly :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[quest63]

:grin: :grin:

 

[Stevecvo]

The automatic adjusters take up any slack caused by wear of the rear brake shoes and keep them close to the drum so that there is a good grip when the handbrake is applied. If these are not working properly the handbrake cable does not pull the brake on tight. Eventually the shoes or usually just one of each pair wear to a point where efficiency is lost and they need to be replaced. The cable is easy to adjust and is visible by lifting the handbrake lever gaiter but the brake wont work properly if the problem lies within the drum.