BXProject

Hi guys,
I'm probably just being crap with the spanners but the old estate is properly doing my head in.

Nipped into town on Sunday, pulled up in the carpark and pulled the handbrake lever, which came up rather quickly. out of shock I let go of the footbrake and nearly rolled into a new 7 series Beemer.

Having left it in gear and abused the clutch on the way home, I removed the centre console to find the n/s cable disconnected. OK easy, nsf wheel off slacken cable re-attatch inside then tighten at wheel end, test and re-assemble. Right, sorted except it came off again on Monday, so this morning armed with hat, gloves and 7 layers of clothing I took both front wheels off, re-attatched the cable inside and adjusted everything up, tested it and went to work, where its come off again

Do I just keep repeating until correct or am I missing something?


Rich

it really shouldn't come off, that rather indicates something is amiss.
Is the level bar even across the handbrake?
When released and applied?

The problem I think lies with the operating handle something may have got bent or broken.
The only other thing, given the weather, is you may have ice in the outer cable so you pull on , it sticks and disengages. Refit it, run round the cable with a gas torch and see what happens. leave the console open so you can see what goes on.

Evening Guys

The operating bar was a bit skewed the first time I reset it. I put a bit more effort in the second time and it still looked straight when I pulled up at work at lunchtime, I'd left the cover off as it seemed a good opportunity to hoover out 20 years dust, haven't yet though.

I'll pop em back on in the morning and give it some oil and a lot of testing, hopefully its a sticky cable, thinking back though it did get slightly abused the other week. Noisy rear brakes were avoided by slowing down with the gears and handbrake while a repair was planned. Turned out the friction materiel had dropped off one of the rear pads.

could be that the arm is sticking in the caliper maybe?

You could be right Doc, if the pad has come off >>>>mutters.... they should never have done away with rivits.....modern shit. ....moan ,.....rant.

I suspect you've fractured a cable sheath. The handle/lever is impossible to break, i've tried. If the inner cable is escaping the outer on the HB cable, it will bind, let it go slack, and fall off at the cabin end.

Still no joy
Doc, The arms seemed free enough when I pushed them forward to unhitch the cable (so that I could reconnect it at the inside end)

I agree with you Phil about the lack of rivits, this ain't the first time we've lost the friction materiel on a rear brake only last time it was the rear drum on a Megane which then required towing to the garage with a locked rear wheel

I think you have it there Vanny, I'll try the local factors in the morning and see if they can get one. Anyone know if they are hard to do?

One of the few jobs I've done successfully in the past! The hardest part was threading the new cables through their respective holes I seem to remember (though I can't actually remember where said holes are). Might be an idea to try to use the old ones to pull the new ones through or, as I did, swear a lot and get an assistant to help with the threading.

Oh and another common problem is either cable rubbing on the front wheel when going round corners and exposing the inner sheath which fills with gak and makes the cable bind!

doddle, string on the end in the cabin, disconnect from hub, pull old one through, tie new one on, pull back through. In theory it can be done with the car on the floor, but i find they tend to get snagged somewhere and require a little manual intervention. Otherwise, straight forward.

Yeah I do it that way too Vanny. It sometimes snags on the ring guides if they have become bent. I usually stick it on one axle stand, then it's easy to adjust as you go. Dek usually pulls and I guide
It will be a snagging of the inner and outers, whether it's wear or ice is the only point. That's why I suggested heating it up first as if that's all it is it will save you the cost of a cable.

I can do the fuckers blindfold now. Did one on the hardshoulder inside 10 minutes a few years back.

I appreciate the sentiment Phil but we're kinda getting fed up with it now, so I've ordered a pair which my local factors will have with me for Monday

Thanks for the messages about how easy it is, I'll set a deadline of Tuesday lunchtime to have it done by then

I'll set a deadline of Tuesday lunchtime to have it done by then

I have every confidence in you, young sir.

If you have any of that curly plastic cable tidy stuff knocking about, the last stretch from the bulkhead to the caliper is usually where most wear occurs. if you feed said plastic over the outer there. it will give some added protection.

or garden hose, which is a great way to get knackered cables through the MOT!

The stuff that covers part of them always looked like cheap garden hose to me.

Cheers, I've got a hose reel which could loose a couple of feet without becoming too short

Tis done

Thanks guys

Broken cable?

Sorry for the delay, I didn't think to check when I took them off.

Now they're off they both seem fine so I'll assume they were just catching on something when in situ. May well have just been ice but I'm still glad they're changed as its no fun driving a car which you can't trust

Next job when I've got a couple of spare hours is to dismantle the drivers door and chuck grease around like holy water (or more recently rock salt)

Took her out earlier in the week and had to tie the door shut with the seatbelt as the operating mech had frozen up, I got the door open by brute force but then the mech just re-froze inthe open position

Ho hum, its been ok today as the temparatures are on the rise but I'd best fix it before they drop again or the missis will refuse to drive it again, hang on