Handbrake adjustment

windysurferuk · Post by **windysurferuk** » 24 Oct 2005, 18:11

How do you adjust the handbrake travel on a Xantia.

Mine now clicks about 10 notches.

Is it in the car in the same place as on a ZX?

cheers

Windy

Post by **RichardW** » 24 Oct 2005, 19:03

Car stationary, engine idling, press the foot brake as hard as you can 3 or 4 times. Handbrake should now be adjusted just fine

If it isn't then you've got a problem with one of the cables, and you'll need to get the wheels off to find out which, then take it from there.

Don't forget the Xantia handbrake works on the front wheels.....

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 24 Oct 2005, 19:06

the first thing to do is,with the car on level ground like filling station,hand brake off,engine running now just press the foot brake hard 3 to 4 times,if all is in good order this will adjust the hand brake,as it is on the front,and calipers.If it dose not adjust up the next thing to look at is whether the cables are letting the levers on the calipers right off,because if they are not the hand brake will not adjust,in which case you might find the cable/s are cracked where they run around the susp/leg,as they are flexed every time you turn the steering
regardas malcolm

windysurferuk · Post by **windysurferuk** » 24 Oct 2005, 20:22

cheers for that.

looks like I'll need to investigate further.

Will it fail the MOT for excessive handbrake travel. The hand brake works fine just with a lot of travel

Dave Burns · Post by **Dave Burns** » 24 Oct 2005, 20:36

A few more points, check the pads aren't worn down, when there is about 3mm of pad material left the handbrake will not adjust much more anyway.

Check both cables are intact and move freely allowing the full return travel of the caliper levers.

If all looks ok and its just the cables that need adjusting, this is done at the caliper end, when the handbrake is off, the caliper arm must be fully returned and there should be about 2mm of clearance between the arms nipple socket and the cable nipple.

Be sure to adjust both cables equally (the same amount of thread exposed on both sides) or the equalising link on the primary cable will be off centre.

Dave

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 24 Oct 2005, 21:14

also you should make sure the calipers have adjusted properly before you adjust the cables,otherwise you will end up with less lever travel and no more efort on the pads
regards malcolm

samtronic · Post by **samtronic** » 24 Oct 2005, 23:58

I seem to remember this being discussed before. I think it went something like this:

Older Xantias (can't remember exactly how old) had a "problem" with the handbrake needing to be clicked many teeth to hold.

The fix was to remove the first 8 teeth.

My Xantia haven't had its teeth pulled and I can pull it something like 8-10 clicks.

This seems to be the thread to which I was referring.

Søren

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 25 Oct 2005, 08:14

removing teeth still dose not alter the amount of lever travel,so i think that is a faulse fix,if it is all set up properly you should not have any problem
regards malcolm

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 25 Oct 2005, 10:03

There were a number of severe accidents caused by Xantia handbrakes releasing when the vehicle was parked and the car rolling and the fix was to remove the first (x) teeth from the handbrake.

The arrangement is essentially similar to a BX and in fact mine has rolled away with me in it. Fortunately it was pointing at an earth bank and there was sufficient accumulator pressure for me to stop it without problems.

What happens is that the car is stopped when the brakes are hot (ie after some spirited driving) and is parked. The BX handbrake is enormously powerful so the temptation is to apply just enough force to hold the car. So you apply the handbrake just hard enough onto a hot disk and leave the car.

10 minutes later the disc is cooling nicely and contracts slightly - so yes - you've got it in one - the handbrake seems to have released and the car rolls.

Coarser ratchets, no early teeth - its all intended to spoil the action of the handbrake and make you pull it on really tightly!

windysurferuk · Post by **windysurferuk** » 27 Oct 2005, 17:04

Just had the wheels of to check my ABS wires where ok (see other post! )
and the nearside handbrake cable had worn though.Just change it and now handbrake only has five clicks

thanks again

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 27 Oct 2005, 18:09

If your 2.1 is the same age as mine - March 1998 - then the handbrake should be on fully at the second click.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 27 Oct 2005, 18:43

[quote="JohnD"]If your 2.1 is the same age as mine - March 1998 - then the handbrake should be on fully at the second click.

if your hand brake is full on at 2 clicks the its your cables are probably over adjusted,in which case they might not be releasing completly
regards malcolm

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 28 Oct 2005, 08:10

Don't really see that they can be over-adjusted. I've had the car from new and it's always been on the second click. Of course, the handbrake travels a fair distance without any clicks.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 28 Oct 2005, 08:37

if it is over adjusted it will not let the levers on the calipers off completly,in which case the hand brake mechanisum will not adjust up properly
regards malcolm

samtronic · Post by **samtronic** » 28 Oct 2005, 14:49

JohnD wrote:Don't really see that they can be over-adjusted. I've had the car from new and it's always been on the second click. Of course, the handbrake travels a fair distance without any clicks.

It sounds like it has had some teeth pulled; mine only travels a cm or so before 1st click.
Thus your 2 clicks = 10 clicks or so for me.

Søren