handbrake adjustment

ishish8 · Post by **ishish8** » 25 Oct 2008, 14:11

Hi,

bit of a daft queston but I don't have a haynes for my ZX -

Am I right in making the assumption that to adjust the handbrake tension, you have to take the plastic surround off and there will be two cables with threaded ends on them?

Its very slack - to the point where you can hoik up the handbrake and it rolls on the slightest of inclines

thanks

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 25 Oct 2008, 15:11

NOP when your hand brake is not holding you must not adjust the cables first, as all that will do is reduce the travle on the lever,

if you have drum brakes it will probably be donw to the ZX rear brake syndrom,

the self adjuster aint adjustting up, in which case you will need to remove the drums and manualy adjust them up,

but quite offten on removeing the drum on ZX, SAXO's, 306's and the likes, the tinny stainless steel blade which opperates/locks the adjuster ratchet is completly missing,

if this is the case you wil have to but the adjuster kit at around £50ish squid from the dealer,

also be aware the mechanisum is handed and the kit contains one with left hand and one with right hand thread on the adjuster ratchets.

if you fit them to the wrong side of the car they will unwind the adjusters and also damage them

regards malcolm

ishish8 · Post by **ishish8** » 25 Oct 2008, 15:59

oh

right, thanks malcolm - i'll take the drums off tomorrow then and have a look at the adjusters.

to be honest the shoes probably need doing too.

. . . just when I thought it was going to be simple

newmezuk04 · Post by **newmezuk04** » 25 Oct 2008, 17:28

When me and me' mate were replacing the adjusters in the drums, one of the adjusters had kinda disintegrated and disappeared leaving little traces of itself.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 25 Oct 2008, 20:34

whilst your in there just peel back the edges of the dust seals on both ends of both of the wheel cylinders, if there is any sign of brake fluid even just damp they will need replaceing as well,

its faulse econamy not to when fitting new shoes,

regards malcolm

OzRX4 · Post by **OzRX4** » 04 Jan 2009, 07:08

Hey from Australia guys.
WOuld this ZX syndrome cause the brakes ona Xsara to jam on one wheel or the other? The handbrake has all of asudden lost almost all travel and the right drum is jammed on

No amount of slacking off of the cable would make the shoes let go. I tried the screw driver in the bolt hole as described in the Haynes manual but the adjustment mechanism would not release either.
any clues??? Urgent help needed

addo · Post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2009, 07:47

Hi Chris, I had to post here as I'm still voluntarily suspended at AF...

Jack up the good side and take the wheel off for an eyeful of your release mechanism. Note any parts that are "handed".

Now remove the wheel from your locked-on side. Make use of previous observations as to which way something may need rotating or pushing. Use a copper hammer if you need to beat around the edge of your drum face.

You should be able to "walk" it off but it may take a while. Perhaps one of the lads can have a crack under your supervision - saves that dust getting too close to your lungs!

Cheers, Adam.

OzRX4 · Post by **OzRX4** » 04 Jan 2009, 07:55

Hi Adam. Thanks mate .....BUT......the other side is un-removable too. I haven't tried the screw driver trick there yet but the other day it wouldn't budge either.
got me buggered as to why this has happened as the rears were supposed to have been re-coed a couple of years ago and I have never seen rear drums on a French hatch wear to the extent they are not removable in such a short time. The dealer had it repaired under warranty as it sprung a huge 6 months after we got it. thing was, it was a leak that had been there for a while and was 'missed' at RWC check. Never trust a dealer!
Thanks again, will keep you up to date.
Wy the self imposed ban?
i have been on a lot less over these holidays too, spending quality time with the other half. (more like 95% of my waking hours playing taxi

)

addo · Post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2009, 08:05

I think it was PhilipJH who suggested I take a week off, after admitting to being so tired I lost my car in Bunnings.

The spinning side will still come off easier. Just take care not to distort the backing plate excessively as you beat/prise the drum away from it.

p.s. picsorban

OzRX4 · Post by **OzRX4** » 04 Jan 2009, 08:20

Yes, will take photos as I go.
I am wondering if the fools who did the work for the dealer got the threaded sides mixed up when fitting it all?
Do you know if the Bendix wheel cylinders fitted to the Xsara are the same as those for some Pugs, having the relief valve inside the cylinders? I hope not as the parts list don't mention it. The inner relief types are not rebuildable and about 2 times the price of the normal type.

addo · Post by **addo** » 04 Jan 2009, 09:25

Easiest way to crosscheck the wheel cylinders, is to get the P/Ns off Service.Citroen and then punch them into the equivalent year 306 search window of Peugeot Servicebox.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 04 Jan 2009, 09:47

if the threaded part of the adjusters are the wrong sides, the adjusters usualy un/adjust them self's,

if you cant get your drums of, arm your self with a brake shoe fitting kit, so you will have all the parts at hand you will damage whilst forceing the drums off bringing the shoes with them, this will damage the shoe retainers

regards malcolm

OzRX4 · Post by **OzRX4** » 04 Jan 2009, 09:52

Don't have listing for Citroen service. Geez, it's times like this I wish I could just call God and get put through to Alan for help

Don't have subscription to service.citroen.

Have checked the Bendix catalogue and numbers for 306 and Xsara are the same. I questioned because for the Pug listing there was mention of the valve but on the Citroen listing it wasn't noted as fitted

It's the exact identical part number so may-be peugeot fitted them and Citroen didn't use those wheel cylinders.
Nope, have it wrong. The workshop manual states clearly the cylinders incorporate the compensator valve. Dammit, expensive fix coming. Will buy genuine as I have seen the quality of the chinese knock-off Bendix cylinders on a mates 205 Si. They are shocking to say the least.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 04 Jan 2009, 09:59

the easyest way to check if you have internal valves, is see if you have the external compensater valve on you rear axle

regards malcolm

Post by **myglaren** » 04 Jan 2009, 14:45

addo wrote:
OzRX4 wrote:Don't have subscription to service.citroen.
http://service.citroen.com/
http://public.servicebox.peugeot.com/

Just click the upper right hand box to change language to English if needed, then follow the cues to "register" for each - it's free. You can't run both at once, and they will email you different user codes. It's what Alan would tell you to do!

Once you've punched the VIN into service.citroen and got the brake cylinder part numbers, you can log out and try those same numbers for a 306 via Servicebox.

@addo.
I have split your post to the "useful links" sub-forum as this info is regularly required.
I was presuming that it would retain a copy here but not so, hence the dog's breakfast above.