Hi Guys,
Yes its MOT time again and as usual, I'm out of time to do it and predictably enough whilst doing the things I knew needed doing I've run into an unusual problem.
About 6 months ago my right hand front caliper packed up, got an exchange from A&D treated myself to some new Handbrake cables, discs, pads. Everything worked fine.
For some time I've had the feeling that the handbrake was not all it should be, and when I tested it by the simple expedient of turning the front wheels with it on the new caliper appeared to be not working at all.
So I took the pads out, wound the piston back in, reinstalled pads, went through the adjustment procedure ( Foot hard on brake a few times with engine running) having made sure that I'd not overdone the cable adjustment, ( In fact I disconnected the cable to be sure) hand brake on, nothing [:(]. Went through the whole procedure again only this time I tried operating the handbrake lever before I put the pads back in and the piston duly moved out OK, So why when I put all back together doesn't it work?
It almost like the auto adjuster is not working but there is no sign of water getting in and the handbrake lever operates the cam agaisnt the pushrod to the piston OK. But as soon as the piston moves out to take up the wear in the pads (less than half worn) the B****** thing stops working.
Faulty Caliper or have I missed something?
Pete
________
Synthetic Weed
Bx Handbrake / Front Caliper
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I donno why -
But for some odd reasons it's widely thought that just applying the brake pedal violently hard will adjust the handbrake.
This is NOT the case ! [8)]
To adjust the BX (& Xantia) handbrake :
Press & hold the pedal down firmly (NOT hard or violent !!).
Then with your tumb keep the handbrake button released while you work firmly up/down the lever between stops.
You'll soon begin to feel it resists going high up - taking the end stop lower & lower. Don't try to force up to the same high end stop position each time. The resistance felt lower & lower down indicates the handbrake is adjusted.
When the ratchet takes about 3 clicks on the BX for the handbrake applied - it's about right. Trying to adjust it further will be too much.
On the Xantia the first travel ratchets has been removed - so a Xantia handbrake working on it's first click applied is just about right.
But for some odd reasons it's widely thought that just applying the brake pedal violently hard will adjust the handbrake.
This is NOT the case ! [8)]
To adjust the BX (& Xantia) handbrake :
Press & hold the pedal down firmly (NOT hard or violent !!).
Then with your tumb keep the handbrake button released while you work firmly up/down the lever between stops.
You'll soon begin to feel it resists going high up - taking the end stop lower & lower. Don't try to force up to the same high end stop position each time. The resistance felt lower & lower down indicates the handbrake is adjusted.
When the ratchet takes about 3 clicks on the BX for the handbrake applied - it's about right. Trying to adjust it further will be too much.
On the Xantia the first travel ratchets has been removed - so a Xantia handbrake working on it's first click applied is just about right.
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Pete -
Our friend ShaneL (DoubleChevron) from ozzie has been there - tried it.
Look at his pictures from the work :
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/shane/bx/bx_handbrake.htm
Our friend ShaneL (DoubleChevron) from ozzie has been there - tried it.
Look at his pictures from the work :
http://www.aussiefrogs.com/shane/bx/bx_handbrake.htm
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Hi Anders
Curiously, I have always adjusted handbrake on my BX by pressing very hard on pedal with handbrake off - I thought that it pushed the small piston inside the caliper towards the outside and turned the rotating bit inside the one-way spring. It has always worked! Just tried your method, and that does, as well!
Incidentally, my carb seems OK since I repaired leak in AF vacuum reservoir - had to adjust stop so that choke flap opened about 10mm, though
Mike
Curiously, I have always adjusted handbrake on my BX by pressing very hard on pedal with handbrake off - I thought that it pushed the small piston inside the caliper towards the outside and turned the rotating bit inside the one-way spring. It has always worked! Just tried your method, and that does, as well!
Incidentally, my carb seems OK since I repaired leak in AF vacuum reservoir - had to adjust stop so that choke flap opened about 10mm, though
Mike
Well -
Since your footpressure has nothing to do with the actual brakeforce - there is no reason to strain the pedal box [:)]
- especially as RHD BX'es have a weak pedal box [;)]
Remember that the brake valve in principle is just a tap for the LHM fluid under pressure in the system - nothing like the "normal" systems with a piston pressing out the fluid by your footpressure.
Once the pads are engaged with the discs by a light foot pressure - the pads/pistons won't move that many micrometers more by opening the tap fully - i.e. pressing further on the pedal. It's just the force applied to the pads that increases by a fully open valve.
Why use violence ?
It was never thought to !
Since your footpressure has nothing to do with the actual brakeforce - there is no reason to strain the pedal box [:)]
- especially as RHD BX'es have a weak pedal box [;)]
Remember that the brake valve in principle is just a tap for the LHM fluid under pressure in the system - nothing like the "normal" systems with a piston pressing out the fluid by your footpressure.
Once the pads are engaged with the discs by a light foot pressure - the pads/pistons won't move that many micrometers more by opening the tap fully - i.e. pressing further on the pedal. It's just the force applied to the pads that increases by a fully open valve.
Why use violence ?
It was never thought to !
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Since your footpressure has nothing to do with the actual brakeforce - there is no reason to strain the pedal box
- especially as RHD BX'es have a weak pedal box
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Quite right, in an attempt to adjust the handbrake I once managed to bend the brake pedal in half on an elderly BX by putting far too much force on it ! [:I]
- especially as RHD BX'es have a weak pedal box
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Quite right, in an attempt to adjust the handbrake I once managed to bend the brake pedal in half on an elderly BX by putting far too much force on it ! [:I]
Handbrake problem affecting new caliper.
A refurbished caliper I obtained had these notes attached:
* Do not operate handbrake lever before fitting to vehicle. The unit has been pre-set at the factory. If you have, go to last paragraph.
which reads...
* To reset the handbrake mechanism if the lever has been operated before fitting then the piston should be turned "in" using the above methods. When the piston is fully "in" then the piston should be turned "Out" by half to 1 turn. The handbrake mechanism is now set.
"above methods": use allen key or long-nose pliers to rotate piston. In both cases, if piston is wound in at any stage, it should be wound out half a turn to reset internals.
Worth doing... my BX slid off its handbrake before I knew about the above.
A refurbished caliper I obtained had these notes attached:
* Do not operate handbrake lever before fitting to vehicle. The unit has been pre-set at the factory. If you have, go to last paragraph.
which reads...
* To reset the handbrake mechanism if the lever has been operated before fitting then the piston should be turned "in" using the above methods. When the piston is fully "in" then the piston should be turned "Out" by half to 1 turn. The handbrake mechanism is now set.
"above methods": use allen key or long-nose pliers to rotate piston. In both cases, if piston is wound in at any stage, it should be wound out half a turn to reset internals.
Worth doing... my BX slid off its handbrake before I knew about the above.
Except that it is correct the piston MUST be turned - it sounds a bit odd this description Adrian [8)]
All it says is that if you move the lever arm on the caliper - the piston will of course move out.
This has nothing to do with "setting" the handbrake - but simply may restrict the insertion of the pads.
And then the piston must be "reset" by turning it in again - to allow insertion of pads - naturally.
Once the caliper, disc & pads are fitted - it is in fact advantageous to work out the piston using the lever - to bring the pads in contact with the disc - before the handbrake cable is fitted.
All it says is that if you move the lever arm on the caliper - the piston will of course move out.
This has nothing to do with "setting" the handbrake - but simply may restrict the insertion of the pads.
And then the piston must be "reset" by turning it in again - to allow insertion of pads - naturally.
Once the caliper, disc & pads are fitted - it is in fact advantageous to work out the piston using the lever - to bring the pads in contact with the disc - before the handbrake cable is fitted.
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Anders,
Application of the foot brake definitely does adjust the handbrake[:)] No 'violence' needed, just press it a couple of times as if you were making an emergency stop, and the handbrake will come up nice and short. Try it next time you have a 'long pull'[:o)]
In any case, if there was risk of the pedal breaking away or bending, I would want it to happen whilst I was adjusting the handbrake in the drive rather than on the open road when I <i>REALLY</i> needed the car to stop....[:D]
Application of the foot brake definitely does adjust the handbrake[:)] No 'violence' needed, just press it a couple of times as if you were making an emergency stop, and the handbrake will come up nice and short. Try it next time you have a 'long pull'[:o)]
In any case, if there was risk of the pedal breaking away or bending, I would want it to happen whilst I was adjusting the handbrake in the drive rather than on the open road when I <i>REALLY</i> needed the car to stop....[:D]
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Ok Guys,
Swapped the calliper for a second hand one off one of my collection of non runners and it works, so I can only presume that "new" one is faulty. Thanks for Shane's site Anders, the photos would seem to indicate that I have the same problem as he did, I haven't dismantled it to check as the nice people at A&D have said they'll replace it, if it is faulty, thanks for everyones help
Pete
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Suzuki Rm Series History
Swapped the calliper for a second hand one off one of my collection of non runners and it works, so I can only presume that "new" one is faulty. Thanks for Shane's site Anders, the photos would seem to indicate that I have the same problem as he did, I haven't dismantled it to check as the nice people at A&D have said they'll replace it, if it is faulty, thanks for everyones help
Pete
________
Suzuki Rm Series History
Last edited by ghostrider on 22 Feb 2011, 05:46, edited 1 time in total.