handbrake

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shaunthesheep
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handbrake

Post by shaunthesheep »

i've just replaced my front pads on my xantia, undid the locknuts for the handbrake cable.
fitted new pads, has anyone got any ideas on how tight the handbrake cable should be after the fitting of new pads??, as in how many 'clicks' or how much thread should be visble??.
dom
vanny
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Post by vanny »

Dont know its the same for the xantia (probably is) but for the BX the handbrake is (mostly) self adjusting. Push REALLY hard on the brake pedal and 'pump' the handbrake a couple of times (lift to max reverse travel and back down), this should tighten it up real tight. From what i gather, MOT testers seem to want about 4 clicks to max travel, i have 8 or 12, but its generally personal preference!!
Vanny
Merseyside, UK
Citroenbx19rd@bxproject.co.uk
http://www.bxproject.co.uk
FFX-DM
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Post by FFX-DM »

Does this work with ZX's? My handbrake is only there in an advisory capacity, which has caused a few scary moments (for those stopping very close behind me at a junction that is!).
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

It is most important when adjusting the handbrake cables on a Xantia that the operating lever on the calipers are allowed to return fully to their stops.
If there isn't any play and the levers do not return fully, the self adjusting mechanism will not work as efficiently as it should.
This means there must be some play between the end of the cable and the operating lever, up to 5mm is recomended, I have mine set so that with a bit of a struggle I can just get the cables out of the levers without having to interfere with the adjusting nut's when I need to swing the caliper up, this set up has the brakes firmly on with the handbrake lever on the first notch, though I give it two notches to be safe.
You need the brake to be firmly on by the first notch as there is a risk that not enough force will be applied and the car may roll away as the brakes cool and contract, this was a fault on early Xantia's and was rectified I think by changeing the ratchet on the handbrake mechanism, preventing it being held on to early in its travel.
This system when allowed to work properly adjust the parking brake travel of the calipers during normal driving conditions.
The drum braked ZX is a different kettle of fish, the adjusters are prone to siezing up especially the Bendix type IIRC (ratchet wheel type?), these take up adjustment as the brake pedal is pressed as with the Xantia, operating the handbrake at the same has no additional affect on adjustment.

Ultimate handbrake lever travel can be adjusted from within the car, but you must first make sure that all is well within the drums, if the mechanism or cables are not allowing full retraction of the shoes and operating levers, any amount of pulling on the handbrake will still result in poor performance due to a loss mechanical advantage of the levers.
In the worst possible case the rear brakes can start to drag and get hot enough to boil the fluid in the cylinder's, in a diagonally split system this can lead to total brake failure.
Dave
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

DAVE,
i adjusted my handbrake this morning, it is now applying force to the front discs on one notch, and can will not move, if i try to move it with the hand brake on at with the engine idling the speed drops to about 300-400 rpm's.
does this sound ok?, or should i adjust it to be fully on with two notches??
dom
Dave Burns
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Post by Dave Burns »

Dom, just had a root round the web and found this, hehe almost had to convince myself I wasn't talking bullshit, wouldn't want to be guilty of dishing out duff info:
http://www.citroen.mb.ca/citroenet/html/i/ico-11.htm
I had no Idea they had actually removed the first EIGHT notches from the ratchet, I thought it would have been two or three at most, so you see why it has to be doing the business at one notch since before the modification this was actually the NINTH notch.
I think as long as one notch holds it on a moderate slope with cold brakes it should be good enough, as long as you remember a steeper slope should and will require more force, but in any event pull the lever to the second notch at least.
Not quite sure what you mean in the previous post, if you mean the idle speed drops to that level before the brake lets it move, then I would expect a petrol at idle to have stalled before it moved at all.
Dave
p.s the link takes a while to load.
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