Hand Brake, Common problem??

[Jem]

I'm going to be checking my 318i over for the MOT over the weekend. As far as I know (at the moment) the only problem is the hand brake is not very powerful, and if you pull the handbrake on while the car is rolling, the car pulls slightly to one side. Is there a common problem with the handbrake mechanism seizing up etc?? Or should a new set of shoes sort it? It's got ABS and discs at the back.

Thanks in advance.

[E30BeemerLad]

if you've got discs at the back then I am going from my scant knowledge of 325 rear brakes. The handbrake shoes are on the inside of the disc/hub and rarely get changed, so you are probably on the metal on one side or it is seized.

Replacement of shoes is probably the way to go, give the inside of the drums a good rub down if they are all rusted up. Lube up the mechanisms and also check where the adjusters are on the handbrake lever, a sure sign they are well worn and have been adjusted up to scrape through the mot if they are well adjusted up or well on the pisch.

there may be some info of use on this site www.bimmerdiy.com/e30

[Martinaston]

Just have a play with the adjuster's on the hub.
It's easyest to tell which side has the most bite is at (very) low speeds in reverse.

[fuzzy]

might just need the cable adjusting at the handbrake, if not new shoes are only about 15 quid.

[Martinaston]

The adjuster on the handbrake is only there to take out the slack in the cables.
To improve the bite you have to adjust the screw in the drum.

[Jem]

Thanks guys.

I take it the handbrake shoes should last ages, as they are not used to stop the car, just to hold it still (unless it's been owned by a handbreak turn junkie, which I dont think is the case). Tomorrow I'll have both discs off, check everything is moving freely, and change the shoes if nessesary.

Any other tips etc would be greatly appreciated.

[Martinaston]

Slacken the cables off before adjusting the shoes (and trying to get the disc's off)

[Jem]

I've just pulled the handbrake gator off, and both cables are adjusted the same, with about 3/4'' of thread showing. Looks like both cables are moving freely too. I'll check inside the discs tomorrow.

[Dan318-is]

i have a similr problem on my IS

the handbrake is adjusted correctly, the nearside drum locks perfectly but the drivers side does not lock at all. and bmw being efficient etc etc put the cable in a fucking cover so its impossible to get at!

im hoping that its just come disconnected in the drum or something?

[Jem]

Surely you can get to it if you take the disc off?

[Dan318-is]

i think so but i never got that far due to the weather!

[Jem]

Ahhh fair enough!

[Brianmoooore]

check where the adjusters are on the handbrake lever, a sure sign they are well worn and have been adjusted up to scrape through the mot if they are well adjusted up or well on the pisch.

NO! , NO!, NO! THis will result in a next to useless handbrake and odd wear patterns on the shoes.
Slacken the cables right off untill they are slack, adjust the cams inside the hubs through a wheel bolt hole, then adjust the handbrake adjusters for about four clicks or so. Then don't touch the handbrake adjusters again - ever.

[DanThe]

Well said Brian.
Couldnt have put it better myself

[dannosail]

From what Brian has said I take it that the advice given in this technical article is the wrong way to go about adjusting the parking brake?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... ke_adj.htm

[DanThe]

Yes it is.
By tightning the two nuts by the handbrake lever your just shortning the cable.
There is an adjuster inbetween the shoes themselves for this.

[dannosail]

I'll make sure I do it right with my Touring then as it still rolls forward in Drive with the handbrake on, saloon is spot on though.

[Brianmoooore]

From what Brian has said I take it that the advice given in this technical article is the wrong way to go about adjusting the parking brake?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... ke_adj.htm

Good grief! Never seen that article before. Totaly wrong, will wreck your handbrake shoes, and is potentially dangerouse.
Just goes to show, " just because you read it on the net, doesn't make it true" - unless you read it on the zone, of course.

[Dan318-is]

From what Brian has said I take it that the advice given in this technical article is the wrong way to go about adjusting the parking brake?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/techart ... ke_adj.htm

Good grief! Never seen that article before. Totaly wrong, will wreck your handbrake shoes, and is potentially dangerouse.
Just goes to show, " just because you read it on the net, doesn't make it true" - unless you read it on the zone, of course.

You mean unless you say so

[E30BeemerLad]

check where the adjusters are on the handbrake lever, a sure sign they are well worn and have been adjusted up to scrape through the mot if they are well adjusted up or well on the pisch.

NO! , NO!, NO! THis will result in a next to useless handbrake and odd wear patterns on the shoes.
Slacken the cables right off untill they are slack, adjust the cams inside the hubs through a wheel bolt hole, then adjust the handbrake adjusters for about four clicks or so. Then don't touch the handbrake adjusters again - ever.

Brian, sorry I have just read my post again and it is poorly worded. What I was meaning to say was that if the adjusters under the lever were all tightened up then it was a sign of a bodge and a possible sign of someone trying to extract the last from the shoes

[Brianmoooore]

check where the adjusters are on the handbrake lever, a sure sign they are well worn and have been adjusted up to scrape through the mot if they are well adjusted up or well on the pisch.

NO! , NO!, NO! THis will result in a next to useless handbrake and odd wear patterns on the shoes.
Slacken the cables right off untill they are slack, adjust the cams inside the hubs through a wheel bolt hole, then adjust the handbrake adjusters for about four clicks or so. Then don't touch the handbrake adjusters again - ever.

Brian, sorry I have just read my post again and it is poorly worded. What I was meaning to say was that if the adjusters under the lever were all tightened up then it was a sign of a bodge and a possible sign of someone trying to extract the last from the shoes

Far more likely a sign that someone has been adjusting the handbrake who hasn't a clue how to do it.
Bought a Touring once that had the cable adjusters done right up and four washers under each nut! In the paperwork was an invoice for a recent service which listed "adjust handbrake"!!!!!
Put the cables back right, stripped the rear hubs and reassembled everything properly, and the handbrake has been perfect ever since.
Checked over the rest of the work from the same garage (rear brake pads and subframe bushes). Found a stripped rear caliper bolt, all the dust caps missing from the sliders, and all four bolts holding the subrame bush lower brackets loose!!

[t11mfn]

I had the same problem with my 325i the handbrake wasnt holding the car at all, god knows how it got through the MOT.

So i stripped it and put new discs on the only problem i had was trying to turn the notches through the drums to tighten the shoes once this was done i still had to tighten up the wires on the handbrake otherwise i was having to pull the handbrake way too far to get it to grip. Now its perfect and only goes up 4 clicks like it should do according to the haynes manual.

[Jem]

Well it passed on the handbrake Thanks for the help guys.

It did fail on one thing though, but I'll start another thread for that one