Handbrake good back poor forward

[bob12]

Assuming your handbrake is set-up and adjusted properly a short handbrake roll, if not on a level surface, is and has always been a 'feature' of these 700/900 cars with drum handbrake shoes.

It's adds fun to your rear view mirror driving experience when some plonker stops close up on an incline.

Bob

[Jimsiss]

Originally Posted by bob12

Assuming your handbrake is set-up and adjusted properly a short handbrake roll, if not on a level surface, is and has always been a 'feature' of these 700/900 cars with drum handbrake shoes.

It's adds fun to your rear view mirror driving experience when some plonker stops close up on an incline.

Bob

I do love that feature, sooo many people back off when you stop on a hill and they are way too close.

From what I’ve been told later Volvos have the manual adjusters on the shoes so you can adjust them for a better fit to the inside of the disc like older drum brake cars used to have.

[kelvinp]

Originally Posted by TonyS9

My car has this aswell, ater the slack take roll. I have replaced the cables (aftermarket) and that seemed to help for a while but the cable tends to stretch and the hand brake drifts up and needs adjusted often.

The design is fairly poor, in comparison my 360 is rock solid after 4 clicks.

I don't quite know who designed the handbrake on the 700s, the ridiculously poor compensator which simply consists of a pin in a bracket on the back axle, both of which wear. Why not have something with proper pins and bushes?

I've had to replace one of the cables across the back axle previously as I found it had pretty much corroded though most of the strands.

Mine's an auto but find it will sometimes still creep with the handbrake on if I'm in drive stopped at lights or something. Might just need a slight adjustment.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by kelvinp

I don't quite know who designed the handbrake on the 700s, the ridiculously poor compensator which simply consists of a pin in a bracket on the back axle, both of which wear. Why not have something with proper pins and bushes?

Sadly this highlights one of my big gripes with Volvo, they take a simple idea, over-complicate it and then make it cheaply. Conversely other ideas they keep simple, over-engineer it so it never fails and call it good.

Usually the over-complicated bits are in areas that are awkward to access (seems they like to hide their mistakes) and even more awkward to repair in a similar manner to how it was originally made. Almost always much easier to re-engineer it and upgrade it to something that will last and do the job properly.

[lnparry]

Hi everyone,

Agree with the comments on handbrake roll back. Seems to have been a feature on all 740s / 940s I have driven. Just part of the experience - even more fun when you have kids in the rear facing seats going up a hill in traffic!

Even with my handbrake passing the Mot test I find it less efficient pointing downhill than uphill. It is almost that facing uphill the car settles down on its rear wheels and the weight distribution helps the handbrake lock the rear wheels (or the tires grip the road?). Going downhill the reverse seems true. Seems to be the same on some of my other cars too. I wonder which way the Mot test machine rotates the wheels?

BTW - sorry to be offline for so long due to this odd year, work, other cars, wife's decorating deadlines, garden, parents, children, grandchildren but great to see the same familiar names on the forum. Best wishes to all.

Cheers,
LeeP

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by lnparry

I wonder which way the Mot test machine rotates the wheels?

Normal direction of travel or forwards if you prefer.

[Dirty Rooster]

I got a pair of discs for the back, pulled everything off, excercised the joints, new discs solved my problem as the handbrake passed MOT.
Just fitted new pads today.

I don't know how the new discs fixed it, just that they did.
Got for folks to know.
Brand is "Brakefit".

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Dirty Rooster

I got a pair of discs for the back, pulled everything off, excercised the joints, new discs solved my problem as the handbrake passed MOT.
Just fitted new pads today.

I don't know how the new discs fixed it, just that they did.
Got for folks to know.
Brand is "Brakefit".

That's good to know - my handbrake scraped through the MoT recently (right wheel would lock the rollers but left barely stopped them) and the discs/drums i've got are Brakefit with Mintex shoes. I'll use the remains of the old pads for the time being while i doble check the size and order some up.

[jor]

Here's a nice insight into parking brakes and their modification:

thosbryant.wordpress.com/2018/10/31/volvo-740-760-parking-brake-repair-brake-shoe-review/comment-page-1

jor

[loki_the_glt]

Originally Posted by bob12

Assuming your handbrake is set-up and adjusted properly a short handbrake roll, if not on a level surface, is and has always been a 'feature' of these 700/900 cars with drum handbrake shoes.

It's adds fun to your rear view mirror driving experience when some plonker stops close up on an incline.

Bob

The 200-s have the same "feature"; if you have an automatic one it's REALLY amusing to put it into park as well. I found that it deterred the so-close-I-can-see-the-orientation-of-your-numberplate-screws fraternity: they only did it once.