C70 Handbrake wont adjust

[TeeFiveofnine]

Hi peeps

just bought another T5 but this time a convertible. The one problem it had was the handbrake was very poor when bought. I have spent WEEKS trying to sort this, including -

New Shoes
New Pads
New discs

the only thing not changed now are the cables! (Apparently you have to dismantle virtually the whole interior to do this?)

Ive literally had the wheels on and off a dozen times. I took it for an MOT and asked the garage to sort it as it would fail on this (even they couldnt do it!) The car flew thorough the test EXCEPT.....handbrake! The tester even commented how tidy the car was!

I have the retest next week and they told me
"we can POSSIBLY fix it but it will cost you a limb donation and and few hundred quid" even then we cannot guarantee it

I have never had ANY of my many cars over the years beat me on a handbrake UNTIL I met Volvo! The whole "poke a screwdriver through a little whole and click the star wheel" is just a laugh and doesnt seem to be effective. One minute the wheel is locked the next click its too loose?

I have tried adjusting the balance bar (centre console) to no avail again one minute Im smoking the brakes, the next NO HANDBRAKE. The only remaining thing must be cables???

ANYONE PLEASE help with tips/ solutions etc or I will have no car for work

[Lancee]

May be worth buying a replacement hand brake spring kit and using silicone grease (IMHO better than copper ease) on any and all moving parts, in particular the actuator lever.

Again IMHO If still no success you may have to bite the bullet and go for the cables.

Do the cables move freely? Take off (unhook) the actuator from the end of the cable/s and pull/push the cable in/out by gripping with some long nosed pliers, if "sticky" you could try some WD40 AND some oil (WD40 dries out) run down inside the cable sleeve.

Also you could try carefully operating the assembled handbrake with the disc off, make sure the shoes return without sticking.

I have been working on a P2 V70, I am assuming your hand brake assembly is similar.

The issue I have is the shoes rattling on bumpy roads, I believe against the back plate/s, don't despair, I have had my hand brake assemblies apart oh so many times now and I will be taking them all apart again to try and cure the da*ned rattling!

[TeeFiveofnine]

Thanks Lancee

I will try all that as I suspect actuator problems. I may also try an old RAF trick we used to do on Bowden cables - take the cables off make a blu tac 'funnel' at one end - hang them up and pour oil down them!

I believe it may even work 'in situ' but a lot slower if I can get the cable ends up high enough. I slackened the cables off and I got that rattling as well!

[Lancee]

Chin up!
If your assembly is the same as mine you should be able to ease the cable sleeve ("unplug") out and away from the back plate, lever/ease it out with a flat screwdriver.
This should give you enough play to raise the end and pour down the lubricant, make sure the actuator is as rust free as possible and well lubricated.
If nothing else, I find a problem shared is a form of therapy !

[TeeFiveofnine]

HOOOO YAAHHHH
we came we saw - we dismantled - we kicked its ....erm......adjusters!

started at 8am whilst it was relatively cool ( as I have to work out in the road outside our house!) stripped everything, cleaned, lubed, adjusted - got sun stroke but HEY .....result

found I got a more accurate setting WITHOUT the calipers on (no rubbing sounds) set the handbrake then refit calipers

retest tomorrow!

[Lancee]

Good luck ! Let us all (Me!) know how you get on.

[TeeFiveofnine]

PASSED with flying colours after a complete stripdown and rebuild!

thank you my friends