Handbrake efficiency tips

[ie940]

Volvo failed handbrake on MOT, very low efficiency both sides. Are there any tips to get it working well?

A year or so ago it had new shoes, discs and cables on the rear so I doubt the components are badly worn.

Someone mentioned a shoe adjuster you can retrofit from older models to help dial in the shoes per side? Is this a thing?

Thanks

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by ie940

A year or so ago it had new shoes, discs and cables on the rear so I doubt the components are badly worn.

If they were high quality, good fitting components and everything is free moving, a simple taking up of slack at the handbrake lever end should suffice.

[gpl1968]

I find my car's handbrake slackens off regularly.
I tend to adjust the handbrake while sitting at traffic lights....
The other main problem can be the bracket on the rear axle. It links the two parts of the handbrake cable and over time wears away and breaks off the axle tube. I replaced mine last year with one of these:

I think it was around £15 rom ebay.

[ie940]

Cheers everything looks fairly normal in the drums, I can see how an adjuster on the front edge would help the shoe fit the shape better though.

I’ll try new shoes and a good adjustment and see where I get to. The discs were easy to remove so may point to poor adjustment although they’re not sitting flush with the stop bits so the cable is obviously taking up some slack already

[baggy798]

Bed them in slightly?

[bob12]

Although I might have missed something (get out clause!) .... assuming the new shoes and whatever were fitted OK and everything is free the adjuster at the handbrake (behind/in) the centre arm rest is the place to go to tighten the cable up.