Lax handbrake

[Simeon]

So i've begun commuting to work in the old Maestro and there is one particularly large hill which i always have to stop and which i reckon my handbrake doesnt like. In fact i trust it so little i'm generally pulling it as tight as possible and not letting go all the way up the hill.

I tried tightening the cable this afternoon but it didnt seem to do much (obviously i'll find out tomorrow when i go to work) but using the cable adjuster located infront of the rear axle could i tighten it too much, or screw up other braking systems?

Cheers,
Simeon

[steve smith]

sounds like you might need new shoes to or the adjusters in the drums have seized up take it all apart clean the adjusters and i would fit new shoes

[Chris Y]

What Steve said. New shoes and clean up the adjusters. Also make sure the handbrake is correctly set as per the handbook.

[E_T_V]

Remove the rear drums. If they are soaked in brake fluid (they often are) then that explains the poor handbrake. Leaking rear cylinders are common and easy to change. Whist you are at it clean everything up and make sure the self adjusters are working correctly. Loosen the handbrake mechanism before refitting the drums and leave the handbrake off for the moment.

Depress the brake pedal several times hard and sharp. You may hear a clicking from the rear drums (this is the self adjusters working as they should).

Then adjust the adjuster so that the handbrake works at 3-5 clicks and that the brakes do not bind when the handbrake is released.

Generally the maestro handbrake is very good compared to some other rover products *cough* Rover 600 *cough*.

[henocsr]

Generally the maestro handbrake is very good compared to some other rover products *cough* Rover 600 *cough*.

Most later rovers with discs on the back have poor handbrakes as they get older as the calipers seize, and the cables get steached by people over adjusting the lever to get 4 clicks or less. Rovers should have between 10 to 6 clicks.

The Rover 75 is much better as the handbrake is done by shoes in the rear brake disc drum

[E_T_V]

Even when brand new the rover 600 handbrake is poor.