Hand Brake not working

[Steve@D1Customs]

Ill try and put a write up together when i finish work. With exploded cutaway diagrams from my Toyota days i kept all the info. Have a full T-TEP training manual just on the rear caliper operation. Cut a long story short Steve Is right that the calipers auto adjuster is more use as a door stop. But in order to give it the best chance it can. Leave no more than a 1mm gap between the stop peg and the caliper crank arm. Under no circumstances is the cable tension adjuster to be used as a aid to take up pad to disc clearence to compensate for wear. The know how of the setting the piston is the key to a fully working parking brake that will far exceed the brake test weight.

[lamcote]

That would be fantastic, thanks. It seems to me that in theory, once the handbrake is set up, it shouldn't need any adjustment work doing to it if everything works as it is supposed to.

The first question is, how to set it all up in the first place, which I assume you are going to cover?

The second question is, what if anything can you do to ensure everything keeps on working properly? Is it as simple as using the brakes and the handbrake regularly or is there some proactive maintenance that will help? (I don't normally use the brakes very hard but the other day I used them quite hard a few times and the handbrake performance seemed to improve, was that a coincidence?)  

The third question is, once the caliper crank arm has started to go out of adjustment, is there a simple way of getting it back or does it need completely setting up from scratch again?

[Steve Green]

The bit that gets me, what might be the root casue of the sleeve nut seizing on the adjusting bolt.

Corrosion? moisture in brake fluid? Rust? Different metals reacting?
How much of a job is it to properly "repair". To arrive at the sleeve nut freely operating as it should.

Makes me wonder how refurbed some refurbs are. Fully stripped to components etc etc and rebuilt or just external tarting up?

Part of my point.
Conclusions are jumped to by those who have never dissected the mechanics and have chosen the easy way out.

I have a project running on a classic car, the refurbished steering racks repeatedly fail. Correspondence with so called refurbishes and attempts to source a recognised part number have failed. Unfortunately the OEM no longer exists.

My supposition is that so called refurbishes use heavy duty grease to disguise their inadequancy.

[Ardent]

It seems to me that in theory, once the handbrake is set up, it shouldn't need any adjustment work doing to it if everything works as it is supposed to

Exactly. Shouldn't need to.
But, there in lies the problem. Why does the auto adjust mech seize?
Which in essence is a nut that works its way along a threaded bolt.
What could possibly go wrong?   s:roll: :roll: s:roll:

[Carolyn]

Often, what happens is the main piston seal in the caliper gets a build-up of crud behind it.  This makes the piston bind.  A good shove on the brake pedal (which exerts much more force than the handbrake) will move the piston by twisting the actual seal a little, so the foot brake will appear to be working ok, but the handbrake won't.  A good strip-down, clean and new seals are what's needed.  I don't mind dong this, but then I've got the vice, the bench, the kit etc., which is why a good trade-in re-furbished caliper is a good deal for many.

[Ardent]

C
Good being the operative word.
Who to trust. Which company does the job properly. Pays attention to detail and not just replace the seals.

[Ardent]

Just for clarity.
I know you would. But you're not in the caliper refurb business as I understand it.

[Carolyn]

Well, I'd look for well-established, supplying to the trade, high volume.  These re-builders do lots of calipers (not just Toyota).  There will be trade reviews and recommendations out there, I'm sure.