Hand Brake cable change

[Newbie57]

Thanks, I wonder if plus gas might help?

[Carolyn]

Thanks, I wonder if plus gas might help?

Can't hurt.

[Newbie57]

Bitten the bullet and bought 2 new cables from TCB. I'll stop the car down but get my local garage to drop the tank.
Cables are colour coded. Looks like the yellow tag goes on the off side

[Ardent]

if bought from tcb, then likely to be proper cables. Smart move.

As you have twigged they are handed.

Not all aftermarket ones are, which then create their own problems.

[Newbie57]

Yes real Toyota ones about 1/2 the price of the dealer. Next day delivery. Very good service

[Newbie57]

This is driving me nuts now.
New callipers new Toyota handbrake cables and I still have issues.
Is there anything I should have done when I changed the callipers. I made sure the V was in the right position. Bled the brakes then fitted the cables. Did the brake pedal dance.
Got my local garage to fit the new cables. There on the right side. They think the callipers are faulty. To much travel on the sprung loaded lever
Any suggestions

[Ardent]

The nipple on the back of the pad sitting in the V?
Be hard not to. But.
There is a nipple on the back of the pad?
Do the pads have an interference fit Before the peddle dance?
The crank arm action on the pad is very small.
If the pads are not touching the disc to begin with. The travel will only just about bring the pad to the disc.

[Carolyn]

This is getting silly.  Both calipers bad? I don't think so.

The pistons should pump out fine.

You need a better mechanic.

[Newbie57]

I fitted the callipers so no doubt there are better mechanics.
Drivers side is the main issue.
Local garage just fitted the cables. I've used him for 20 years on various cars. He, literally just round the corner. Never worked on an MR 2 before but attaching cables I trust him with.

[Carolyn]

I fitted the callipers so no doubt there are better mechanics.
Drivers side is the main issue.
Local garage just fitted the cables. I've used him for 20 years on various cars. He, literally just round the corner. Never worked on an MR 2 before but attaching cables I trust him with.

Oooops.  My apologies.  I thought your mechanic had done all the work.

[dgreaves]

I had all this last week mot failure on nearside hand brake not working and I had the use of a two post lift.
the cables were free ,pedal dance etc but took a new caliper to fix it can your mechanic round the corner get the car in the air then you see can see what is happening when you apply the handbrake.  I wish you well with this.

Dave Greaves   

[Newbie57]

So. I have per suppliers and others advise i wound the Pistons back in both callipers the out to just clear the pads. I assume this resets the mechanism. Initially I got a much better holding force but after a short period the right calliper appears to have completely lost adjustment so when you apply the hand brake the cable moves without resistance🤬

[Ardent]

just to recap. Proper new calipers or refurbished.
Putting my head above the parapet to be shot down. But there is no "reset" as such. The closest thing would be a few pumps of the pedal to take up the slack.
As pads wear the auto adjust takes up the slack. Be surprised if you had worn the pads that quickly.
The auto adjust should take up the slack and keep the pads where they need to be. Next to the disc.
So something is sticking or plain not working correctly.

[Newbie57]

This is what the supplier said


Disconnect the handbrake cables, unbolt the calipers from the guide pins and firmly force the piston back to remove any play (put slight hand pressure on the caliper lever and you'll feel the play gradually disappear - stop at this point to avoid possible damage to the adjuster mechanism). Then wind the piston out so that the gap is just adequately wide enough to fit over the pads and disc. Refit the caliper and then press the brake pedal several times to let the auto adjuster remove any fine play still remaining. Finally reconnect the handbrake cable ensuring the caliper lever returns fully home when the handbrake lever is off.
Did this. It resolved the return issue on the right brake.

Callipers are new from Frentech
Cables new Toyota OEM

Now, when applying handbrake right cable moves first and furthest.
Adjuster has to be at max to get bite on LEFT calliper.
Right bite very solid
Opposite to what I would have expected
Pads and discs have 9k miles on the max. Pads on inspection have a lot of life in them

[Ardent]

Adjuster has to be at max to get bite on LEFT calliper.
Right bite very solid

Can you elaborate on that.

Did you or mechanic happen to notice that the cables were different lengths.

[Newbie57]

Cables are handed. Right hand one has yellow tape round it . That's correct

If you look at the T piece as you apply the handbrake the right side moves first and furthest

Think that the RH calliper has too much travel so the left is not activating

Fully returned the t bar is level

[Ardent]

just making sure 2 same cables had not inadvertently been sent/fitted.

So we can rule that out.

Still sounds like the pads are not close enough to disc to begin with and all the travel is taken up just moving the pads to the disc.
Despite the travel of the handbrake. The crank arm on the caliper has a very small range of motion.
If the pads do not have an interference fit to begin with. They are not going to hold.

[Jay]

Worth measuring the rear pad and disc thicknesses just in case there's an issue there?

Just to rule them out of course.

[Bossworld]

Cables are handed. Right hand one has yellow tape round it . That's correct

If you look at the T piece as you apply the handbrake the right side moves first and furthest

Think that the RH calliper has too much travel so the left is not activating

Fully returned the t bar is level

I had a very similar problem (albeit with third party cables) that were just blatantly not the right length for the car.  It meant the left side locked well, but the right was barely engaging.  Is there anything in the routing of your cables that could be causing a restriction of movement?

The replacements fitted to mine since have touch wood been 'ok' - the car holds firmly uphill on 8 clicks, it can be a little dicier downhill.  Will probably do the 'dance' before the delayed MOT time.

This thread documents my experience with different cables (and that equaliser bar) if any help:

https://www.mr2roc.org/forum/index.php?topic=65220.0

To Ardent's point, this YouTube video is great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g12uwGnKwlY

Vis a vis the hydraulic movement:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9jAqP0pqhM

[Newbie57]

I started to doubt I'd got the cables on the right way round. I disconnected everything put the handbrake off and with the t bar level compared the position of the cables at the callipers. Looks the same. Applied handbrake, checked position at calliper, again looks the same. The only thing I'd say is if you take the cable bracket off the callipers it's a struggle to put them back as the cable is stiff compared to what was on previously

If I move the lever on the callipers by hand the left seems to require more force than the right. Right travels about 20mm before it hits a stop. Left maybe a little less. This seems too much. Checked against the callipers I took off they seem to move less before impacting the piston.

Connected up the cables. Applied handbrake. Left calliper lever moves a short distance then stops. No apparent braking force. Can't move it further by hand.

[Ardent]

The little silver bullet thing the crank arm acts on is in place?

[Newbie57]

The little silver bullet thing the crank arm acts on is in place?

Every thing is internal I can't see a silver thing

[Ardent]

Sorry. My mistake.

I am running out of suggestions.

Do the pads have an interference fit to the discs? Apologies If I have missed the reply.

[Ardent]

@Newbie57
Have sent a you PM

[Newbie57]

Had a new boiler fitted today. About the price of a reasonable MR2.
Whilst I had to be at home edit the brakes. Wind piston in to max, HB lever solid. Wind out to just clear pads  Pump brakes refit cables. Did this a 3 times. No improvement.
Tried winding back but not winding out. No difference.
So I'm going to see Rhys in Droitwich on Sat.