Date: Sun, 05 Feb 2006 20:30:24 +0000 From: Colin Stamp <col.dustbinnospamp.plus.com> Subject: Re: XP Saab 9-3 handbrake problem.
On Sat, 4 Feb 2006 19:42:43 -0000, "Moray Cuthill" <moray_dot_cuthillnospamme.uk> wrote: > >"Colin Stamp" <col.dustbinnospamp.plus.com> wrote in message >news:aeq9u11jkdq22vvtdbomvoefq6dv8v4o7onospamcom... >> Hi all, >> >> A while ago, I changed the rear discs on my 2001 9-3 (drum-in-disc >> handbrake). Not long after, I noticed that the handbrake on one side >> would sometimes grab momentarily a couple of times if I had to reverse >> at the start of a journey. Today, I finally got round to having a look >> at it. >> >> If I jack the wheel up and spin it with the handbrake off, it spins >> freely, but if I pull the handbrake on enough to make it rub a bit, >> then the wheel grinds round fine if I spin it slowly, but grabs if I >> try to spin it faster. >> >> The handle seems to start operating the brakes at about the right >> point in it's travel, but looking at the shoes, they seem to be some >> distance from their end-stops with the handbrake released, and there's >> still some tension in the cable. >> >> My favorite theory at the moment, is that the shoe adjusters are set >> too far in, and the cable adjuster has been shortened to compensate, >> leaving the shoes at a bit of an angle. I ran out of daylight whilst >> looking at it today, so I couldn't do the full adjustment, but I wound >> up the shoe adjuster a bit to try to ease the problem. I'm still >> waiting to see if it's made any difference... >> >> So, am I on anything like the right track here, and a full >> shoes-then-cable adjustment will sort it out, or do I need my head >> examining again? > >These brakes tend to grab when they're not adjusted properly, and even then >they can grab occasionally. >Also, if the shoes haven't been kept well adjusted, after adjusting properly >they may not work very well, until the shoes bed in again. > >Slacken the handbrake cable right off, then adjust the shoe adjuster up >fully (so it locks the disc). Operate the handbrake on and off a couple >times, and check that the disc is still locked, if not repeat until it is >locked. Now back the adjuster back of a couple notches (or until the disc >spins with only no/slight rubbing). Then readjust the handbrake cable (I do >them just so you can feel a bit slack in the cable before you feel the >handbrake levers start to move). > Thanks for the confirmation. It turns out that taking it apart, disturbing everything and putting it back together hasn't made any difference, so it looks like I have a re-adjustment job for the next dry weekend. Cheers, Colin.