Freelander Handbrake, wont work!

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hallex-icis

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hello there, can anyone help me, i have a 2001 td4 and i am having trouble setting the handbrake. i have recently renewed the rear brake shoes - but cannot get the adjustment right and fear something may have seized within the drum. the hand brake either doesnt work at all. or when adjusted up from the adjusters behind the drum - they stick on constantly and get very hot! i have attemted gradual self adjustment as the adjusters do not seem to be sorting them selves out.. can anyone help me with this cos its driving me crazy and mot is due.. much appreciated. Hall.
 
h/brake cables are probably seizing and not returning properly. quite a common problem, just needs two new cables.
 
hey, thanks for the speedy reply - i'll look into the cables, although when i had the drum off, and had someone use the handbrake, the mechanisms seemed to move freely - as in the cables did not stick, but this may be different once its all put together.. thanks again
 
If you do the same check only this time pull back the end of the cable with pliers and if they return a bit more then that's your problem.
 
hey, thanks all for your replies - im very impressed with the response from people - much appreciated, ill check it over again next rainy day!-there'll be plenty!
 
well, having spent the rainy day, as promised trying to sort this handbrake out - im completly baffled! i followed the instructions from the 'gaylander' post in how to set up handbrake, which worked initially, but then somehow has appeared to reset itself so that the handbrake doesnt hold it anymore. basically i can get the handbrake to hold perfectly, and release to prevent it rolling backwards, but the bloody thing doesnt hold it when it rolls down hill forwards! now theres a one for you to figure out! and to make it more annoying, as i said above it works for a short while, then having drove the landy a bit, the handbrake no longer works. its above me, but i think the adjusters may be knackered, as to reset when they like??? has anyone experienced this - or is it just my magical freelander!?
 
fookin scrap yer gaylander , and gerra proper series where the 'and brakes a boot nailed on a piece of wood ! trust me, its the way forward.
 
The drum brakes have a leading and trailing shoe configuration. The fixed pivot is at the bottom and the actuation, foot or handbrake is at the top. A shoe is described as leading or trailing with reference to the pivot in the direction of rotation. Leading shoes are 3 to 5 times more effective than trailing shoes (depending upon the geometry) because the friction between the shoe and the drum is assiting the actuaing mechanism.

Therfore,

1. When rolling forwards the front shoe is the leading shoe and is more effective.
2. When rolling backwards the rear brake shoe is the leading shoe and appies more torque.

From what you have described above it would suggest that the rear shoes are operating and the front ones are not. That is because when rolling backwards they work, case 2 above.

When moving forwards they do not work, in this case the rear shoe is ineffective, case 1and the front shoe, the leading one in this instant is not in contact else it would servo on and hold because of the friction torque.

I would not expect both drums to be ineffective at the same time so I (repectfully) suggest that they may not be assembled correctly. Look at the cross-shoe linkage and the position of the fork on the auto adjuster.

One problem I did find on mine was that the hairpin springs holding the shoes against the back-plate were absolutely solid and prevented the shoe sliding on the backplate. cleaning all parts and judiciously greasing the areas on the plates where the shoes land solved the problem.
 
Last edited:
Pretty certain that the shoes will only physically fit one way. As Vic says lubrication seems to be the key so that the shoes can easily centralise, then the adjustment should come up nice and close.

With the handbrake cable adjustment backed off it takes up to 30 presses of the pedal with the engine running for the adjusters to adjust up fully after assembly. Then take up the cable adjustment so it holds at 4 notches and no tighter.
 
I would also go with Vic and Chaser on this.
My Rover 400 had me stumped when the MOT man's machine gave low results for handbrake.
Had to be Auto-Self adjusters!!
I had cleaned, checked, adjusted everything including cables - even checked and lubed the self adjusting linkages between the shoes - as I do every year pre MOT.

Solution was to lube the backplates where the shoes slide on the backplate and the retaining pins/springs (holding the shoes against the backplate).
My self adjusters were not adjusting up enough due to the friction of the shoes against the backplate. (same s/adjusting arrangement as Freelander)
I used a thin smear of copper-ease grease where the shoes touched the backplates, worked a treat.
Don't overdo it tho' greased brakeshoes don't work!!
TD John
 
Also - if you can't adjust up - check that the lug the handbrake cable goes into on the bar is free to swivel around. the lugshould rotate freely - both mine had seized up and being both i thought it was normal!

Free up with loads of brake cleaner then something like wd40 or soak in a vat of diesel. grab both parts with pliers and physically pull them around. finally clean up with brake cleaner to prevent contamination from oils.

did this reassembled and followed the adjustment process to the letter. my TD4 handbrake will stop the brake tester rollers now!
 
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