Handbrake Out of Adjustment?

Hi All,
My handbrake isn't behaving. I've adjusted it 3 or 4 times over recent weeks and now the adjuster doesn't give that reassuring click. What's the opinion? Do I just need new pads or is the adjuster knackered?

We pull as horse trailer which can easily be 2.2 tonnes. Given weight on a hill, is it worth upgrading to a disk type?

I have a disk handbrake but fitted after I stopped towing.
Yes they are good and a few clicks holds it well.they do advise not to use for winching,tried to find reason & nothing except manufactures recommendations

now the original handbrake…. Have you got a bit of slack in the cable that needs tightening? These only need a few clicks for it to full engage normally. Or do you have a leaking transfer box onto the shoes?

Hi Phill,
I can't see any signs of oil, that's not say some isn't creaping in somewhere though. When I pull the handbrake up to does hold, but the slackens off. I wonder if the cable is faiing and stretching?

Do you think the disk holds better than the drum or not much in it?

They both hold the same when in fine fettle, but the disc will hold when its wet/muddy whereas the drum may let you down.
Have you checked your battery earth straps? they fail and the car can earth out through the handbrake cable which dont do it any favours.

Pulling the drum off and having a look/clean inside will be worth it. Given adjuster has no click this points to a problem with it or a shoe may have lost a lining and the adjuster has nothing to work against. A hot cable [after driving ]can be a sign of above problem with earth.

Where are you adjusting the hand brake, at the cable at the back of the brake lever or the shoes at the drum adjuster or both.

The standard hand brake is well up to the job if properly adjusted and maintained.
The shoes very rarely wear out because the brake doesn't get used when the vehicle is moving, so there is nothing to wear the friction material. The back plate has a slot at the bottom of the output housing which is designed to allow small amounts of oil that leaks past the seal to drain without contaminating the shoes.
I had an issue with mine where I couldn't get the handbrake to adjust and the brake wasn't working fully. It turned that I had incorrectly adjusted the handbrake when I swapped transfer boxes, by tightening the cable rather than the using the adjuster on the actuator. Because I adjusted the cable first there was insufficient remaining free movement on the actuator and no amount of adjustment made any difference.
Before you start spending money or pulling things apart, try slackening the handbrake cable right off, plus a bit, then adjust the handbrake at the adjuster on the actuator / back-plate, then tighten the cable back up. This fixed my handbrake.

There's some great ideas here, thanks. Never thought of a battery earthing issue! I'll check this out and have a go with the cable. So fsr all I've adjusted is the adjuster on the drum.

With a wheel off the ground wind drum adjuster in until drum is tight then back off the adjuster until drum turns then adjust the cable at the back of the hand brake lever until cable slack taken up.

Thing is there is no " click " when the adjuster is turned in. A sign there is a problem with the mechanism. Shoe lining gone / broken return spring are my guess. Follow the above from Scooby and if still the same open up drum and investigate.

Thinking I may as well take the drum off and have a look. I don't think it's a hard job is it?

Chock truck, remove 4 nuts holding prop to output drive [ prop and drum on same bolts ] [ a prop bolt removal tool available on flea bay for about a tenner makes for an easy job ] If still there a large screw to remove and pull drum off, back adjuster right off first.

Prop removal tool ordered! Ready to go...