1999 TD5 Disco Auto 2.Every time MOT comes the morning of the test i take disco in to have a new rear oil seal and flange £125 take for MOT all's well.About a month later hand brake doesn't work so leave it 12 months until test then same procedure again been having this done for 5 years now and i'm ****ed off about never having a usable hand brake OK its auto so i don't often need a hand brake but its there and i want it to work from 1 year to the next. So i'm thinking of buying one of those disc type hand brakes then any oil out the back can bloody well drip on the floor and not affect my hand brake..Has any one of you converted from the drum hand brake to the disc type if so are you happy with it.

I presume the one you mean is made by X-eng? They seem to have a very good reputation, especially if you are regularly sinking your vehicle in mud.

The seal shouldn't go that soon, are you sure the garage aren fitting it correctly? The standard handbrake is good if set up properly and looked after, as above though they seem to dislike being filled with muck.

Harry

Like boris said, the seal shouldn't need changing almost ever, let alone annually! I'd get it done again by someone different .. and have them also check out the handbrake, they're not too bad really, the disc is only needed (well not even needed really) if you're constantly in muddy water ..

I have had different places replace the oil seals and flanges,I spoke to a mechanic at another landy place and he was telling me that he has had 2 or 3 like that and he had to replace the shaft as the original shaft had a slight wobble on it and it must of been from new,I went on the DVLA site to check its past MOTs and most of its past Mots since it was 3 years old had a hand brake fail due to oil on shoes,So i now now its probably been like it since new,,So yea i will buy one of those £250 Xdisc hand brake Jobie's and any oil can go on the floor.

cant you whip the drum off before the mot and clean the shoes and drum with a solvent ?

Thanks for the reply,Yea i could remove and clean up the shoes etc,But you know what its like if you have something on there and you just want it to work and that's the bit that really racks me off lol.I have also just been told that there are some breather pipes that come out of the rear of the box and that they may be blocked and cause it to blow oil out of the box on to the brake drum will have a look in next day or two,,