It is a parking brake, not an emergency brake. Its use as an emergency
brake makes me think of Wile E Coyote flapping his arms after having been
suckered over a cliff by Roadrunner. If you only discover the footbrake has
failed when you need it, there is no way the handbrake is going to stop you.
It also needs regular cleaning and lubricating or it won't even be effective
as a parking brake. Every full service I dismantle the parts in the
back-plate and clean and lubricate the levers, linkages, and lubricate the
linkages on the diff case. If left for a long time these all seize up, but
with regular maintenance (like they are *supposed* to get) they stay free.
When refitting the shoes I put a smear of grease on every metal-to-metal
contact surface. You need to be aware of the orientation of the shoes and
the fitment of the springs. When checking the adjustment I pull on the
handbrake a few times, press the footbrake a few times, then tap the drum
with a mallet to settle the shoes, before rotating the drum and checking for
rubbing. When correctly adjusted they should only just be starting to come
on at the first click of the handbrake, any sooner and they could be binding
when driving along. Even then I have found that my V8 needs one notch freer
adjustment than the roadster or they tend to bind, you will have to
experiment and feel the drums after a short run.
After all that I can lock the wheels if I push the car down the slope of the
drive and reach in and pull up the handbrake, but they will not lock when
sitting in the car and rolling along. And I am not heavy by modern
standards. It is fine as a parking brake, having held the roadster at least
on the Hardknott Pass in the Lake District -
http://www.thecumbriadirectory.com/Cumbria_Countryside/Passes/Hardknott_Pass/Hardknott_Pass.php
-
which reaches 1 in 3. I stopped to take a picture, and the Navigator was
terrified.
PaulH.
----- Original Message -----
> Is it really true that the hand brake just won't do it's job?
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