How good is your handbrake ?

Just wondering if anyone else finds that their handbrake struggles to hold the car on a reasonable slope ?  My brakes are all setup OK (no probs with MOT), however I find that the handbrake struggles to hold the car on a slope …….. anyone else have the same problem ?  By the way, I am also blessed with a sloping drive so always have to leave the car in gear when parked.

my handbrakes 2 clicks, and the rear wheels lock up solid,  check your shoes on the rear, they prob need adjusting up or that the handbrake mechinism is all seized up.

last year i fitted new brake lindings handbrake cable and drums and my handbrake is crap to the other day i thought my cab had been nicked it turned out it was in the middle of the  road i live in the handbrake had just let it go slowley down my drive   pod

The rear brakes are used very lightly on the Golf, which means that things tend to seize up, over time. So its worth taking the drums off and checking/cleaning everything, once in a while. Also, it doesn't help the rather stupid design of the handbrake. I can't get a decent spanner onthe the cable adjustment without removing the front seats…..

stevegant said

 have to leave the car in gear when parked.

 8O You should ALWAYS leave the car in gear! Don't rely on the handbrake - a cable could snap at any time!

I keep trying to tell my wife this, though she rarely leaves the jag in gear and when she gets in after I have parked it, she just turns the key and jerks forwards
Has nearly hit the golf before now! 8O

ops: my rear brakes are pretty poor at the moment, passed the MOT though, rear had about 46kg reading, whereas the front had over 120kg

think mine need adjusting…..lots  

it will proberly need a overhaul to get it back to how it should be.

podkin said

 the other day i thought my cab had been nicked it turned out it was in the middle of the  road i live in the handbrake had just let it go slowley down my drive   pod

I have just laughed out load at my desk at that!
 ops:  

PhillTMK1GTI said

ops: my rear brakes are pretty poor at the moment, passed the MOT though, rear had about 46kg reading, whereas the front had over 120kg

think mine need adjusting…..lots  

When parking on a steep hill I always kerb the front wheels too just in-case. :wink:

Have found that adjusting up the rear shoes makes a great difference to the handbrake efficiency.

yea make sure you de adjust the handbrake first inside the car and then adjust the rear shoes up, then go back and adjust up the handbrake inside the car( if u need to!) just to take out any slackness in a stretched cable.

my handbrake was pretty rubbish when i first had Elvis. I stripped the rear brakes down and replaced the shoes and cleaned all the drums out, adjusted the brakes up and now it holds on a slope on 1 click but if its a really REALLY steep bank 2 clicks is enough.

my handbrake is the absolute pits. the 2 cables continuosly get pulled out even tho i am carfull when pulling. went into m.o.t otrher day and they did it just parking her up.
been 'fixed' 5 times now still happens.

big boo for my brakes  

mk1golfgtisportline said

my handbrake is the absolute pits. the 2 cables continuosly get pulled out even tho i am carfull when pulling. went into m.o.t otrher day and they did it just parking her up.
been 'fixed' 5 times now still happens.

big boo for my brakes  

Well, it sounds like the way you're 'fixing' it doesn't work! Perhaps you need to replace the shoes and/or the cable, so that the way the cable clips onto the shoe is secure. Do you have the little handbrake cable guides, which are bolted on using the same bolts as the stub axle?

i havnt fixed it its been in for work and been done by garages.
the cables are new….the round shaft that goes into the hole of the handle which keeps it in place doesnt have anything holding it in place. its going back in on monday so theyre having another look but you think it mite need new shoes? if i park on a slope i need to pull it high up otherwise it just gentle rolls so i have to put it in gear or just pull real high

My Car has had new drums shoes and bearings, 3 clicks and it holds anywhere! I would check for contaminated drums, shoes or  streached cables.

Rob

You have to make sure that the shoes (whether old or new) are manually adjusted as the spring loaded "auto" tensioner inside the drum will never adjust up enough leaving the cables with an impossible task.

As previously mentioned, 2-3 clicks should be enough to hold the car anywhere.

my car failed the MOT on this   only scored 13% on th rear braking efficiency test  

Mine was hideous, I mean 4 clicks and I still left it in gear on a hill that you could roll up  :wink:

My mate that MOT'd it tho tightened it a belter tho and it could sit on ben nevis on one click…