rear brakes/hand brake

[laam999]

ok its time for another one of my simple questions about the basics of the mr2...

I've rebuilt all my brakes and fitted braided lines but I haven't put ant bbrake fluid in yet, I figured I'd test the rears via the hand brake first so I don't have to drain all the ffluid again should they not work... and they didn't... now I'm thinking either the handbrake has an affect on the hydrolics to move the piston, I need to wind the piston out a bit more or I'm much much much worse at this home mechanics mlarky than I hoped.

so in simple will the handbrake still work if there is 0 fluid in the system as its independent being cable or shall I wind the piston out a lil more.... or should i jjust pay for someone to do it properly lol

Liam
^_^

[LimeyMk1]

The hand brake's mechanical so should work without fluid, may be best to fill with fluid first though.

It does need to be set up properly:

1. loosen off the cables.
2. Wind the pison all the way in.
3. line up the cut outs in the piston so they'll engage with the nipple on the back of the pads (still winding in).
4. the important bit - wind the piston out 180 degrees.
5. drop the caliper back down & bolt it up
6. I give the pedal a pump, then take up the slack on the cables and tighten so the handbrake's fully engaged in 7 (ish) clicks.
7. Check the balance bar on the cable's still flat. If it's not you may have a sticky caliper or cable.

Should sort your handbrake out.

[kaiowas]

The handbrake should still work without fluid however if the pads are not up against the disc before the handbrake is applied all of your handbrake travel will be taken up just moving the pad towards the disc and you'll end up with no force being applied to the disc.

If you want to make the handbrake operate without fluid you'll have to wind the pistons out however you won't be achieving anything and you'll only have to wind them back in and set the handbrake up properly once you fill it anyway.

Just fill it with fluid, get the hydraulics bled and operating properly then set the handbrake up.

[laam999]

thanks guys ^_^ nice to know I'm only slightly dimmer than I thought

[LimeyMk1]

It's a learning experience. We've all been there.

[PW@Woodsport]

The hand brake's mechanical so should work without fluid, may be best to fill with fluid first though.

It does need to be set up properly:

1. loosen off the cables.
2. Wind the pison all the way in.
3. line up the cut outs in the piston so they'll engage with the nipple on the back of the pads (still winding in).
4. the important bit - wind the piston out 180 degrees.
5. drop the caliper back down & bolt it up
6. I give the pedal a pump, then take up the slack on the cables and tighten so the handbrake's fully engaged in 7 (ish) clicks.
7. Check the balance bar on the cable's still flat. If it's not you may have a sticky caliper or cable.

Should sort your handbrake out.

Spot on, although if i may add two points, step 3... if you grind the pegs off the back of the inside pads you don't need to align the piston and you can get a much better adjustment on the caliper.

Step 6 is more imprtant than most realise, if you don't pump the pedal after winding the piston in/out and you operate the h/brake first, you will reset the caliper internal mechanism and end up with no h/brake at all, effectively dead calipers, so pump the pedal before adjusting the h/brake back up. If you mistakenly move the caliper h/brake arms during the process you will need to start from scratch.

[un1eash]

I found with my EBC greenstuff pads i couldnt fit the pads and new disks in with the caliper all the way wound in with the nipples on the pads lined up with the groove in the piston, i had to do a quater turn out to align them and then they would fit so i ground the nipples off.

[Tiger Tim]

Step 6 is more imprtant than most realise, if you don't pump the pedal after winding the piston in/out and you operate the h/brake first, you will reset the caliper internal mechanism and end up with no h/brake at all, effectively dead calipers, so pump the pedal before adjusting the h/brake back up. If you mistakenly move the caliper h/brake arms during the process you will need to start from scratch.

This is very important. Just did my brakes last week & forgot about not moving the handbrake arm. I hadn't slacked off the handbrake cable enough so I moved the arm to attach it to the hand brake cable on one side. Ended up with huge imbalance on the handbrake. With the car jacked up & the handbrake on, I could move the wheel at one side using the wheelbrace where as the wheel was locked solid at the other side. Now sorted.

Paul - by grinding off the pegs at the back of the pad, do you wind out the caliper until it will just fit over the pads?.

Tim

[LimeyMk1]

You still have to wind the piston back until it doesn't retract any more then the 180 degrees back in, it's the winding back in that re-engages the handbrake mechanism.

[PW@Woodsport]

Paul - by grinding off the pegs at the back of the pad, do you wind out the caliper until it will just fit over the pads?.

Tim

Yes, taking the peg off enables you to wind the piston right out to the pad so they are a nice interference fit instead of only being able to adjust in 180* steps, so you get a better primary adjustment.

The peg is meant to be there to prevent the piston unwinding, but trust me there's absolutely no chance of that happening.

[Tiger Tim]

Thanks, Paul