(DIY) How to Adjust Handbrake

[fasteddie2015]

The handle on my 15 LC feels like theres free play in the handle before it grabs the cable and starts ratcheting. It sounds like this could be fixed by adjusting under the cup holder. Whats the symptom for e-brake shoe problems?

Obviously you dont want the e-brake shoes dragging and making the gas mileage even worse.

 

[bloc]

The shoes will quickly wear in if they are too tight.

Goal is to get the pads where they need to be then do the handle. This thread doesn’t really address the pads but that should be the first step. Otherwise if you take up free play in the bell-cranks in rear with the cable up front, your leverage gets out of whack and it won’t hold like it should.

 

[Climbingnut]

So, my 2017 LC200 only sort of holds on an uphill or downhill with e-brake set. I don't have an auto box like you guys, I've got a manual gearbox. Given I also tow a lot, I'd like to have more confidence in my e-brake when parked on a hill engine running. There's about 40k km on the cruiser. Should I approach the e-brake from the cup holder side or the rear axle brake side?

 

[fasteddie2015]

Pulled the cupholder. Easiest thing I've done in a while. No slop in the cable so I left it alone. I guess there's just some slop in the handle before the first stop in the ratcheting. It did give me the chance to clean out the previous owners crap from under the cupholder. Not too bad, but...

ICK!!

WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY TEACHING THOSE KIDS AT NM STATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING?!?! NOT SURE I WANT TO DRIVE ACROSS THEIR BRIDGE.

 

[bloc]

So, my 2017 LC200 only sort of holds on an uphill or downhill with e-brake set. I don't have an auto box like you guys, I've got a manual gearbox. Given I also tow a lot, I'd like to have more confidence in my e-brake when parked on a hill engine running. There's about 40k km on the cruiser. Should I approach the e-brake from the cup holder side or the rear axle brake side?

I’d follow the factory procedure.

 

[CJ3Flyer]

I’d follow the factory procedure.

I agree but would add in spite of the awesomeness of the 200 series they missed it with regard to efficacy of the p-brake. It seems to me the shoe compound chosen for the p-brake missed the mark.

 

[bloc]

I agree but would add in spite of the awesomeness of the 200 series they missed it with regard to efficacy of the p-brake. It seems to me the shoe compound chosen for the p-brake missed the mark.

Agree. They are heavy trucks with tiny little drum brakes expected to keep them still. this fact plus the lack of a park position for the transmission means in manual applications you should follow the factory procedure exactly to make the parking brake as good as possible. None of this “I’ll just do the cable because it’s easier to get to” stuff.

 

[fasteddie2015]

Maybe the factory procedure should include placing a brick in front of a rear wheel and turning into the curb. When I tested mine today in neutral, on a slight incline, the lever was well past 45 degrees to get the LC to stop rolling.

 

[bloc]

The factory has something like 45# pull for five clicks as the lever adjustment. Whatever the numbers are, you can use a fish scale for that spec. The shoes get adjusted until they contact the drum then back a specified number of clicks. I put the whole rear axle on jack stands and removed both wheels so the axles could spin free and I could feel when things started dragging. I found the only way to emulate what the factory was going after was with a tiny bit of drag.

All of this is probably assuming non-glazed shoes and a good drum surface.. or, for that matter, shoes that have worn in to that diameter of drum. If you put used shoes on new drums they may not contact across the whole shoe. My original shoes and new rotors/drums may be why I had to have a little bit of drag to get things right.

For the record I never detected a mileage hit or excessive heat. I think that drag really was minimal when compared to the power needed to move the vehicle down the road.

So yeah, there is a bit of adjustment and fiddling. Fortunately by being both patient and OCD about it mine holds really well and has for a while. But I wouldnt be surprised to find I spent three hours on the job in total.

 

[NLScooby]

OK - I'm doing this this weekend using the Factory Service Manual instructions (that @Taco2Cruiser also posted in an earlier post)