handbrake adjustment and improvement on early rear disk brake config (1 Viewer)

[sunrk]

80 is coming due for it's annual rego inspection. Last yr the mechanic flagged the handbrake. 80 handbrakes are pathetic. Mine only works well when the back of the vehicle is downhill.

About 2 yrs ago I replaced a bunch of bits. The rear brakes (the regular brakes) need renewing so might try to do the whole lot as a job and then see if the HB can be adjusted.

I don't believe the dogbone mod can be done with the smaller rear disk brake config but maybe it can. Superior Engineering's upgraded dogbone page appears to suggest it does not work with the smaller rear brake setup:

"Note: This product may not be suitable for fitment on pre-1992 vehicles due to a smaller Brake setup. Please check before ordering."

 

[DivByZero]

You sure you have disc brakes in the rear? I thought the early (pre Aug 1992?) 80s all had drum brakes in the rear, and the same size disc brakes on all years after that?

 

[Comet]

My 97 has disc all around with an internal drum brake inside if I remember correctly. The bell housing pin is dissimilar metal from the bell so it promotes bloom. I replaced a lot of components to get it working properly again. Locks up great now. Or was that the 60 series…anyway…

 

[sunrk]

You sure you have disc brakes in the rear? I thought the early (pre Aug 1992?) 80s all had drum brakes in the rear, and the same size disc brakes on all years after that?

Absolutely disk brakes. I've owned it for over 11 yrs. There are two sizes of rear disk brake and mine has the smaller size. Yes I know a lot of 80's got rear drum brakes especially early on. On all disk brake 80's the HB is inside the rear disk so it's a *like* a drum brake for the handbrake and doesn't use the normal brake caliper.

 

[fjbj40]

A lot people fail to bed in their parkbrake shoes after replacing them or the rotors.

I have a 15 degree driveway and my parkbrake holds after 4 clicks

 

[sunrk]

I have a full set of rotors/pads and handbrake parts for the rear of mine. Doubtful I can find time to fit it all before late dec when rego is due to will prob try to jiffy the HB at it exists now and try my luck. I don't believe the dogbone mod can be done with the smaller rear disk brake handbrake setup.

 

[sunrk]

Right the rego inspection is next week. Mechanic is a person I know and trust so he'd probably pass it anyway (as a 'failed now corrected' record for the HB).

Any foolproof ideas/suggestions? I'm aware of dogbone mod but I believe that does not work for the smaller rear disk brake config.

I have the superior eng HB lever mod but that's not really helping much if at all. The cable itself was new a few yrs ago.

Is the larger rear disk brake setup better in terms of getting the HB to work?

 

[sunrk]

Wish me luck I'm about to attempt adjusting the park brake aka hand brake.

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Had a near disaster when one of the locknuts for the cable fell down into the lever mechanism, jammed the ratchet, and I had to disassemble the cable from the lever assy in order to tip it up to make the nut eventually come out

Lost 45 minutes of daylight, and now I've just had a big panic attack as it's getting dark after 7 pm and the handbrake is totally non functional with 16 hours until the 80 is booked in for it's annual inspection.

I realised why I hate the handbrake somuch also as I tried to change tack and see if I could get at one of the shoe clearance adjusters through the hole in the rotor and I couldn't get it, so with the anxiety attack I've just stopped work otherwise I'll injure myself trying to fix it.

If I can't get it sorted early tomorrow morning I'll just have to re-link the cable with the lever assy and take it for inspection with HB as inoperative as a busted condom.

 

[sunrk]

Lcool (the part of the site that still works) has this guide about handbrakes.

Welcome to Land Cruiser Owners On Line

Major issue seems to be how to find the shoe clearance adjuster thingy though the tiny hole which has no visibility.

 

[DivByZero]

Major issue seems to be how to find the shoe clearance adjuster thingy though the tiny hole which has no visibility.

Yeah, you've got to do that by "feel".

I've done a full rebuild of the handbrake system on my 80. Mine's a 96, so a bit different to yours, but if you're ever down towards western sydney, I'd be happy to lend you a hand.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Major issue seems to be how to find the shoe clearance adjuster thingy though the tiny hole which has no visibility.

You need to have the hole right at 6 o'clock then it's a matter of feel.
Put a screwdriver into the hole a square as you can and you should be able to find the adjuster teeth.
Definitely a fiddly and frustrating process

 

[sunrk]

Did rear brakes today. Replaced rotors (can't get OEM 42431-60080 anymore so used Terrain Tamer ones) and pads (Bendix 4wd) and while the rotors were being replaced I went 'outside the box' to adjust the HB's and overcome my troubles with them.

First thing I worked out was that I had both of the adjusters fitted the wrong way around so 'up' made them expand not contract. So swapped each to the correct way around, and adjusted each by hand (fingers) while putting each new rotor on and off (and pushing out the bellcrank after each adjustment to seat the shoes) until it wouldn't go on, then backed off about 4 notches, and got the rotor to lock with about half-movement of the bellcrank and with the bellcrank released (sitting on it's stops) the rotor turned with no appreciable resistance.

Now I've done both sides the HB lever comes up 4 to 5 clicks and goes tight, instead of 10 ish. Have not attemped a 'park test' on any sort of hill yet though.

It passed rego just 15 minutes ago. phew.