# sticking handbrake



## ianmorgan (Jan 22, 2009)

*wise mens help needed *

*WHEN REVERSING MH OUT THE HANBRAKE ALWAYS STICS ON HAVE TO DRIVE FORWARD THEN REVERS AGAIN.ITS NOT BECAUSE ITS LAYED UP FOR A TIME,AS IT DOES IT EVERY TIME I PUT HANDBRAKE ON EVEN AFTER LONG DRIVE. THE MH IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD.COULD IT BE THE CABLES  *


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## Deleted member 775 (Jan 22, 2009)

sound like you need to overhaul the hand brake system, remove rear drums check for sticking shoes you could also have weak return springs on the shoes. best bet is get a overall kit and new hand brake cables and replace the system then  reset  rear brakes ,  not difficult if you have a bit of mech knowledge and not really expensive.


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## Telstar (Jan 22, 2009)

*handbrake*

Could it be frayed (SP?) cables.  A friend recently had to have the cables replaced on a 4 year old alco chassis m/h.

Jon


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## gordon (Jan 22, 2009)

hi it's ither weak springs or a piece of brake shoe has stuck to the drum.If you are leaving it parked up for any lenth of time chock the wheels leave in gear and leave the hand brake off


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## ianmorgan (Jan 22, 2009)

*handbreak*



gordon said:


> hi it's ither weak springs or a piece of brake shoe has stuck to the drum.If you are leaving it parked up for any lenth of time chock the wheels leave in gear and leave the hand brake off




cheers gordon

shes always parked up at home with handbreak off.its when filling at station,or parked in town shoping you have to put handbreak on,then it happens


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## Geoff.W (Jan 22, 2009)

Hi. Have you got drums or discs on the rear?

If drums I would suspect a biuld up of dust/rust fragments, if discs possibly sticking hand brake mechanism or pads sticking in the slides. Either way a strip down and clean up is probably the order of the day.

Athough you can't rule it out, sticking/frayed cables is probably unlikely on a 3 year old vehicle.

By the way are you out of warranty? Just a thought.


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## ianmorgan (Jan 23, 2009)

*Handbreake*



Geoff.W said:


> Hi. Have you got drums or discs on the rear?
> 
> If drums I would suspect a biuld up of dust/rust fragments, if discs possibly sticking hand brake mechanism or pads sticking in the slides. Either way a strip down and clean up is probably the order of the day.
> 
> ...




THEIR DISC BRAKES,WARRANTY FINNISHED 3 MOUNTHS AGO 

CHEARS GEOFF


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## Deleted member 775 (Jan 23, 2009)

if you have disc brakes then could as geoff says only trouble is most times to service them you need a special tool to rewind the piston in to the caliper, rear calipers still have a nasty tendency to collect all the road dirt and crud which really helps to seize the things up .   there is another system that has small shoes inside the rear discs,dont know if that system is still around though as it is quite a few years since i was a mechanic  but you will have to remove the caliper and the brake disk to access these, may help if you let us know the base model on your van,as different vehicles use different systems. cannot beat the old drum brakes at the rear far les complicated and still quite efficient


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## ianmorgan (Jan 23, 2009)

*Handbrake*



mandrake said:


> if you have disc brakes then could as geoff says only trouble is most times to service them you need a special tool to rewind the piston in to the caliper, rear calipers still have a nasty tendency to collect all the road dirt and crud which really helps to seize the things up .   There is another system that has small shoes inside the rear discs,dont know if that system is still around though as it is quite a few years since i was a mechanic :d but you will have to remove the caliper and the brake disk to access these, may help if you let us know the base model on your van,as different vehicles use different systems. Cannot beat the old drum brakes at the rear far les complicated and still quite efficient



cheers mandrake

its a fiat ducato 2.8 jtd swift kontiki 645
i think ill take it to my grease monkey


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## Nosha (Jan 28, 2009)

My 2.8 is 2.5yrs old and has never stuck like that... so far, I would recommend a gentle drive with the handbrake slightly on so it gets nice and hot and knocks off any rust and friction material pick-up. It does always stick/bite very slightly when parked and goes off with a slight 'bang' but nothing like you are describing. As a last resort I would try new pads.


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## n8rbos (Jan 28, 2009)

mandrake said:


> if you have disc brakes then could as geoff says only trouble is most times to service them you need a special tool to rewind the piston in to the caliper, rear calipers still have a nasty tendency to collect all the road dirt and crud which really helps to seize the things up .   there is another system that has small shoes inside the rear discs,dont know if that system is still around though as it is quite a few years since i was a mechanic  but you will have to remove the caliper and the brake disk to access these, may help if you let us know the base model on your van,as different vehicles use different systems. cannot beat the old drum brakes at the rear far les complicated and still quite efficient



but still stick all the same!!


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## Deleted member 775 (Jan 29, 2009)

yes i suppose drums do stick as well, maybe i am still a fan of old technology


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## Deleted member 4053 (Jan 29, 2009)

*brakes*

Hi ian 
How did you get on with the brakes?


weez
Tony


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## one stop (Jan 29, 2009)

sorry to tell you ian but i have a mot service centre and last sept i had to replace the rear section of the handbrake cable on a friends swift kontiki just as he was on route from scotland to spain for the winter !!! cable was only available from alko which put a few days delay on there journey alko post out the parts after card payment quiet a fiddley job but can be done by competent diy person if you want my tel num for me to talk you through it message me i will send it you on pm

cheers mark 

good luck


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## ianmorgan (Jan 30, 2009)

*handbrake sorted*

Checked discs there was build up rustall round disc chipped all of drove with handbrake on couple off clics for a mile.seems to of done the trick,sofar.

Cheers everyone for your advice


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## shortcircuit (Jan 30, 2009)

I am fortunate that my drive is flat.  I had the same problem in my Kontiki, particularly if it had not been moved for a while, but now no longer pull handbrake fully on and leave in gear.

As it was driven into the drive after a fair journey the rear brakes had expanded with heat and with the handbrake pulled full on went tight due to contraction.  Standing also did not help.

If you can give it a try.


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## derekfaeberwick (Jan 30, 2009)

mandrake said:


> if you have disc brakes then could as geoff says only trouble is most times to service them you need a special tool to rewind the piston in to the caliper, rear calipers still have a nasty tendency to collect all the road dirt and crud which really helps to seize the things up .   there is another system that has small shoes inside the rear discs,dont know if that system is still around though as it is quite a few years since i was a mechanic  but you will have to remove the caliper and the brake disk to access these, may help if you let us know the base model on your van,as different vehicles use different systems. cannot beat the old drum brakes at the rear far les complicated and still quite efficient



 My sprinter 316 has rear discs with drum handbrake. Sounds fiddly to work on handbrake drum.


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## Deleted member 775 (Jan 30, 2009)

they do look a little involved but once mastered they are quite easy,  better than combined rear disc and handbrake as no specialized tools are required to do the job. my old vauxhall carlton had the same type of system .


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## Deleted member 4053 (Jan 31, 2009)

*disc handbrake*

Hi Mandrake 
I agree about the drum hand brakes,very easy to work on.
Regards disc handbrake I had a citroen BX with these.
If you stopped after a fast run and hot discs,the cooling disc/Pads would contract and cease  to hold the car.
We discovered this the hard way with the car running down the driveway 
and demolishing neighbours wall.
Big OUCH! £££ Now I leave in gear as well as handbrake on.

weez
Tony


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## Deleted member 4053 (Jan 31, 2009)

*brakes*

*****
damned if you do or damned if you dont

Ah well whats new


weez
Tony


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## Deleted member 775 (Jan 31, 2009)

my van is parked on a sloping drive so its either handbrake on or in gear ,so i have to alternate every few days .also at least once a week i move the van a few feet to save the brakes and the clutch from seizing   on.


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## shortcircuit (Feb 1, 2009)

Garth

"It is also not very good to leave any vehicle in gear while parked for any length of time any engineer worth his salt will confirm this"

Can you confirm why in laymans terms please


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## ianmorgan (Mar 3, 2009)

*handbrake sticking sorted*

hi all 
it started again
took it to my mechanic,as past poster said it has rear discs and drum handbrake,i thought it was just disc 
anyway the mechanic said he sorted it by cleaning up drum of corrosion,he said when it is washed and not driven afterwards corrosion can build up on them.he also said that he healed and toed them.so far its worked


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