Do not adjust the handbrake
The handbrake was a rather loose so I tightened it, right? Wrong!
Well it is manual adjustment so it seemed sensible to adjust the cable. A week later it was loose again. This time I thought more about it. Plus an overheating smell from the rear brake drums that Karen noticed. The point is that the handbrake should only need adjusting to take up gradual wear of the brake shoes - but that is gradual and quite minor. So really there is a problem to be solved.
The handbrake cable was in good condition, as it should be at only a couple of years old. One brake drum showed deterioration of the linings and a brake cylinder that did not retract. But it was not seized opening the bleed nipple sent a shot of fluid and the cylinder retracted as it should. There was a blockage preventing the brake fluid going back to the master cylinder.
One of the flexible brake hoses was blocked. The middle one between the cab and chassis: others are between the cab and each front wheel and chassis and rear axle.
I replaced all four hoses with stainless braided ones from Furore products in Essex All fittings are 10mm x 1.0 thread lengths 65cm front 39 cm middle and 47cm rear
In the process some of the copper pipes were damaged unscrewing the unions and a couple had bad flanges so I had new ones made at a local garage.
Well it is manual adjustment so it seemed sensible to adjust the cable. A week later it was loose again. This time I thought more about it. Plus an overheating smell from the rear brake drums that Karen noticed. The point is that the handbrake should only need adjusting to take up gradual wear of the brake shoes - but that is gradual and quite minor. So really there is a problem to be solved.
The handbrake cable was in good condition, as it should be at only a couple of years old. One brake drum showed deterioration of the linings and a brake cylinder that did not retract. But it was not seized opening the bleed nipple sent a shot of fluid and the cylinder retracted as it should. There was a blockage preventing the brake fluid going back to the master cylinder.
One of the flexible brake hoses was blocked. The middle one between the cab and chassis: others are between the cab and each front wheel and chassis and rear axle.
I replaced all four hoses with stainless braided ones from Furore products in Essex All fittings are 10mm x 1.0 thread lengths 65cm front 39 cm middle and 47cm rear
In the process some of the copper pipes were damaged unscrewing the unions and a couple had bad flanges so I had new ones made at a local garage.
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