Handbrake againnnnn!,,,

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:17 pm

I have spent time reading thru the forums here nutz and life. My handbrake is coming up with 'no effort' on the nearside, the caliper is almost new. I have tried adjusting it up until it catches then backing off half a turn. The cables under the car at the balancer don't look level. Can I adjust the wheel adjusters on the cables to balance them up?

Lazza · Postby **Lazza** » Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:39 pm

Did you adjust the cable at the handle before adjusting?

YouTube · Postby **Mazda Mender** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:24 am

You will not find any level/straight, how are you adjusting them as Lazza as said, if you adjust correct and the caliper is sound and IS working correct then it can only be the cable at fault.
There is not much to the handbraking system on these Roadsters.
M-m

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 8:38 am

Slackened off at the handle first then adjusted up to lock at caliper then slackened off to allow movement. So I guess I just need a new nearside part of the cable then or do I buy a pair, as I will possibly just reverse the problem? The offside cable I already have will be longer than a brand new unstreatched one?

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 6:19 pm

Right, had a good go at it, I loosened off the handbrake inside the car, I tightened up the cable at the caliper, I then adjusted up the hex key, released it back. Then, dropped it down and drove away, the caliper was sticking on. Jacked it back up found the actuator was partially stuck on, though it wasn't rusty or hadn't even been out in the wet, ever! So do I strip it down and try to free it off?

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:07 pm

http://youtu.be/b2E6WLOeEto

This is not how I did it! I didn't wind up the caliper with handbrake set at seven notches, I can see why that may have been a factor. The handbrake could have been over the amount of pull causing my issue but nowhere before did I read it that way 'pull handbrake up seven notches then adjust the brake hex bolt.

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 8:06 pm

Just been looking at http://www.miata.net/garage/ebrake/

Sen this pic and I think I may have found the problem, the pads are worn down a fair way and when the actuator turns to push the 'hot dog' pin it may be turned past the point of no return and be past the cutout in the actuator bar so that it is no longer able to return to the start point?

Lazza · Postby **Lazza** » Sun Sep 06, 2015 8:48 pm

Nah. I don't know who the guy on that video is but always adjust the rear brakes with the handbrake off, the cable loosened then pinch up so the pads are locked on the discs then back off 1/2 a turn. I can see that his advice would work but its not the best way to do it and doesn't allow for stretch of the cable (it kind of does but is adjusting the calliper to compensate for cable stretch rather than the cable).

And as for the worn pads, again its a sound suggestion but I've seen pads that are down to the metal on discs that are almost worn through and the handbrake still released correctly.

Are your callipers genuine Mazda?

YouTube · Postby **Mazda Mender** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:33 am

As Lazza says
Handbrake OFF slacken off as far as you can without taking it right off the thread, adjust at the caliper and then take the slack up on the handle, you do not need to replace both rear cables at the same time, just the one at fault ,but the choice is yours, if you were closer i would of had a look for you, but never adjust with the handbrake on.
M-m

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:52 am

Calipers are cheap ones but seem to be good. Part of the problem was that I took all the slack out the cable making the actuator come too far round and then it was at the edge of its range of movement. Plus when I adjusted the near side up then the offside needed a tweak. I have got this now!

Found a veeerrryy steep hill near me. Before I go to get it retested. It held on three clicks!

YouTube · Postby **Mazda Mender** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 6:45 am

Shadgrind wrote:Calipers are cheap ones

AS in the cheap dangerous nasty things from China off the bay of E ?
Good luck with those and now explains a lot with your issue with fighting to get them working correct :pray:

Three clicks is to much, needs to be between 7 and 9 for a pass .
M-m

Lazza · Postby **Lazza** » Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:50 am

Mazda Mender wrote:Three clicks is to much, needs to be between 7 and 9 for a pass.

I usually aim for 5 clicks which ends up being closer to 7 clicks after a test drive.

Shadgrind · Postby **Shadgrind** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 11:09 am

OK Guys, success I got readings of 243 kg for one side and 240 kg for the other!

YouTube · Postby **Mazda Mender** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:48 am

Shadgrind wrote:OK Guys, success I got readings of 243 kg for one side and 240 kg for the other!

M-m

pollyanna · Postby **pollyanna** » Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:04 pm

I recently, all summer, have been refurbishing and replacing lots of worn parts etc on the underside of the car and in the engine. I spent three days on and off trying to sort out the handbrake on my car. Eventually I took both the angled brackets of the calipers to check if there was anything wrong with them. When checking the angles of both brackets I found that they were not the same angle. One was about .25" out to the other, one was near to 90deg and the other one was .25" out. So I put the dodgy one in the engineers vice and persuaded it with a builders mash hammer to bend back to 90deg. I also used brand new brake cables for each wheel to put them back together. Although this just about fixed the problem, when I adjusted them and then took the car for a run, one disc was getting too hot to touch after only about three miles. the only way I could get this adjusted correctly was to take the offending bracket of again and studying why it was too tight, then it got the vice and hammer treatment again. After I adjusted it again,it was OK when I took it for a run again. I wish I new how to put pictures on here as it would then be a lot easier to understand. It is all to do with the outer cable of the handbrake cable and the distance between these two brackets and whee they are conected to the car at the other end.