Handbrake adjustment

[UKDaveJ]

I need to adjust my handbrake. I'm assuming for now that the rear brake shoes are ok. How easy is it to tighten up the handbrake mechanism - for an MOT pass?

Any help please advise.
Thanks
Dave

[joe]

hi dave. your rear brakes should be self adjusting. but you can take out your center console around your handbrake and adjust there to take out slack

later joe

[UKDaveJ]

Thanks Joe, I'll have a crack tonight.
Dave

[ron]

You need to slacken the nuts on the cables and then check the adjusters inside the rear disc.To do this, remove one stud from each back wheel.Turn the wheel and using torch you can see the adjuster star wheel.Turn starwheel using thin screwdriver clockwise to expand,anticlock to retract until the shoes just contact the drum and then back off 3-4 clicks.Pull on handbrake lever a couple of times to seat the cables and then set lever to the fifth click on the ratchet mechanism.Tighten the cables nuts equally until the shoes just touch the drum and check both wheels turn freely.
If you've got a friendly local garage get them to put the car on the brake rollers and check for equal braking on both wheels.

The adjusters are NOT self adjusting!!!

Hope this makes sense. Regds.

[UKDaveJ]

You need to slacken the nuts on the cables and then check the adjusters inside the rear disc.To do this, remove one stud from each back wheel.Turn the wheel and using torch you can see the adjuster star wheel.Turn starwheel using thin screwdriver clockwise to expand,anticlock to retract until the shoes just contact the drum and then back off 3-4 clicks.Pull on handbrake lever a couple of times to seat the cables and then set lever to the fifth click on the ratchet mechanism.Tighten the cables nuts equally until the shoes just touch the drum and check both wheels turn freely.
If you've got a friendly local garage get them to put the car on the brake rollers and check for equal braking on both wheels.

The adjusters are NOT self adjusting!!!

Hope this makes sense. Regds.

My local friendly garage will be testing the brakes for the MOT this friday morning!

I've got to change a steering arm (ball-joint inner boot is split), gunk up the exhaust with halfords putty just to get it through the MOT before I can drive 40mins away to get a custom stainless jobby fitted + a few other bits & pieces! Don't you just love MOT's.......

Thanks Ron, thats why I'm trying to get it done. The car pulls up harder on one side than the other. I'm hoping that by following your process, I won't then have to mess about with the actual handbrake & its mechanism, the described adjustment will pull the car up evenly & will cause the lever to operate within a handful of 'clicks'.
I'll do exactly as you state, although if the handbrake lever still doesn't pull up within a handful of notches (I believe there is some kind of 'level' of pass/fail on the MOT that relates to how hard the handbrake lever needs to be pulled on - if that makes sense?!), do I adjust the lever mechanism as Joe suggests - ie remove the console around the handbrake?
I looked on the BMW maint CD but couldn't find anything that related to cars after the 1982 change point for handbrake mech adjustment.

Oh fun! Can't wait, I've been crawling around under the car tonight & have flippin tons of waxoyl in my hair etc.......
I've seen the handbrake cables, but didn't notice locking nuts. Are they nearer the wheels or more inboard?

Cheers ron,
Dave :)

[ron]

The cable adjusting nuts are right by the lever.Take the console surrounding the handbrake lever off and bingo there they are.
Regds.

[UKDaveJ]

The cable adjusting nuts are right by the lever.Take the console surrounding the handbrake lever off and bingo there they are.
Regds.

Thanks Ron - thats great.
I have a confession to make, whilst I have the BMW maint cd (as you know ), but I'd mislaid the disk, so consequently I could open the program on my laptop, but without the disk I didn't have any pics.......

Have just found my disk - wahey!

Ta,
Dave :)