hello

Today I replaced my break pads and disks front and back on my car.

All went well but noticed the handbrake has gone really light and needs to be at the limit on a hill, the foot brake is fine does it need bleeding any assistance would be great thanks

Hi, if your breaks are working fine under foot and not spongy then they won't need bleeding.

Your handbrake may needed adjusting on its cables if they not self adjusting. I would start there first, for self adjusting hand breaks your usually have jack the handbrake a few times

Not firmillar with the MK3 focus, if it's got an electronic handbrake button instead of a proper lever.  You could search on here for instruction on how to adjust that.

 

It's still a mechanical handbrake on the Mk3 Focus. 

You need to stamp on the pedal a few times to make sure the footbrake is sorted, then pull the handbrake a few times to get the handbrake mechanism to auto-adjust.  The cables shouldn't need any adjustment if they were fine before the pad change.  If you adjust them now, they'll suddenly get too tight when the calipers eventually adjust themselves.

I assume you wound the rear pistons back in properly, rather than just ramming them back straight?

Hi Tom

Thanks for the reply. Yes I got the wind back tool for the rear, the foot break is fine just pressed on the peddle, ill try pulling the handbrake a few times. I did pull it it did seem to get better but then went easy again might need more times hopefully 

After rewinding the rear caliper piston when replacing the rear brake pads the auto adjusting mechanism should adjust itself when pressing the brake pedal. Jus a few times pressing the brake pedal should be enough to auto adjust the mechanisms.

If one (or both) of the auto adjusting mechanisms do not auto adjust there is a lot of slack on the cable. In this case it is important to determine which caliper is causing the problem. The mechanism can either be seized, stuck or defective. I have seen before that rewinding the piston back too far resulted in a stuck auto adjusting mechanism. 

Possible jw1982 one was a bit stiff to get moving ill have to get it back to my mates and have a look

If one caliper is stuck is it repairable or new caliper?

I have also seen someone suggesting to reverse then pull brake for the self adjust to work but that for for drums not sure if it applies for discs. 

I have applied the handbrake working very minimal put in reverse and tried to see which side is lifting but can't get it to hold thinks its gonna have to be another war with the wheel nuts replacement have been ordered 

If I remember correctly , with handbrake on look at the cable levers on the callipers. If the cable has pulled one lever round further than the other then that is the one where the self adjuster is not working right. It’s when you get these problems you wish you had good old drums. Auto adjusters on drums do get stuck but it’s easy to then move them manually .

Going to go back tomorrow and get it back in the air and have a look, thinking piston might be stuck so ill take both calipers off and try pressure them both see whats happening if one is stuck if there a simply way to get it out?

Usually the piston itself is not stuck. In most cases the threaded auto adjusting mechanism of the parking brake is causing the problem.

It is perfectly possible to rebuild the brake caliper. Parts however are hard to find. The complete brake system of the Focus MK3/MK3.5 is developed/produced by ATE (Continental). Wear parts like pistons and seals are available from ATE and also from different manufacturers. The parking brake mechanism however is considered to be an integral part of the caliper. Separate parts of the parking brake mechanism are not available.