2004 Tdci Handbrake Travel

[Davebrundle]

I've looked on the net and read quite a but about handbrake adjustments . Last week I put on new rear bearings brand new calipers discs and pads . . I fitted brakes and left off handbrake cables . Bled brakes as normal then pumped brakes hard about 10 times . Refitted hand brake cables and checked all cables were free and working correctly . Pumped brakes again then pulled up handbrake as far as if would go about 20 times . Then about another 100 times and the handbrake will not tighten up . Cables were replaced about a year ago so they are not stretched . There is loads of movement at the end if the cable . The caliper arm moves as far as it can travel but still not got a decent handbrake . I took off caliper s and wound them out a bit . . Pumped brakes again then applied hand brake about 1000 times and still no !Removed! handbrake ??? Only thing I'm wondering is . I smeared the caliper face with copper grease and back of pads to stop squeal . Could this be the cause . If not . Why the heck won't it adjust up . Please help . 2004 mondeo tdci . Thanks

[Davebrundle]

Forgot to say . I also took apart brake sliders . Cleaned up and re greased and checked they moved freely . Another question . If the handbrake is adjusted while foot is on the brake , then do you have to have foot on brake every time handbrake is used . It's adjusted for when brake is on so when foot brake is off caliper is thurther back thus making the adjusted handbrake not affective . ???

[stef123]

after you have fitted the pads, and bled the system - using the footbrake will automatically adjust everything, from there you can adjust the handbrake but it sounds like your cables are faulty in some way.

are the cables genuine ford?

[Davebrundle]

To be honest I don't know if they are genuine . Strange thing is before I changed everything the handbrake was good . 4 clicks and it was holding real well

[Davebrundle]

I found the garage receipt for the handbrake cables replaced . I hope they were genuine as parts and labour was £245 to supply , fit , and adjust . I got garage to do it as I was real busy at work at that time .

[Davebrundle]

I'm going out now to take off exhaust and see if there is any cable adjustment I will also take off both calipers , wind them back and try again . Will say how it went when I got all back again

[ppeter7]

i dont know if this helps but on the handbrake lever rod ,pull it back what the 2 cables connect to and theres a release spring mounted on the side which you press in. fit cables in then pull on handbrake up n down until it re-tightens it.only prob is you got to take lever assembly out to do it aswell.

[Davebrundle]

Up after an afternoon in the garage . Took calipers off , took off cables , wound in pistons again . Slid back heat shield . Put calipers on and pumped loads to set pads and piston . Connected handbrake and adjusted till the caliper arms had moved a mm or so . Pumped brakes then did the handbrake about 30 times . Still no adjustment happened. Went back to manual and slso looked at old calipers . Bingo think I found out what's wrong . My old pistons had a slotted side and a notched side . New calipers have got a notch both sides . I spoke to caliper company and they said they are the correct ones . So I have decided to put on old calipers and see what happens . BUT when I looked at old calipers I found something strange . They both wind in anticlockwise . Manual says left hand should be clockwise . So I double checked and yep both wind in anticlockwise . I thaught maybe they were both right handers but they arnt . Defo built for left and right. I can tell by the way the handbrake arm goes . I decided not to put them on yet . I think the left hand caliper must be off an estate so hence I got both wind in anticlockwise . If that's the case when I refit them do I line up both slots in position as the right hand . The slot down to the mark in stead of doing them opposite . Can anybody follow what I'm saying . Will they work both winding out the same way ?

[stef123]

Hmm, yes they should wind different ways - well according to Haynes they do and mine certainly did.

Without seeing the bits for myself it is hard to work out but I would stick the old ones on for now and double check.

Who did you buy the calipers from?

[Davebrundle]

It's my old ones that both wind in anticlockwise . New calipers got from a company called j&r . They look like the 2004 and newer design . The old ones did work ok . Going to fit them again to see if handbrake will adjust . Back to old calipers now . The righ hand winds in anticlockwise as its supposed to so I set the slot facing away from the mark . The left side is wrong because it winds in anticlockwise as well so I presume I set the slot facing away on this one as well ?

[Davebrundle]

I bet the old right hand caliper must have come from an estate . The handbrake did work good with this set up

[BigD]

As mentioned, the pistons on a HB wind in opposite directions (counter to the wheel rotation), whereas on the estate model, they both wind anticlockwise. If you have an HB and the both wind in the same direction, then it's the wrong caliper for the car.

The notches on the caliper face - are they the same or slightly different? If they're the same then just align them vertically so the slot goes around the pin on the back of the pad. If the notches are different (one extends further towards the centre of the piston face), then they have to be aligned one up, one down on either side (I can't remember which side is which but it tells you in Haynes).

Have you adjusted the handbrake at all? It's definitely a job for ramps as you need to get right underneath and undo the heatshield screws and slide it back for access - don't need the exhaust itself off. You need (iirc) a 6mm spanner and a 14mm deep socket (don't quote me on the sizes!). Adjust the cable so that the handbrake levers at the rear calipers are both within 1mm of their respective stoppers. It's easier with two people, tbh. One under the car adjusting, and one at the back checking the adjustment.