So Help Needed Rear Brakes

[Tiggie]

Okay so right, about 6 months ago a friend of mine did rear shoes on my car as they made a noise,

brakes worked perfectly but the handbrake was sloppy, I adjusted it down and it went down a long way.

SO NOW

Today i got round to looking at the problem whats wrong?

I took off the drum there was a lot of dust, everything looked correct no springs off etc all as it should be.

so i clean the dust up and i Put the Adjusters about 95% in back to the start so the thread wasn't showing i get in the car thinking id have to slacken the hand brake, and i pump the brakes, the handbrake cable is way to long or i messed something up. if i tighten the cable, its a long way im guessing 2/3 cm down and it either is tight as hell or dose not work

AM i missing something or has the cable stretched? is there a way to tighten this up? or should i take it apart again and do something different, the adjustment isn't like whats on line turoral its this one http://www.fordpartsuk.com/images_orig/1522225/1.jpg

MY car is a 2008 2.5 with 36k on it, i had the rear shoes done because one of the pads came off the metal inside

[iantt]

remove drums, wind the handbrake cables off until the cables just start going slack, you will see from the lever arm that cables attach to when that happens then re tighten until the lever arms just start to move, thats it as for handbrake adjustment.

then turn shoe adjusters a bit at a time , each time refitting drum until drum becomes tight to refit, slacken off a small amount so drum slides on.

do same for other side.

[Tiggie]

remove drums, wind the handbrake cables off until the cables just start going slack, you will see from the lever arm that cables attach to when that happens then re tighten until the lever arms just start to move, thats it as for handbrake adjustment.

then turn shoe adjusters a bit at a time , each time refitting drum until drum becomes tight to refit, slacken off a small amount so drum slides on.

do same for other side.

Oh so the drums are ment to Just fit, not be at the slackest point?

[iantt]

nope. most adjusters never work as intended. the idea is good, theory is when brake is pressed the adjuster will racthet to provide just enough clearance, if you wind them back i assume it will ratchet out, but by the time they have you will be in a hedge somewhere.lol

[ScaniaPBman]

remove drums, wind the handbrake cables off until the cables just start going slack, you will see from the lever arm that cables attach to when that happens then re tighten until the lever arms just start to move, thats it as for handbrake adjustment.

then turn shoe adjusters a bit at a time , each time refitting drum until drum becomes tight to refit, slacken off a small amount so drum slides on.

do same for other side.

Just as iantt says.

This is the way I set mine. All threads etc. are clean and free but there is no sign of self adjustment with the drum on.

When checking the adjustment put the drum on, pull the handbrake cable to operate/centre the shoes then make sure the drum spins without binding.

In case you think I might not have everything assembled correctly ( didn't trust myself to remember!), I took the drums off another Focus to check all was correct.

There is a setting gap inside the drum for the handbrake lever. I don't have it to hand right now but never needed it myself anyway.

ScaniaPBman.

[Tiggie]

thanks guys