[ChrisTJ]

Hi,

Since the handbrake felt inadequate and having to pull the lever all the way up to stop the car from rolling I decided to adjust the handbrake on my swift.





As you can see the from the image the cables aren't uniformly stretched, it seems the RR cable is pulled more.

What causes this and how can I rectify it? Is it okay to tighten the handbrake and not worry about the alignment?

Thank you.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

The cables shall be uniformly stretched. Or else, the brake will be effective only on one of the wheels. The image below will make it clear.

Edit: If one cable is tight and there is a play of only up to 3 - 4 mm in the other cable, it will still work.

[gkveda]

Give a very light hammering. It becomes normal. Nothing to worry about. It is just a small amount of play created by design.

[ChrisTJ]

Originally Posted by gkveda

Give a very light hammering. It becomes normal. Nothing to worry about. It is just a small amount of play created by design.

I tried everything including adjusting the brake shoes but all in vain. Probability one side has more brake shoe wear than the other or the design isn't perfect like you said.

However in the process I learned to assemble the whole brake assembly so that's a plus.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by ChrisTJ

I tried everything including adjusting the brake shoes but all in vain. Probability one side has more brake shoe wear than the other or the design isn't perfect like you said. However in the process I learned to assemble the whole brake assembly so that's a plus.

Brake shoes are to only to be be adjusted for the gap between the shoe/s and drum via the star wheel. When the system is adjusted properly wear is equal.

If your brake shoes are unevenly worn I'd recommend getting them replaced instead of trying to adjust braking force via the cable. The ASC can do cable adjustments for you and possibly even take a look at brake assembly for wear and tear. Maruti brake shoes are not expensive and when it comes to brakes (and tyres) you should not compromise in the slightest.

The cable equalizer is normally not touched unless you need to replace a brake cable due to damage or if it is stretched out of service specs.

Hand brake slack can be adjusted using a nut in the brake lever..normally hidden under the lever's rexine boot. It is set to engage fully after 6-9 clicks of the ratchet mechanism as you pull the lever upwards.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by ChrisTJ

Probability one side has more brake shoe wear than the other or the design isn't perfect

At least, in theory, it is an impossible scenario that brake shoes wear out unevenly if both cables are tied with same tension.

What I doubt is, one of the cables has gone loose and hence, the tension on the other has increased.

Probably, you can pull the loosened cable and tie it tightly to the end point.

All these are my assumptions. But logically, this is what would have happened.

[fordday]

Originally Posted by R2D2

It is set to engage fully after 6-9 clicks of the ratchet mechanism as you pull the lever upwards.

Thanks for that info. Is it true for all cars?

This is something that always bugged me. I thought pulling up for 2-3 clicks was the normal. Pulling more than that made me scared that the cable might snap

So in my case the handbrake was never properly engaged, though it did the job being in flat terrain most of the time.

[ChrisTJ]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Brake shoes are to only to be be adjusted for the gap between the shoe/s and drum via the star wheel. When the system is adjusted properly wear is equal.

Yes, tried fiddling with the star screw but that didn't make any difference. The brake shoes seems to be in good condition with plenty of material left so I'm not worried about it.

I was comforting myself when I said maybe the brake shoes might be the culprit, its hard for me to live with imperfect things

I don't wanna go to MASS with this issue, they'll probably say "its like that sir in every car" like they always do.

Originally Posted by gkveda

At least, in theory, it is an impossible scenario that brake shoes wear out unevenly if both cables are tied with same tension.

What I doubt is, one of the cables has gone loose and hence, the tension on the other has increased.

Probably, you can pull the loosened cable and tie it tightly to the end point.

All these are my assumptions. But logically, this is what would have happened.

I'm thinking the same, maybe one of the cable got stretched somehow or both has different lengths, if you see the pic, the distance from the tip to the insulation is different on both cables.

Its impossible to correct this by adjusting the star screw, I thought I could, but not anymore.

This is a stupid design anyway, they should have provided adjustment on the individual cables going to each brakes.

Tying them like you mentioned will be hard, ill have to remove the cables, measure them and cut the end off and fit back those little 'studs' at the end of each cable.
I would do it but I don't have access to the required tools for the job.

Two years into ownership and I'm finding a lot of faults, oversights, shoddy engineering, with this car that wasn't visible when it was new. I guess what you pay for is what you get.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by fordday

Thanks for that info. Is it true for all cars?

This is something that always bugged me. I thought pulling up for 2-3 clicks was the normal. Pulling more than that made me scared that the cable might snap

So in my case the handbrake was never properly engaged, though it did the job being in flat terrain most of the time.

It's a rule of the thumb for cars. You will need to consult your car's owners or service manual for the exact specs in your particular vehicle. The number of clicks before the brakes apply is important because too few can mean not enough slack on the cables and a partially engaged brake. While too many can mean the brakes don't apply properly when the brake lever is engaged.

Originally Posted by ChrisTJ

Yes, tried fiddling with the star screw but that didn't make any difference. The brake shoes seems to be in good condition with plenty of material left so I'm not worried about it.

The star wheel is only to set the gap between the shoe and the drum, not to compensate for slack in the cable.

I'm thinking the same, maybe one of the cable got stretched somehow or both has different lengths, if you see the pic, the distance from the tip to the insulation is different on both cables.

Some cables can be adjusted for slack near the drum. It depends from model to model but most modern cables have the cable stud that is soldered on and cannot be adjusted. If there is too much slack it is generally because of stretching and it is an indicator of the part being beyond service life.

Its impossible to correct this by adjusting the star screw, I thought I could, but not anymore.

Please do not adjust the star screw. Each shoe must have a specific mm of clearance between the liner and drum. Unless you know this value you will make a bad thing worse.

And just FYI..adjustments are even more complicated with rear disc brakes.

This is a stupid design anyway, they should have provided adjustment on the individual cables going to each brakes.

A stretched cable is normally past its service life. Please take the car to the MASS and they will perform the service for you. Show them the unevenly worn shoes.

If you do not possess the parts, tools, knowledge and/or experience it is best not to adjust critical safety system components.

[ChrisTJ]

Originally Posted by R2D2

A stretched cable is normally past its service life. Please take the car to the MASS and they will perform the service for you. Show them the unevenly worn shoes.

If you do not possess the parts, tools, knowledge and/or experience it is best not to adjust critical safety system components.

The car is barely 23k kms, 2yrs old, I don't understand how can a cable go bad this fast but I guess its possible.

Brake shoes seems fine, no noticeable difference in thickness. Car has to go in for service next month, I'll ask them to inspect this.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by ChrisTJ

The car is barely 23k kms, 2yrs old, I don't understand how can a cable go bad this fast but I guess its possible.

Brake shoes seems fine, no noticeable difference in thickness. Car has to go in for service next month, I'll ask them to inspect this.

Yes 2 years is a short time but one never knows with the shortcuts and cost cutting that manufacturers resort to and increase their bottomline figures.

If the shoes are fine, just tell them to inspect the parking brake system and also let them know about the slack in one of the cables. Let them brake..err break their heads over it and bring the car back to specs. Since the car is already 2 years old it is a good time for a brake fluid flush.

[ChrisTJ]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Yes 2 years is a short time but one never knows with the shortcuts and cost cutting that manufacturers resort to and increase their bottomline figures.

If the shoes are fine, just tell them to inspect the parking brake system and also let them know about the slack in one of the cables. Let them brake..err break their heads over it and bring the car back to specs. Since the car is already 2 years old it is a good time for a brake fluid flush.

Yes, I don't trust Maruti much. This is my first car, before this I had a Yamaha R15 V2. Damn that thing is quality. No rust, no breaks no shoddy craftsmanship, high quality parts etc... 75k kms done and going strong. I was spoiled.

Brake fluid change, yes its always in my mind but I don't trust local SVC to do a neat job. I've bled brakes on my bike several times so I'm confident enough to do it on the car. Thanks for the reminder btw, you rock

Btw at 20k kms, SVC changed coolant, I was surprised to know that Maruti recommends it at 20k kms. But as always, I have no idea if they indeed changed the coolant.

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by ChrisTJ

The car is barely 23k kms, 2yrs old, I don't understand how can a cable go bad this fast but I guess its possible.

The possible reason for the difference in length between two cables and offset could also be due to : Driving the car by applying hand brake by mistake.

When you take turns with the above condition, there will be difference in speed between two wheels. This may apply pulling force on one cable more than the other. Thus, the fulcrum point (3 point pivot in picture) get offset.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by ChrisTJ

I've bled brakes on my bike several times so I'm confident enough to do it on the car. Thanks for the reminder btw, you rock.

There are a lot of YT videos on this procedure. I would recommend you take a look before you start the DIY. It is critical no air enters the system especially if you have ABS. Bleeding the ABS requires specialised electronic tools. A bike's brakes are simple by comparison. You may want to consider asking another person for help to pump the brake pedal. Again, I would encourage you to not adjust or service the brake system unless you have the prerequisites I mentioned earlier.

Btw at 20k kms, SVC changed coolant, I was surprised to know that Maruti recommends it at 20k kms. But as always, I have no idea if they indeed changed the coolant.

A coolant change at 20K? You just got ripped off

Originally Posted by gkveda

When you take turns with the above condition, there will be difference in speed between two wheels. This may apply pulling force on one cable more than the other. Thus, the fulcrum point (3 point pivot in picture) get offset.

Parking brake cable tension is held constant by the ratchet mechanism and is independent of wheel rpm/speed.

[ChrisTJ]

Originally Posted by gkveda

The possible reason for the difference in length between two cables and offset could also be due to : Driving the car by applying hand brake by mistake.

I have to confess that I have pulled a few handbrake turns on a gravel ground.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Bleeding the ABS requires specialised electronic tools.

A coolant change at 20K? You just got ripped off

I don't wanna break anything so I will let the experts do the bleeding.

I thought I was ripped off too until I saw the periodic maintenance chart.



Coolant change at 20k kms in unheard of. Since it was listed in the chart, I didn't argue.