The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

My 1500 Dolly went through MOT last year ..Just, because of a handbrake imbalance. Tried a few times since to sort it and after purchasing new cylinders, shoes, hold down kit, Over axle pipe its still happening, MOT time on Tuesday!! This morning I thought I'd have another go at it and after much fettling and cleaning and thinking, I had a perfect handbrake! Great I thought, put wheels back on, drove it down the road and back up to my house, pulled handbrake on and virtually nothing! This seems to happen every time I go through this process. New H pieces were obtained from club so rules that out, cylinder slides on backplate, adjusting arm clicks into the gears ok but only with the drum off! put drum back on and it feels like this isn't happening. there was a slight lip at the front of the drum so sanded that away this morning but wasn't corrosion just dust / dirt. O/S seems fine but nearside is a nightmare and I'm sure this side is where the problem lies. But either I can't see for looking or i'm not looking or thinking hard enough! Previous to fitting new N/S cylinder the handbrake was very good, cables were new for MOT in 2015. Anybody give me any pointers as to where I might have the problem. As I said handbrake was perfect this morning, inside car it felt positive on lever and clicked up 5 times to solid, but after driving for about 300 yards handbrake is virtually useless again!
Cheers Rich

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1981 Dolomite 1500 Auto

Hi Rich,
I take it the car has so called self adjusting brakes?
If so, first disconnect the handbrake cables at cyl end. Then adjust the brakes manually by rotating the adjusting wheel a bit at a time putting your drum back on each time.... also every time the drum goes on press the brake pedal to centralise the brakes. Doing it this way is a bit of a faff and time consuming, but i bet at the end of it you will find the cables will no longer fit and you will have to undo the handbrake adjusters as the footbrake will be adjusted correctly.

Tony.

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NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057

I always use Tony's approach when I adjust my handbrake.

Just a thought - As you state the problem is on the nearside is the foot brake causing the nearside shoes to bind and so get hot. With age the inside of the rear brake hydraulic hose, (The one that goes from the main body of the car's brake pipes onto the rear axle. ) can collapse and then it will allow hydraulic fluid to pass under pressure when you are braking but it does not allow it to flow back to the master cylinder so easily. It will allow the hydraulic fluid from the O/S to flow back, I think this is because it is the closest to the hose, but it does not allow the N/S brake cylinder to return its fluid quickly. It may return if left long enough. If all else fails it may be worth changing the hydraulic hose. Please tell us what solves the problem in the end so that we can help others if they have the same problem.

Thanks Tony, weather permitting will try this tomorrow. Just going round in circles at the minute. Was convinced I'd cracked it this morning but wasn't to be!
Rich..

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1981 Dolomite 1500 Auto

Handbrake returned to normal operation today! After much Fetling and adjusting and checking and also centralising shoes as suggested by Tony after every adjustment, it's locked on at 7 clicks. Think cable on N/S is stretched giving the problems so after MOT tomorrow morning at 8.30 I can investigate further, but for now it's left alone ready for tomorrow morning.
Cheers Rich..

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1981 Dolomite 1500 Auto

Passed! Handbrake was perfect!!
Cheers Rich..

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1981 Dolomite 1500 Auto

Good news Rich, those self adjusters are rubbish. You might have to do it again when the shoes "bed" in. In theory you should never have to adjust the cable. Just the footbrake

Tony.

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NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057