Broken Handbrake

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:42 pm

The handbrake appears to have broken, it was on when it was frozen on Friday morning, released it as normal, didn't notice any noise or anything unusual. Then when i tried to use it, the arm came right upto the top & the whole thing seemed to wiggle & felt very loose, the brakes weren't being held?

Either the cables have snapped, surely not? or something in the mechanism has broken? Anyone ever experienced something similar?

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:46 pm

Yeah, a broken cable

Take the centre console out and all should be revealed

RxBX · Post by **RxBX** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:24 pm

Hi Matt,
As in Ken's /\ post, unless your hand-brake lever arm (On the caliper end) had momentarily got stuck/frozen on and then upon releasing the handbrake lever, quite possibly the caliper end or hand-brake end, one of the nipple ends of the inner cable may have dislocated which would then give the symptoms of a snapped/failed cable !

So as advised by Kens post, first have a looky under the hand-brake centre console and have a tug at the cable which looks un-tensioned.

If all is well next check each cable end at the front brake caliper's !

Current handbrake cables on E-BAY note the last listing by GSF the picture is definitely NOT a BX hand-brake cable

If you need one urgently I may have a serviceable used one that Tim could possibly drop off for you when he picks up his Tail-blazer from Chesterfield

I hope this maybe of help !
.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:50 pm

It's too cold to be pissing about during the week unfortunately, so it'll have to wait until the weekend. Oh well, at least it sounds like it should be easy to diagnose

Post by **Defender110** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:38 pm

RxBX wrote: Current handbrake cables on E-BAY note the last listing by GSF the picture is definitely NOT a BX hand-brake cable
.

No and despite the GSF listing stating the manufacturer as Citroen they are not so don't pay the extra thinking they are

Post by **Tim Leech** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:42 pm

You need a BX auto, put in in P, job done!

Could be the cables come off the bar, the GT did it once (in france), took the console out, put it back on jobs a good'un.

Vanny · Post by **Vanny** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 10:38 pm

If it has come off the balance adjuster then one or both outer sheaths are damaged, and the cable is already past best. There seems to be a trend for the moisture inside the plastic sheath to freeze in sub zero temps and then bind the inner cable to the outer guide. The eventual 'snap' of the outer is never far away.

nige · Post by **nige** » Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:04 am

i had one side go in the middle of last years freeze, and the other side went in this years freeze. Had to shovel the snow out the way and chip at the ice so i could get somewhere to sit before i could even start. Take out the pastic work round the handbrake, thread the cable from the caliper, put the lever end on first. I put a load of copper grease all over the linkages on the u link on the lever and dod on the caliper end