Isuzu Trooper Owners Club UK™

Browndoff · Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 19:58 Post subject: Uneven Handbrake action

Hi Guys,
I've got a problem with my Handbrake on a 3.0 Trooper '02. I've replaced the pad-carriers and guide-pins [yes, I
know they're NOT involved in handbrake function!] and re-surfaced both discs and drum - 'cos they'd been overheated and heavily
rusted. The two cables SEEM to move freely enough - but there's a HUGE difference between handbrake-action on the right and left
sides [as tested by the garage]. I had adjusted both brakes [through the little hole in the back-plate], until they were tight and then backed-off each until it was free [handbrake 'off', of course]. I then set the cable-adjuster so that the handbrake-lever moved just 6 'clicks'.

It failed the DOE test [a few days ago] because of low effectiveness of handbrake - hence the recent attempt to 'improve' things - but I seem no better-off than before!

Please bear with me if this topic seems to have been covered before - I'm a newbie - HELP!

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d12 · Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 15:07 Post subject:

When adjusting cable thru little hole in back plate I think one goes up and other side goes down with flick of screw driver ,did you do it with both wheels of the ground ?
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96 3.1 bighorn lwb ,widetrack

Browndoff · Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 17:39 Post subject:

Yes, D12. Rear-Axle on stands.
When I bought it [29 Jan], the RR wheel was sticking and I found one broken Guide-Rod on each side and one cable very stiff! I replaced the Pad-Carriers and all 4 pins [from a Junkyard] and oiled both cables [as best I could]. After the failed DOE, a friend [lightly] machined both Drum/Discs to improve the 'area of contact' with the shoes and pads [they had been heavily rusted and had only narrow bands showing wear by the brakes]. After re-assembly, I adjusted the brakes very carefully and tried to 'bed them in' by heavy braking both with the foot-brake and the handbrake - on a deserted road, of course!
Only THEN did I re-test them at a garage equipped with Brake-Test-Pads and it was, again, very light on the left-side handbrake [foot-brake action is now effective and balanced]. The mechanic suggested that the LH cable may still be sticking.
Can I SWAP the cables, left to right - to see if that 'moves my problem' from one side to the other? THAT would show if the problem were specific to the cable - if it made no difference, then the problem lies within the drum. At present, there's no great wear on any of the shoes [less than 80k miles] and no obvious fault in any other part.

I'm stumped!

d12 · Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 22:04 Post subject:

Is it lwb or swb ,I might have a spare cable , but might be better to get new ones ,around 80 ,90 € each from h&i in tallaght ,more than likely its your cable
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96 3.1 bighorn lwb ,widetrack

d12 · Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 22:07 Post subject:

No don't think you can swop over cables they are side specific
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96 3.1 bighorn lwb ,widetrack

Browndoff · Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 23:52 Post subject:

Bless you for your help in this, Tallaght-Man!

I can't afford €90 for a new cable - I'll have to try again to free-up the LH-cable with oil [and elbow-grease!]! It's very annoying that you say they're left-right-specific [though I must admit - it was expected!]!

What if it's NOT the cable alone? Is there any other part in the drum-brake assembly which can go 'wrong' and cause uneven brake-action? It's not even using much of the travel on the adjuster [only about 5mm] to get tight - so it's not a case of worn-out shoes! I'd hate to do the whole job of removing/re-assembling both wheels AGAIN, only to find I had NOT fixed the problem!

Thanks again!

d12 · Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 10:39 Post subject:

Is it lwb or swb ?
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96 3.1 bighorn lwb ,widetrack

Browndoff · Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 14:41 Post subject:

It's a 3.0 TDi Trooper LS - LONG Wheel Base [I'm sorry, I failed to notice the question earlier!]

I've stripped-down both wheels again, to measure the movement of each pair of Shoes when the Lever is pulled to 6 'clicks'. I measured the gap between shoes at top and bottom and found that the RHS moved [top only] about 3mm and the LHS moved [top only] about 1mm. In spite of my attempts to 'bed-in' the brakes after machining the surfaces, there was very little 'smoothing-out' of the fresh machine-tool-marks on either Disc or Drum, LHS or RHS.

On the RHS Drum it seemed evenly distributed across the width but on the LHS Drum, it seemed to be concentrated on a narrow band near the back-plate. All 4 Shoes have more than 2.5mm of 'meat' still on them - even after being recently sanded [lightly] to remove the 'glaze' of previous wear.

I'll remove both Cables and try to get some more lubricant into each of them, then re-assemble and re-test braking-action. I'll let you know what happens!

Browndoff · Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 16:21 Post subject:

Having removed both Cables, I found that they had side-specific mouldings where they bolted onto the Back-Plate and the LHS cable was about 1.74m long while the RHS was about 1.67m long. Both moved easily enough - with about 30mm of movement on the RHS and 25mm on the LHS. I'll drip more oil into each via the exposed cable [BTW - neither seems very worn].

The Handbrake-Lever fittings seemed almost new - no wear and no rust - so no reason to expect trouble or sticking at the adjuster-end of the Cables. I'll clean up all brake components, re-lubricate as far as possible and re-assemble.

What else can I do to make it pass the DOE-Test, 2nd time around?

d12 · Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 17:10 Post subject:

http://www.milneroffroad.com/isuzu/trooper/ubs73-3-0td-1998-2004-end-uk/ubs73-brakes?page=2 Did you try these ,I got them and they worked for me ,last 3 years Laughing

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96 3.1 bighorn lwb ,widetrack

DYLAN · Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 21:11 Post subject:

Are the 3.0 handbrake cables different than the 3.1?

I ask as for the 3.1 they are about £15 and the 3.0 about £50 Shocked

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2002 S-TYPE JAGUAR 3.0 SPORT

Gribble · Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 0:07 Post subject:

When you put the handbrake shoes back in did you put same for same ?

Also where the handbrake cable starts underneath the lever it should cross over so as you sit in the car the left cable goes to the right wheel .

Try winding the hub click adjuster up tight and then off so the wheel just turns , never mind the six handbrake clicks thing .
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2 New Troopers !

Browndoff · Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 12:07 Post subject:

As I re-assembled the Brakes, I cleaned the Shoes and ground-off any perceived high-spots [where there was more deep marks from Drum-contact]. Each was returned to its 'own' original position. Then I set the adjusters to 'tight' - and then backed 'em off a tad - just as you suggest, Gribble. After I re-fitted the wheels, I set the Cable-Adjuster to 7 'clicks' [though it was probably with much more force applied than is specified!].

I'm a little baffled about the notion of crossing the Cables - they're NOT shown crossed in the diagram on Manual 5D-9 - and it seems unlikely to matter - as they're easily long-enough to reach the wheels [either way] and the fixed outer-casing means that the steel-cord can move the Brake-Shoes however the outer-casing is aligned....?

Let's get back to the main issue - how can the Handbrake act UNEVENLY between left and right - if there's no visible fault within the Brake-Drums and both cables move fairly freely? The Trooper was tested last Saturday in a garage with Brake-Test-Pads and showed readings of 85 [L] and 135 [R] (I don't know what units, sorry). Since then, I've only added a little more oil to the cables - all my stripping and re-building showed nothing which needed to be 'fixed'!

I wanna do the Re-Test ASAP and get my Baby 'street-legal'!!