On Wed, 2 Apr 1997, S. Ristroph wrote:
> I own a LBC which is a 1972 Triumph Spitfire 4. It starts and drives
well. All it needs next is an interior and a paint job. The discussion
about what color BRG is was helpful. The problem I have is that my
Spitfire's parking brake doesn't work. I tightened up the cable from the
front at the handbrake lever. Now the parking brake is worse (doesn't
even hold the car, it used to on level ground). Is there something else I
need to adjust and how? Thanks.
Actually, that's probably the last place you want to look for problems.
First off, you should make sure the cable slides and/or pivots where it
needs to: at the lever on the backing plates, along the guides for the
cable to the backing plates, and especially make sure the compensator
pivots freely.
Beyond that, the first adjustment should always be the rear brakes
themselves. Often that is enough to cure the problem. After that,
assuming that the cable is freely moving, you might be able to take up
some stretch at each end (where it attaches to the wheel cylinder lever)
by adjusting each side as equally as possible. After THAT, perhaps the
cable could be adjusted at the lever if that part really has stretched
(probably the least likely cause of problems).
A properly adjusted handbrake (including properly adjusted rear shoes)
should probably engage at about the third "click" and hold decently well
not too far beyond that.
--Andy
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