Adjustable handbrake?? - AUSJEEPOFFROAD.COM Jeep News Australia and New Zealand

Jeep'ers · #1 13-12-2012

Just got told the jku handbrake is self adjusting? Had the dealer park my car on a hill and watch it roll down the hill all for him to say that he'll get the service guys to adjust the brakes... Anyone else have this problem it's a my13 pentastar jku

wranglertj · #2 13-12-2012

Normal and yes are adjustable

r1chard · #3 13-12-2012

Mine has never been self adjusting despite what it my say in the manual. And like many here I have found it is pretty weak. It will work for a while after it has been manually adjusted, then it all goes crap again.

Inside the drum there is a little 'star' wheel to adjust the 'released' position of the calipers. That wheel is held in position by it's proximity to one of the calliper's springs. To adjust the brakes that must be rotated (holding the spring out of the way). There is a tiny access port to in the back of the assembly to allow you to do that, but I found it easier to remove the disk 'hat'.

There might be some sort of self adjustment the other end... You have to remove the centre console and gear changer stick to get access. If there is a self adjusting mechanism there I couldn't see how it worked, and there is nothing in the service manual about how to release it...

As you can see much of my pads are pretty much worn away. This seems to be a combination of the drum filling with abrasive mud which cannot escape, and the mud causing resistance which the springs cannot overcome to release the shoes from the drum. Stupid design.

One day soon (LOL) I'll change the brake shoes... it's a bit of a tedious job as the centre console need to be removed so the hand brake cable must be locked out to keep it loose, and possibly even needing to remove the rear axles to gain better access to the callipers (some here have claimed it is possible to change the shoes without removing the callipers, which I will give a go, but it must be pretty tricky.

-R

wranglertj · #4 13-12-2012

Sorry read it properly, no not self adjusting but manual adjustment

SeaComms · #5 13-12-2012

Definately not self adjusting!!!

Handbrake lever end of the cable setup has no adjustments at all on a JK, the only adjustment is that star wheel pictured above.

R1ichard - I replaced mined last weekend and no need to lock out the handbrake lever or cable, just release it as normal and it stays loose in the wheel.

Yes the service manual apparently says step one is to remove axle, not needed but you do need to be handy with both hands and two screwdrivers to get the springs back in!

I installed the lower shoe and held it in place with the retainer clip (sits in the middle of the shoe). I then placed the rear spring in place on the bottom shoe and wedged the upper shoe as far down between the cable actuator mechanism and the axle and was able to get the spring onto the top shoe. Them lever the top shoe up into place with the star wheel adjuster NOT in place so the other end of the shoes are touching each other (makes the distance between the longer springs closer). Then this is where you need two screwdrivers - place the spring into the lower shoe and with a long screwdriver lever the top into place using the axle as the leverage point (I had a bit of timber resting on the ABS ring).

Now you can pull the shoes apart at the other end where the star adjuster goes in and stick it back in place then put the spring for that end on. Now stick the retainer in for the top shoe. Adjust the star wheel, stick the drum on, bash the drum a bit side to side with a hammer, remove and adjust again and repeat until the drum is hard to get on/off. Once back on it may still spin too easy (the lip on the drum will get caught on the shoes when trying to get the drum on/off before the adjuster is tight enough for correct handbrake adjustment) so now adjust through the back of the backing plate until the drum just turns by hand and reassemble, making sure to do the caliper bolts up to spec (tight!) as you dont want them coming off and punching holes in your rim (do we Yom!!).

MidnightMods · #6 13-12-2012

Do you have the part number or a replacement link for the shoes?

I often find myself driving off at work with the hand brake on a little

SeaComms · #7 13-12-2012

Picked mine up from Quadratec - http://www.quadratec.com/products/pr...0301&submit=Go

These are just the shoes only, does not include retainer clips or new springs.