Jeep Commander hand brake servicing

[multihull]

Jeep Commander hand brake(HB)/emergency brake/park brake Servicing

My hand brake(HB)or as described by Jeep/Chrysler as the Emergency E-brake was in need of servicing so after some research I have complied these notes to help with the servicing.
There are 2 adjustments to be made for a mechanical Commander hand brake. The cable tension and the rear brake shoes.

The Commander hand brake(HB)/emergency brake/park brake is a rear "Drum-in-Hat" brake, its a tiny drum brake inside the hub of the disc brake (the raised HAT portion). This tiny drum brake has to be manually adjusted, it has NO auto self-adjusters like normal rear primary drum brakes. The rear HB shoes will generally NOT wear unless doing you do a lot of off roading and then the HB drums may fill with mud, dust, stones & grit and cause excessive wear. See below for brake shoe adjustment.
The cable will stretch over time, and it will need adjustment. Chrysler has been fitting their HB/e-brake handles with an auto-self-adjuster, and it is a little mechanism at the base of the handle, just like you're describing. With the handle down, a spring in the mechanism pulls tension on the cable and keeps it at the proper tension, there is a locking jaw, so that as you pull up the handle it locks and pulls the cable with a lot of force. If that little locking jaw fails, then when you pull up the handle, the spring pulling tension on the cable, works in reverse now and lets the handle go up while putting very little pull on the cable and the brakes never engage.
Also check the rear cable isn’t resting and then rubbing on the top of the rear diff if so cable tie it up to the rear sway bar to prevent this rubbing.
Brake Shoe Adjustment
To adjust the rear HB shoes first park the car on a flat surface and chock the front wheels from both the front and rear to prevent the car from rolling. Jack the rear of the car from the centre of the rear diff. Put the car into neutral and release the hand brake.
Next remove the rubber plug found at the rear of the rear wheel backing plates. L/H side at 9 0'clock or R/H side at 3 o'clock.
With a torch you will see a small notched wheel inside this hole. All you have to do is rotate this notched wheel with a small screw driver to adjust the shoes. On the L/H side rotate counter clock wise to adjust the shoes out and clock wise on the R/H side.
You will need to rotate this notched wheel a few spots then rotate the rear wheel to ensure there is no binding keep doing this until you notice the wheel starting to rub and bind slightly against the shoes then back off the wheel a few notches so there's no binding. Then do the same to the other side. Then try the band brake to ensure it works and re check there's no binding of the rear wheels. Once adjusted re insert the rubber plugs and the hand brake shoes are adjusted. It's a 15 minute job and very easy to do

I hope this info is helpful

[GO'ARD]

i meant to respond to this a few weeks /days ago
very helpful and informative
i will be doing this sometime over the next week
thanks multihull your a top bloke taking your time out to post this stuff i love it keep it coming
cheers

[briteway]

Nice Multihull, did a search to see if there was anything on the park brakes and found this. I just did a more detailed (replacement) one here (for anyone that's interested in replacing): http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...=1#post1315976

[Jeepdownunder]

Originally Posted by multihull

Jeep Commander hand brake(HB)/emergency brake/park brake Servicing

My hand brake(HB)or as described by Jeep/Chrysler as the Emergency E-brake was in need of servicing so after some research I have complied these notes to help with the servicing.
There are 2 adjustments to be made for a mechanical Commander hand brake. The cable tension and the rear brake shoes.

The Commander hand brake(HB)/emergency brake/park brake is a rear "Drum-in-Hat" brake, its a tiny drum brake inside the hub of the disc brake (the raised HAT portion). This tiny drum brake has to be manually adjusted, it has NO auto self-adjusters like normal rear primary drum brakes. The rear HB shoes will generally NOT wear unless doing you do a lot of off roading and then the HB drums may fill with mud, dust, stones & grit and cause excessive wear. See below for brake shoe adjustment.
The cable will stretch over time, and it will need adjustment. Chrysler has been fitting their HB/e-brake handles with an auto-self-adjuster, and it is a little mechanism at the base of the handle, just like you're describing. With the handle down, a spring in the mechanism pulls tension on the cable and keeps it at the proper tension, there is a locking jaw, so that as you pull up the handle it locks and pulls the cable with a lot of force. If that little locking jaw fails, then when you pull up the handle, the spring pulling tension on the cable, works in reverse now and lets the handle go up while putting very little pull on the cable and the brakes never engage.
Also check the rear cable isn’t resting and then rubbing on the top of the rear diff if so cable tie it up to the rear sway bar to prevent this rubbing.
Brake Shoe Adjustment
To adjust the rear HB shoes first park the car on a flat surface and chock the front wheels from both the front and rear to prevent the car from rolling. Jack the rear of the car from the centre of the rear diff. Put the car into neutral and release the hand brake.
Next remove the rubber plug found at the rear of the rear wheel backing plates. L/H side at 9 0'clock or R/H side at 3 o'clock.
With a torch you will see a small notched wheel inside this hole. All you have to do is rotate this notched wheel with a small screw driver to adjust the shoes. On the L/H side rotate counter clock wise to adjust the shoes out and clock wise on the R/H side.
You will need to rotate this notched wheel a few spots then rotate the rear wheel to ensure there is no binding keep doing this until you notice the wheel starting to rub and bind slightly against the shoes then back off the wheel a few notches so there's no binding. Then do the same to the other side. Then try the band brake to ensure it works and re check there's no binding of the rear wheels. Once adjusted re insert the rubber plugs and the hand brake shoes are adjusted. It's a 15 minute job and very easy to do

I hope this info is helpful

Good info but its reverse on the rotations. My Commander R/H side anti clockwise to adjust the shoes out and clockwise on the L/H side....????

[Escapable]

Most of the manuals I have seen warn that they are different and to ensure that the correct one is installed on the correct side ... Maybe put in on the incorrect sides ????

[Jeepdownunder]

Good work again mate ....

I've done this s few times whats helpful is I always forget which flame'n way to rotate the notched wheel. I've kept this to save me lying on the ground looking up working it out. So very helpful!

Mine plagued by lights failing in the climate controls at the moment. Replacing the whole lot soon as there are no led globes that can be replaced ...