My handbrake is at the end of its “cranking distance” when it’s applied (is this called having no travel?)

 

Anyhow it needs sorting, is it fairly easy? From what I can recall seeing under the plastic trim there’s a bolt that I can tighten up

No what you have is the opposite, ie too much travel.

 

There is probably some underlying problem with the rear brakes and that needs sorting out before adjusting the cable lengths.

The rear hub mechanisms in both drum and disc braked cars are designed to be self adjusting. Thus the handbrake cable should seldom need any manual adjustment.(Granted that some cable stretch may occur over the years but this is hardly noticeable.)

I would assume that one or both self adjusters is not doing its job. Winding up the manual brake cable adjuster is a temporary bodge and on many cars stops the self adjusters from working.) You need to strip the hubs/calipers and locate the problem.

If you pull it on fully does the balance bar near the adjuster nut stay straight, or does it skew off to one side?

53 minutes ago, Wino said:

If you pull it on fully does the balance bar near the adjuster nut stay straight, or does it skew off to one side?

I will try and check at the weekend thanks 

Remove the trim behind the handbrake lever.

 

You will probably find the adjustment bar skews over as you apply the handbrake as Wino suggests, due to a bust brake cable.

I would take both the rear drums off and make sure that the shoes are properly adjusted before anything else, gives you a chance to check the handbrake is actually working while the wheel is in the air and its not snapped.

Well, despite what everyone else has said, it could be as simple as stretched cable(s).

Most common fault I've had and heard of is one of the handbrake mechanism pivots within the drums seizing. Ringed in red here. Then one side doesn't move properly (no movement where the pink arrows are showing).

Green arrow shows the adjuster, which will be irrelevant if the pivot is sezied

33 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Well, despite what everyone else has said, it could be as simple as stretched cable(s).

 

I was always taught to start at the drums and work back to save compensating for poor adjustment, it also gives you a chance to check everything is moving freely and the slave cylinder isn't leaking etc. etc.

1 hour ago, KenONeill said:

Well, despite what everyone else has said, it could be as simple as stretched cable(s).

Possible I suppose, but probably the least likely scenario. With modern self-adjusting hand brakes one should never have to adjust the cables and certainly not to the extent mentioned by the OP. Unless you are some sort of gorilla that can stretch steel cable with your bare hands!

Friends of my wife managed to rip the handbrake lever out of their VW Lupo once, they are light weight people and no nothing about cars, except that yanking the handbrake up can end up with the lever breaking free!

 

Gone are the days when Halfords sold a few "handbrake cable shorteners" every week, thankfully!

6 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

Friends of my wife managed to rip the handbrake lever out of their VW Lupo once, they are light weight people and no nothing about cars, except that yanking the handbrake up can end up with the lever breaking free!

 

Gone are the days when Halfords sold a few "handbrake cable shorteners" every week, thankfully!

 

A more visual lesson there then, rather than the usual unseen, "ooooo you'll wear the ratchet" :)

I think that if I was slightly kinder to them I would consider that that happened to a few Lupo owners, a bit like the pedal boxes collapsing on 6N Polos and 6K Ibizas, yet another sloppy design issue caused by VW Group not trying too hard.

 

The handbrake levers tended to get torn out of the "transmission" tunnel - thin metal I'd think just like the pedal boxes on the earlier Polo/Ibiza - though that was made worse by clutch/cable issues!

4 hours ago, rum4mo said:

Friends of my wife managed to rip the handbrake lever out of their VW Lupo once, they are light weight people and no nothing about cars, except that yanking the handbrake up can end up with the lever breaking free!

 

Gone are the days when Halfords sold a few "handbrake cable shorteners" every week, thankfully!

 

I remember a guy tying a knot in the cable to shorten it  I think it was an old Mini where the cable was just the steel cable with no outer cable.

Edited 7 February, 20197 yr by TMB

I guess he was an old sailor, they are/were normally good with knots.

^ Haha, could have been 

possibly the old rivit problem, most possible also , shoes worn past working limit. BUT Beware, that when changing shoes on a rear drum Fabia, you need to get some form of clamp on the pistons, else you'll end up with pistons coming out of bore and a need to bleed the system.

On 07/02/2019 at 09:22, Wino said:

Most common fault I've had and heard of is one of the handbrake mechanism pivots within the drums seizing. Ringed in red here. Then one side doesn't move properly (no movement where the pink arrows are showing).

Green arrow shows the adjuster, which will be irrelevant if the pivot is sezied

I presume that if this is the problem that I won’t need a new handbrake cable?

No, that entire post is a red herring. If the handbrake comes right up to near vertical then at least one of the cables is toast.

 

Get it changed and the brakes serviced and checked. Your car is currently not road worthy without a fully functioning hand brake. So insurance is void, you are technically breaking the law driving it and putting yourself and others at risk.

 

You will likely find other problems when you strip the drums off to replace the cable, the slave cylinders can leak with age and neglect, and then you'll probably need to replace these and the shoes too. The drum brakes will need cleaning and lubricating at the very least.

 

Job can be done at places like Kwikfit, F1 autocentres etc, much cheaper than a Skoda dealer (although they might price match) Shop around to save £££

 

Here are some links to parts, to give you an idea of cost of parts

 

Cables (one each side)

https://www.skoda-parts.com/spare-part/6q0609721m-hand-brake-cable-cz-5330.html

 

Shoe kit inc slave cylinders if needed.

https://www.skoda-parts.com/spare-part/5j0698511-rear-drum-brakes-fte-32152.html

 

Edited 9 March, 20197 yr by xman

1 hour ago, Wench said:

I presume that if this is the problem that I won’t need a new handbrake cable?

Correct.

@Wench - Be advised that what Xman has just called "slave cylinders" are more normally known as "wheel cylinders"; it should help if you at least sound like you know what you're talking about. Also, if you have to change a wheel cylinder you will need the correct size brake pipe spanner.

@KenONeill Thanks for clarifying that. Call it what you want, but mechanics call it a slave cylinder as opposed to a master cylinder which presumably you would call a  brake pedal cylinder.

 

https://carfromjapan.com/article/car-maintenance/brake-slave-cylinder/

 

26 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

it should help if you at least sound like you know what you're talking about

 

There was no need for the subtle insult. Unless you mean the OP, who might not know a great deal about terminology. He could ask his mechanic who is likely to say "what do you mean?" if he says "wheel cylinder".

 

if you want a neutral layman's term, call it a " brake cylinder" (located in the drum brake)

 

Never mind, I do hope the OP stops procrastinating and fixes his brakes pronto, they are rather important for safety and legal reasons.

Edited 11 March, 20197 yr by xman

13 minutes ago, xman said:

There was no need for the subtle insult

The comment you're complaining about was made in the knowledge that the OP is a woman and new to car mechanics.

 

Careful up there on your high horse!

No evidence Wench is a woman and Wench has been a member since 2016 so probably learnt a thing or two about car mechanics.

 

Please stop with the low level insults.