SW20 Handbrake Adjustment

[Rasker]

Hello,
Can someone please point me to the location of the Tensioner for the Handbrake? It seems there is a little too much travel to pass a warrant.

Thanks

Rasker

[RomanV]

Its under the car, you need to take the plastic under trays off from the bottom of the car.

Its pretty much directly under the hand brake, so try taking off that panel first if you can.

From memory, they all overlap each other though.

[Malcolm]

you need to take the back wheels off, unbolt one of the rear caliper bolts, swivel the caliper up and wind the piston out a bit. Sometimes you can do it with needle nose pliers but you're better off getting a caliper adjustment tool from repco or somewhere. Then you just wind it out as far as you can and still get the caliper back over the pads, then do the other side.

[RomanV]

Its much easier to just take the trays off...

Then you only have to adjust one nut.

I dont think adjusting the pistons would help, I had the same thing happen to mine.

The SW20 hand brake is pretty crappy.

[fivebob]

you need to take the back wheels off, unbolt one of the rear caliper bolts, swivel the caliper up and wind the piston out a bit. Sometimes you can do it with needle nose pliers but you're better off getting a caliper adjustment tool from repco or somewhere. Then you just wind it out as far as you can and still get the caliper back over the pads, then do the other side.

That's only necessary if you are replacing the pads, it won't adjust for a stretched brake cable.

[Malcolm]

adjusting pistons does help
aw11 and sw20 handbrakes are practically identical
I had mine fail a warrant because handbrake was too crap
I tightened the cable and it made no difference
I adjusted the pistons and now it's really good

[RomanV]

Aaaah okay.

I thought that the whole point of having the rear pistons 'screw' in, was so they were self adjusting for the hand brake?

I take your word for it, but I dont see why you would need to adjust the pistons by hand.

Of course you need to do this to fit new pads in, but that is the only time Ive done it.

Couldnt you just pull the handbrake up and down 100 times, to space the pistons out?

It worked on my corolla.

So do the handbrake cables stretch, to a noticable extent?
My handbrake has always been pretty crappy.

[fivebob]

adjusting pistons does help

Only if the system is not working properly. The pistons are self adjusting, so if you had to manually adjust them then there is something wrong in your caliper, probably siezed threads.

[Malcolm]

if you had to manually adjust them then there is something wrong in your caliper, probably siezed threads.

yes, probably

[fivebob]

Correct adjustment procedure;

[Mr Revhead]

while under there... have a good look..... sw20s cables are well known for siezing and breaking