Handbrake adjustment on 4.2 2001 5 door

Hi Bothy - I don't know how much difference there is between the 4.2 and ( my ) 4.3, but I had a similar problem with a very bad balance between the handbrake effectiveness on the L and R sides of the motor. I stripped the offside brake drum ( which appeared to be the problem ) and could find nothing really wrong with the shoes/drum so reassembled after a good clean-up.  It was fractionally better after adjusting the shoe positions with the adjuster but it was still not right. When I stripped it the second time I found that the small aluminium casting that positions the cable where it goes through the backplate had corroded through ( dissimilar metal corrosion? ).  I then replaced the cable from the hub to the balance lever in the cab and that fixed the problem.  I'm afraid if it come to that as a solution, it's a lying-on-your-back-under-the-car job, with the car on an axel stand on the affected side it's not a bad job if you have plenty of room to work.  At least you are not doing it in February!

As a rough guide to the likelyhood of this being the problem,  if the balance lever ( where the two hub cables connect to the single cable to the handbrake lever inside the cab ) is not exactly across the axis of the car, i.e. it is further forward at one end than the other, I would investigate the cable going through the backplate.

I don't suppose it's much comfort, but Discovery's etc have this as a regular problem according to my MOT man.  Good luck!

From Memory, the pair of cables ( they are different, L and R ) cost about £35 - so not too bad.

In just short of 80k miles I've now done the rear Q links, rear Shock absorbers and both handbrake cables. It had a new engine at 32k miles ( oil consumption ) and I now top it up very rarely between its 6 monthly oil changes.  I can't think of a reasonable excuse for changing it at present ( though I do like Davrav's Merc :yes: ).

Hi Bothy,

if you jack the affected side and scotch the front wheels you can tell if this is the problem by releasing the handbrake and then "wobbling" the cable where it goes into the backplate.  Any movement and that is almost certainly the problem. It is possible you could actually see the break if you have a bit of a clean around and use a torch.  detaching the othe end(s) is much easier than the drum end and the screws holding the cable brackets came away easily with a 1/4" drive 10mm socket.  If you have to replace the cable, start by dismantling the drum end and detaching the old cable as far as you can comfortably reach under the car ( first couple of brackets?), then get the new cable fitted to the drum and adjust the shoes with the adjuster.  Replace the wheel and  put a ramp under it.  The rest of the job is just removing another 3 or 4 screws with the 10mm socket and putting them back through the brackets on the new cable followed by attaching the front end of the cable to the balance lever.  Sorry if this sounds like teaching my Granny to suck eggs!!!!!