Hi all,

I've put an EMPI rear disc kit on my '68 baja.

Brakes work great. Pulls up nicely.

My problem is the handbrake. I just can't seem to get it to work properly.

Adjusted the cables so that it comes on at about the time you'd expect but it just won't hold the car on the slightest slope.

Pads are good, plenty of meat. Rears hold with only a little foot pressure so I figure the calipers are okay.

Does anyone have any experience with getting the hand brake on these to work properly? Any thoughts on what might be the issue?

Many thanks in advance,
Marc.

depends on type and quality of the caliper used by Empi.

If you use a large lever directly on the calipers handbrake armature, can you make the armature move more than by the handbrake cable?

Did you adjust the cable so that at 3 clicks the brake is on solid but with no clicks it spins freely. Or some manufacturers say slight drag on 1 click and then 3-4 clicks it's on solid but no clicks it's free spinning?

Hopefully it's not due to the chinese crud Empi is now sold under.

How is the brake drag, I have a set of CB performance rotorhubs, i think you can set the initial adjustment of the hand brakes by turning the piston in the caliper, I know that one of mine was dragging and i fixed it this way, i had a pin spanner that fitted, how much sweep do you have on the caliper handbrake actuation lever, on my set up the brake start to work a couple on MM of it return stop, the position of the hand brake inside the car has little to do with it, relax a hand brake cable and take the wheel of and check that the lever is on its return stop, push on the lever with a hammer handle and check how much travel you have until the brake starts to work, if there is to much travel try adjusting the piston anticlock wise until the cailper just fits over the rotor with the pads fitted, this is the replacement CB caliper complete with pads and my hand brake is excellent, if you cannot sort out the hand brake issue maybe you can swap out the calipers for these.
http://www.cbperformance.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=4200 

Thanks for the advice. With the wheel off it spins relatively freely. Just a little drag like you would get with front wheels. Nothing out of the ordinary to what I would expect.

I'll do a bit of investigation of the actuating lever and see what I come up with. Gives me a starting point anyway!

Hopefully I won't have to swap it out for another type!

Cheers, Marc.

thats how mine works, drag is not a indication of the hand brake adjustment, only if you adjust it to far, drag is cause by the seals holding the piston in place.

yeah I figure the drag is about right. Enough to show the pads are near the disc, but not too much to indicate something is grabbing or not returning properly.

Will investigate tonight. SOmetimes I wish I din't have to come to work!

Let me know how you go tonight, the piston in the caliper should have grooves machined into it under the pads, i asume it has , the CB ones do and another set i have of a ford does also, they make a special tool to fit a lot of the calipers, if they are not adjusted internally correct there will be to much travel at the lever.

I had a look at it last night and it would seem that it's all about cable adjustment!

I thought I'd adjusted the cables correctly but obviously not. I manually operated the hand brake lever at the caliper with a screwdriver and it locked the rear wheel perfectly. Activated the caliper like it should. The lever didn't have to move far to do it either so I think the lever setting is right. I think I might have the wrong cables though... I've nearly used up all the adjusting thread at the hand brake lever end and it still needs more. Do different models have different length cables? I may have the wrong ones installed.

Was only able to spend a short time on it last night so will know more as I continue to try and fix this week...

if you cannot get enough travel with your current cables you can machine a stepped sleeve that fits onto the outer cable were it fits into the tunnel, this will lengthen the outer and give you more adjustment on the threaded end.

Much ado about nothing as Shakespeare once said!

Turns out the cables were absolutely stuck with sand inside the outer that goes from the caliper to the body (at least it shows I use the Baja for what it's designed I guess!).

When I was pulling on the hand brake, all it was doing was tensioning the cables and not actually moving/acuating the caliper. No wonder it wouldn't hold on the slightest slope!

Took the cables and outers out last night and cleaned them thoroughly and now the cables move freely and the hand brake works a treat!

Thanks for all the advice. Turns out it just needed some routine maintenance.

Cheers, Marc.

lol.

maybe you need rubber boots on the handbrake cable like all other cars do.