Hi folks, i'm stuck on a problem with my handbrake on a MK2 GTI, getting it ready for the mot, i've renewed all discs, pads and rear calipers are only 2yrs old, the handbrake fulcrum/pivot on the caliper was a little seized but freed off and works fine, brakes work fine but handbrake won't hold fully on a hill(private farm track)comes up 4/5 clicks but hard to pull on, cables are free when disconnected. Been told the handbrakes are heavy to put on compared to other cars, is it just a matter of bedding in rear pads or have i missed a trick somewhere? Any ideas gratefully received to get my first Golf ever on the road please, sorry to waffle on. Atb, Mike.
take the handbrake lever cover off and check the cables. you want to set them so when off there is only a little slack in the cables. if after that the handbrake is still poor, your callipers are probably dead. MK3 golf ones are the type to go for
Cheers Jonny, I had it all apart again today and reset piston according to the Bently manual, adjusted cables, still nothing,adjusted cables even tighter and it just goes round to the stop on the calliper and barely grips the disc, new callipers 2 yrs ago but handbrake part was seized when i got car, it was stood up for 8 months, not used, i freed them up, do you reckon i killed them in the process? If i use MK3 ones can i use the new MK2 pads i've got? do i need to change anything else? Cheers, Mike.
I think you have to change the calipers and cables, and that's it. I guess... I need to do this as well
sounds like the handbrake mech is dead inside, this can happen if you compress the piston without using a proper windback tool. to change to mk3 type you only need the callipers on their own, everything else can be left as std only slight issue that can occur is if you have a pre-88 mk2 with the early style handbrake lever, in this case the callipers may need to be fitted upside down for the cables to reach. no big deal, just means when bleeding you have to take the callipers off and hang them the right way up
Great thanks for your help, i'll have to wait til i can find some spare cash but really want to use new rather than 2nd hand. Regards, Mike.
Yes, i think my son has one, i used a mini grinder spanner, it wound them in but wasn't easy, thanks again for your help jonny.
what you can do is use some snipe nose pliers or a large flatblade screwdriver. use these to ease the pin that the handbrake part of the caliper mounts on out about 5-10mm. use some emery cloth to smooth the newly exposed part of the pin, oil it and work back and forth for a few mins, push back in. this freed up my calipers handbrake arms
Cheers for that but the arms i freed just as you did, problem was they were going right round to the stop and not moving pads, Good news though, i spent about half an hour treading on brake pedal and pulling on handbrake and they gradually improved and they now work as they should. 1st click = slightly rubbing, 3rd click = full on. Thanks to everybody that replied, Regards, Mike
