Frozen rear brakes

[jon_r]

I've never experienced this on any car before, but a quick search shows this is quite common on these? Anyway, a jug of water on each freed them up and off I went.

My question is regarding the handbrake lever though, it now acts like a cable has snapped, it virtually goes all the way to the top of the travel before 'biting'.

Will this return to normal as it heats up, or does it sound like something has broken?

 

[deadmau5]

Yeah mine did this a couple of times last year and has done it once this year. The handbrake will return to normal over about 5 mins of driving.

 

[jon_r]

I should've said, I drove the 6 miles to work and it's stayed the same. I'll go out again at lunch and try it again.

 

[jakehewitt]

Doesn't sound very good when there's snow and ice down now

 

[stevp197]

Try and avoid the hand brake on the clip stick it in gear instead

 

[jon_r]

This is my 6th Clio (second MK3) and the first it's ever affected. Just hoping the handbrake starts acting normal again when the weather clears up otherwise it'll be new cable time i guess.

 

[stuieplk]

You need to strip and clean the front & back brakes once a year, plenty of copper grease helps alleviate this situation, you can get the cable tightened? As said, try to park in gear without using your handbrake wherever possible and you should be all good. :thumbsup:

 

[jon_r]

So essentially, it's a badly designed system not fit for purpose?

 

[Willis]

Not really, the purpose of a handbrake is to lock the rear brakes. It does the VERY effectively and there are ways around the sticking like Stuie has said...

 

[jon_r]

I'm pretty sure the secondary job of a handbrake is to release the brake when you take/turn it off.

I can't think of another car i've ever owned where i've been advised not to use the handbrake, but to leave it parked in gear, or even to clean a brake system once a year!

If thats necessary then thats a badly designed system.

 

[Paul4d]

Brakes need to be maintained. Mine had frozen this morning and i had to get a lift into work. Day off friday so ican clean and grease up.

 

[jon_r]

I couldn't agree more that they need to be maintained, but a yearly strip down and re-grease? It's 2012, not 1920. lol.

 

[Willis]

Nature of the beast with these unfortunately.

Still, it's not as bad as Ford/AP's complete clanger on the FRP front brakes...

 

[jon_r]

I wish i could turf the 172 out of the garage and put this in instead. I need a double garage!

I'll have to get the car booked in somewhere to change the cable (if it has snapped/stretched) as the handbrake isn't working at all now unless the lever is virtually touching the roof! It's well below freezing here and snow on the ground so I've got no enthusiasm to fix it myself at the moment.

 

[Robo_#1]

If your hand brake can touch your roof, you've got bigger problems than it first seemed

Mine stick a fair bit, but I have to reverse out of my parking space so it tends to just rear up a bit then they give. Hand brake still feels fairly solid all the time though.

 

[Pabs80]

From my experience the hand brake still sticks on in frozen weather even after a strip and clean! Its the lever at the back of the caliper which freezes solid position and you need to release with either hot water or get under your car and push back (depending on how cold it is!)

 

[sideways danny]

From my experience the hand brake still sticks on in frozen weather even after a strip and clean! Its the lever at the back of the caliper which freezes solid position and you need to release with either hot water or get under your car and push back (depending on how cold it is!)

change your cables. The lever is spring loaded, cables seize internally

 

[jon_r]

Everything moves freely as far as i can tell and the handbrake does still work when you pull the lever up far enough, but i can't understand whats caused it from being really tight last night to really loose today. All I did was pour water over the rear calipers this morning to free them off.

 

[smoggy mark]

Try and avoid the hand brake on the clip stick it in gear instead

i do this^if ime leaving it for a while

 

[Foxspeed]

variuos items can cause the rears to stick

the easiest is to make sure they are in correct working order and that the handbrake is correctly adjusted and working as it should

they are very prone to road dirt/salt effecting their operation and a yearly strip down/check/clean/lube is effective and save money in the long run...

whilst your at it you can check for brake levers returning fully back and also how free the cables are..

but in wet/damp and freezing temperatures then the pads will get frozen to the discs do to the moisture freezing between disc and pad edges...