Handbrake again

[mikeloadsasaabs]

Well, having replaced the rear discs, pads, and handbrake shoes the handbrake still isn't really very good. I cleaned up and lubricated the handbrake mechanism inside the drum. Before anyone asks, yes I have gone through all the adjustment routines with the shoes and the cable. I'm wondering whether anyone here has any experience of replacing the handbrake cables all the way through, and whether it would help?

[sgould]

Pull out the coin holder and look into the hole.  Watch the balance bar and see if both sides are pulling up equally as you apply the handbrake.

[Paper Plane]

I've had 5 Saabs and none of them have ever had a really good handbrake.

I've often wondered why...

steve

[dave225]

In my prep for MoTs, without a brake testing machine to hand, I used to jack up both back wheels on my 9000 and do the handbrake cable adjustment by trial and error - lightly applying the handbrake then feeling how much effort it took to make the wheels rotate. This was purely to set the R/L balance.
A bit OTT you might think, but the 9000 didn't have a balance bar, so the R/L balance had to be set manually.
Thankfully 9-5s have balance bar, but the jacking technique might come in useful to find out where the problem lies.

[mikeloadsasaabs]

Not sure there is really a problem as such Dave, just thinking out loud. I don't really want to buy new cables unless I have to, and I was wondering what other people's experiences were. At least I know now that all the internals are OK, as I am intimately familiar with them 

[nine-fiver]

Do the 'drive down the road and pull it on hard' test. Weird things happen but it will improve the bite on the handbrake. Do it five times but only on a side road where you won't get hit from behind. Enjoy.

[sgould]

On all my 9-5s, if you pull up the handbrake while moving, it will come on with aloud bang the first time.  There is some slackened spring in the system.  Frightened me then, but it's normal.  It then operates quietly for a short while. 

The slack des allow the car to roll back down hill after the handbrake has been applied, but only fora few inches.

[mikeloadsasaabs]

Do the 'drive down the road and pull it on hard' test. Weird things happen but it will improve the bite on the handbrake. Do it five times but only on a side road where you won't get hit from behind. Enjoy.

Tried that when I first put them on, might be worth another shot. But not today, it's minus 9° outside and I'm not sure about the state of the side roads!