hand brake doesn't lock the tyres (disc brakes)

[jansu83]

Hello

I'm having a problem with my Connect's hand brake. When I bought the van about three months ago I took the van to brake test, and the hand brake didn't have enough force. The van had been on sale for about two months and I thought I just have to drive for a while and the brakes should be ok after a few thousand miles. Now I have been driving 5000 miles after the test, and I took the rear tyres off and checked that the hand brake mechanism was working ok, but the brake force was still weak. Then I took the Haynes Worksop manual and made an adjustment like it was told there: handbrake up 7 notches, tightening to 6 Nm from the nut, loosing, car started and pressing 15 times the pedal, again 7 notches and tightening to 4 Nm.

Now the handbrake lever feels better, but the tyres won't lock on gravel with an empty van, so I guess the brake force is still too weak. What should I try next? My service book says that the brake calibers and cables have been renewed about 20 000 miles ago, so there should be no problems in them, and my brake pads have about 8....10 mm (1/3.....3/8 inches) pad surface left. The wires seemed to work ok, and the mechanism on the rear caliber was at the limiter when I got the handbreak loosened, and the handbreak lever feels great after the adjustment. Should I try to grind the pads and the discs? Could that help getting some force to the brakes? Or does anyone know some other trick to get it working ok.

[Spike2450]

From being a demon on sorting out the Mk6 brakes i now have exactly the same issue as you and haven't had the time or will to get back under the Connect, what i researched - when you release the handbrake you need to make sure that the cable is slack enough for the mechanism to fully release i.e. return to it's stop. Also the pad pins need to be cleaned and a bit of copper grease on them. There is such a small movement that it doesn't take much for them to be inefficient. Cable stretching, old brake fluid, friction on pins. One of my pads is worn on one side and looked like a wedge, so was probably dragging on one pin.

[Boghopper]

I certainly wouldn't start grinding pads and discs. I have just bought a Tourneo with rear discs as my Connect has drums on the rear. I am not familiar with the setup but after reading what you have just said my first thoughts were stretchy handbrake cable. You said it had done 20,000 miles? That's a bit of punishment for a cable, especially if it was a cheapo one to start with. Just because the handbrake feels alright doesn't mean it is doing its job. If the cable is knackered any force on the pads will be lost down the length of the cable and not transferred to the pads. If you are sure your pads aren't contaminated and your calipers aren't seized, the cable would be my first port of call.

[paul2012]

Strip rear brake calipers down & sure they are not seized.

[jansu83]

I have to check the whole rear brakes. They are equally worn, but I guess I must check them anyway. I have seen many brake pads stuck in the caliber after brake "service" where pads have been fitted with a hammer or something Must check the slide pins too and grease them. Thank you for your help.

[jansu83]

I cleaned and greased pad's ends and rear surface with copperpaste, same with the piston end and checked that the pads move easily. Also greased the slide pins with brake grease. I don't have a tool for turning and pressing the piston so I couldn't check piston movement. Rear brakes were good at the test when I bought the van and the hand brake does affect to the tyres pretty well and when I take the hand brake off, both tyres turn very easy by hand so I think that pistons aren't seized. I will let it be this way for a while and see what happens. It still felt same when I drove out from carage, so I guess next thing to do will be renewing those cables for both sides.....

[jansu83]

From being a demon on sorting out the Mk6 brakes i now have exactly the same issue as you and haven't had the time or will to get back under the Connect, what i researched - when you release the handbrake you need to make sure that the cable is slack enough for the mechanism to fully release i.e. return to it's stop. Also the pad pins need to be cleaned and a bit of copper grease on them. There is such a small movement that it doesn't take much for them to be inefficient. Cable stretching, old brake fluid, friction on pins. One of my pads is worn on one side and looked like a wedge, so was probably dragging on one pin.

Yes, the mechanism is fully released to the limiter and when I pull the hand brake, the mechanism turns about 2/3 of it's travel limits and then the hand brake is "on" and I cannot move tyres by hand. Same with both sides. It just doesn't have enough force to lock the tyres and the person who tested my brakes said that it doesn't pass annual inspection when the hand brake is as weak as it was. He said it is easy to test the hand brake without dynometer by pulling the hand brake and it should lock the tyres on gravel when there's no load. I have an annual inspection in two months, so I'll see if the brakes have got any better after driving half years after the latest test.

[Spike2450]

I didn't have the brake piston rewind tool either but if you use a spreader / bar clamp and some gas pliers to turn the piston as you apply pressure they wind in easily.

[g-man]

had creep/groaning rears since new,won't hold on a steepish hill so always leave in gear.........always had good pads/discs and always flies thro' mot.....i just live with it

[Boghopper]

I always leave in gear and just bite the handbrake as leaving it on full all the time stretches the cable.
I have always been curious as to these rear disc handbrakes because I was always taught that drums far surpass discs at static (stationary) braking and that is why they were always traditionally drums at the rear. Rear shoes in a drum will actually bite more and more if there is wheel creep, discs don't do that. Although, discs are far superior at dynamic (moving) braking.
I bet it was cheaper for Ford to fit discs at the rear rather than a drum setup.

[g-man]

would'nt think its cheaper as until the new model they were an xtra on most models..........its what van drivers expect as standard today

[Boghopper]

would'nt think its cheaper as until the new model they were an xtra on most models..........its what van drivers expect as standard today

Marketing always takes something away from you whilst charging you more.
Your average van driver wouldn't ever look under a van.
I'd prefer drums myself as they are better at static braking. Seems like a quirky hodge-podge trying to run a hydraulic caliper off a cable.
You also get a puncture outfit instead of a spare on the new connects now. A spare is now an 'extra'.

[MrShenanigans]

Did you get to the bottom of this?

My Connect (with rear discs) failed MoT today with the same symptoms as you.

Put new pads in it - caliper seemed to wind back ok - going to do fluid change next as the brakes are super spongy anyway - hand brake has 3 clicks so not much I can adjust there.

Just curious as to weather you got as far as putting cables on as that'll be my next step.

[lightning]

The handbrake is marginal at best.

From new the handbrake on my Connect 110 LX was poor, it would not hold the van reliably on a hill, and would never lock the wheels if you applied it when moving, even in rain with nothing in the back.

You could apply the handbrake on a hill, and it would seem to be fine, then after a while the van would start to roll down the hill. On the day l got it, l parked on my drive (a very slight slope) came in the house made a cup of tea looked out of the window....the van was sat in the middle of the road

It always passed the MOT though.

[MrShenanigans]

Hmm that's annoying.

How can it Pass mot if if won't hold its own weight?

I think it's only one side that's not sufficient enough on mine.

Seems a common fault.