Lancia Beta Forum

I was hoping to free off my sticky offside handbrake as it usually frees off with a drive. However, during the car's lay up to refurb the carb etc. it looks like the caliper has seized up proper.

While the ball retaining the handbrake cable isn't seized to the lever as such the lever is pretty much seized in the 'on' position, so I'm not getting much/any play in the lever to free the ball so I can remove the caliper.

Any tips as to how to free up the lever or remove the cable in this situation?

Can you not slacken the brake cable off  ?

If the handbrake mechanism is seized on then there shouldn't be much tension on the cable? the nipple should slip out easily enough? But if you struggle then try applying the handbrake fully, put a clamp on the opposite side to stop it releasing and take the handbrake off. That ought to release the cable enough to get it out.
Then it's a rebuild kit if you can still get them?

Hi

Rebuild kits are available as are the pistons.

I never leave a handbrake on when parking up for a period, much better to have it seized open….

Peter

Completely agree. It also lessens the chance of the pads bonding themselves to the discs.

Graham

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Guy, the opposite is the case. Because the lever is seized in the on position the nipple is held firm into the socket. Possibly the cable is seized in its sleeve also. I'm going to attack it again later this week with the caliper fully removed. Don't follow your clamp theory (what sort of clamp?)?

I'm won't be refurbing the caliper myself, so any recommendations for firms doing this would be welcome, other than Big Redd, who unlike everyone else, I've now had two bad experiences with.

Hi Neil - I'll try again. Jack the car up, axle stands and remove both rear wheels. Fully apply the handbrake and use something like a G clamp to hold the un-seized lever in the on position. Something like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284524267346?epid=1630369348&hash=item423ef7c752:g:FIEAAOSwZBhhjEF- (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284524267346?epid=1630369348&hash=item423ef7c752:g:FIEAAOSwZBhhjEF-)

When you release the handbrake the clamp keeps the lever locked and allows a little extra cable movement that you can transfer over to the seized side to get the cable off at that end.

At the end of the day slackening the cable at the adjuster is probably easier and, if you're going to overhaul one calliper it's probably worth doing the other one at the same time and replacing the handbrake cable won't do any harm either.

My method arises from experience with Beta mechanisms on a Stratos replica where access to the adjuster was problematic....

Guy

A lesson learned for sure. My previous garages were flat so I used to leave the handbrake off. This one has a slight slope, I should have simply left the car in gear of course.

Thanks Guy, that makes sense now. The limited space I have will make it difficult to get to the cable adjuster....

Hi Neil

A block of wood under one wheel?

If you planning to replace the cable, simply cut it?

I seem to remember the balls do tend to stick in the arm after a while especially with crud with driving.

Peter