Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX

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Mon 5 Jan 2004 11:12
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - cmm
I have a Citroen AX which is parked on a slight hill overnight. Recently I have noticed that when I release the handbrake in the morning, I have to apply a bit of acceleration before it will move.

Can anyone advise what the problem might be and what work will need done (i.e. is it a big job) - the car is due for MOT next Monday....

Thx in Advance!
C.
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Mon 5 Jan 2004 11:19
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - Victorbox
If you mean handbrake goes off with a \"ping\" once you move off then it is probably brake dust & moisture/salty winter goo sticking the shoes to the drums especially when yanked on hard on a hill. I assume you don\'t have rear discs? Brakes could probably do with a de-dust and clean up.
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Mon 5 Jan 2004 12:03
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - cmm
Hi - you\'re correct in assuming I don\'t have rear discs. I just had a horror story about a colleague\'s handbrake seizing and needing alot of work done... It\'s a relief to hear it may only need a clean up!

Thanks for the quick reply! :-)
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Mon 5 Jan 2004 12:42
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - Dynamic Dave
Remove rear brake drums and file a chamfer on each end of the shoes. You may have to remove the brakes shoes to file them.
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Mon 5 Jan 2004 13:01
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - Victorbox
My Mk3 Cavalier used to do this with the first two sets of rear brake shoes, but funnily not the last set which don't squeal or produce anywhere near as much brake dust as the old sets. Some wet winter days I would have to rev the engine quite a lot just to get one or other of the rear brakes to disengage when pulling away - usually with a moderate bang. After that the handbrake worked fine until the next wet overnight park up.
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Mon 5 Jan 2004 14:56
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - dieselnut
Quite likely to be the handbrake cables themselves. The outer plastic sleeve cracks where the cables flex & let in the salty winter spray off the road. The inner cable then corrodes up & sticks, new cables will then be required.
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Mon 5 Jan 2004 23:11
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - 659FBE
A standard fault with these Bendix drum brakes is that the handbrake lever in the drum, attached to the cable, seizes at the pivot in the web of the trailing shoe. The shoes need to be taken out, and this pivot freed and lubricated with high temperature copper grease, for proper operation to be restored.

There is a rather nasty star type retaining clip which should be replaced, and is supplied with new sets of shoes. Genuine Bendix shoes are about £14 a set from GSF.

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Mon 5 Jan 2004 23:20
Sticky handbrake? Citroen AX - Clanger
Agree with 659FBE. I replaced the brakes shoes at about 75K miles on our AX because I couldn't free the pivot on the nearside set. The cables, however, looked immaculate.


Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land
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