Corolla Gti Handbrake Cable

[KidKoala]

My handbrake goes pretty much all the way up to the top before engaging at all, and when it does engage it is still pretty weak.

Is it easy to tighten the cable?

Con

[Twincam.GTi]

Okay I'll give you my diagnosis from my own experiance (which as you know in previous incedents/advice I have not been applicable/helpful appologies to all :D ...only trying to help , and as stated faults people have had with Corollas I have recited from my own experiance of certain incidents).

You seem to think it is the cable are you sure it is not 'seizing calipers'. The rear calipers on GTi's (and earlier GT's) are renouned for sticking, sometimes just the handbrake mechanism bit of the caliper. Although it may be a sized cable.

In 12 years of ownership I've had a cable seize at nearly 7 years old which was replaced for free by Toyota although car was out of warranty and they admited back then it was a little young for a car to fail its cable (kind of Toyota dealer) sadly those customer service days are long gone.

Since then it's a clean up of calipers every year. Also if the pads have only a few thow /milimetres of 'meat' left on them they don't allways quite 'grip' cause of the piston travel (I know it should but there we go).

The handbrake is in 3 pieces: short centre bit then two 'left' and 'right' longer cables (it was one of the longer cables I had to have replaced).

The handbrake effencency on AE82GT's and AE92GTi's is about as 'brilliant' as a Old 60's Mini handbrake

[KidKoala]

Dont think the calipers are siezed, because it does engage only very weakly. It just goes up way too far mate, which makes me believe it is the cable that needs adjusting. Won't be getting round any corners on the handbrake how it is ;)

[Twincam.GTi]

To take up play in the cable at the handbrake lever end (In side car), remove centre consol around handbrake lever undo 2 screws either side (will have to move seats back then forth) then adjust lock nuts that connects cable to handbrake lever (two 10mm nuts undo one tighten again other etc just like a Mini).

I emphasise this only adjusts lever movement and has no effect on caliper movement end.

[Unity Jon]

Kid Koala your cable sounds like its stretched to me, the handbrake lever is supposed to lift somewhere between 5-8 clicks on the ratchet. If you get more than this its the cable, you can compensate for this a little with the lever adjustment like Twincamgti wrote above (undo lock nut, tighten lower nut, redo lock nut, make sure you do both sides evenly (count the no. of turns you tighten them)

this will only buy you some time, as the cable is already stretched, it'll only get worse.

[KidKoala]

Bummer.

Is it expensive/hard to fit a new cable?

[KidKoala]

OMG - £21.82 per side for the individual caliper cables.

£7.23 for the cable from the handbrake.

Lets hope its the cheaper one that has stretched!

[KidKoala]

Any ideas which part I need Jon?

[andy_twincams]

like twincam says dont rule out calipers,my gt calipers are gone did cables and still they were useless ;) think recond are bout £70 or so

[System~G]

I would be very doubtful if it were the calipers. The car was MOT'd a month ago. Also judging by the recent cornering Kid Koala has put the car through, I would be more inclined to go with a streatched cable. Wouldn't hurt to check the calipers.

New discs and pads were fitted front and rear last August and I certainly never drove the car as hard as Conrad so they should still be fine too.

Sorry Conrad, can't help you much on this one, never had any experience with handbrakes before. Is there no Info in the Haynes Manual?

[JT]

the handbrake mechanism may have seized or become stiff. it works seperately to the hydraliuc system, so it will have passed the MOT on the footbrake. my passenger side rear caliper is the same

[mefirst]

Hey dude my corolla just failed its mot cos of the handbrake, my passenger side rear caliper seized, you'd know if it was that though cos your parking light would never go off, the mechanic tolds me it had seized tho because of the rear part of the cable and then he ribbed me for about 48 quid for a new one, not too bad though considering he reckoned i needed a new caliper which would of cost me about 280 quid plus fitting. Like i said tho, if it was the caliper then the your parking light would be on all the time

[Twincam.GTi]

In twelve years of ownership I have had 3 incidents of rear calipers sezing up bad twice on drives side once on passenger side, in every case a clean up was all that was required (not replacement, thankfully). Since then its a yearly clean up for good measure.

It is shocking the amount of garages that only want to slap on a new/recon rear caliper and not be interested in salvaging what is there (and these recon calipers will require 'cleanups' in about 3 years time anyway).

mefirst Posted Yesterday, 09:55 PM

  ... . Like i said tho, if it was the caliper then the your parking light would be on all the time

However with reference to your statement in the 3 incidents of a seized caliper on my GTi at no time did the parking light come on/remain on!

[Unity Jon]

surely the parking light would only stay on if the capliper was seized 'ON' if it was seized 'off' then effectively only 1 caliper woud be working, drive in a straight line and grab the handbrake up hard so the rear locks up (if it has enough power in it) and check the skid marks to see which side is operating 'best'

If you cant get it to lock up, i'd clean up both calipers and copper grease them and try again, if it still wont lock up, it can only be the cable, i'd start by measuring each part of the cable, then check the lengths against some new ones, dont buy the ones the same length, only replace the strectched one, but this will put strain on the 'old' cables and they'll be next to stretch.

[L4AGZE]

surely the parking light would only stay on if the capliper was seized 'ON' if it was seized 'off' then effectively only 1 caliper woud be working, drive in a straight line and grab the handbrake up hard so the rear locks up (if it has enough power in it) and check the skid marks to see which side is operating 'best'

My handbrake is playing up at the moment, probably needs adjusting from the calipers. Funny thing is when cornering right the handbrake light comes on, and thats not at excessive speed. Haven't had a look at it but im assuming the calipers need freeing and a clean up which is always the case with the GTi's.

[mefirst]

Thats how mine started, I'd be driving along and then the light would flicker on and off. It was the cable that seized inside its housing which made the caliper seize because it wasn't being used. Garage said the light was supposed to come on when a fault accured in the brakess, otherwise there's a fault in the light? apparently...?

[Maxed Corolla GTI]

Ive had this problem with my car. Both my rear calipers had seized and the previous owner had tighened up the handbrake cable to make up for the weakness in the handbrake. However the hand brake was still very weak and I had to put it in gear when i parked on a slight hill.

I recently got new disc, pads and calipers for the rear. I got the calipers from someone who was breakin their corolla and they was in good condition. I got everything fitted by my mechanic for £55.

But then cos the handbrake cable was made tighter by the previous owner it snapped and i needed a new one which set me back £23 from Lloyds and £25 to fit.

Now my handbrake cable is nice and strong!!

[Twincam.GTi]

Maxed Corolla GTI Posted Today, 11:41 AM

  Ive had this problem with my car. Both my rear calipers had seized and the previous owner had tighened up the handbrake cable to make up for the weakness in the handbrake. However the hand brake was still very weak and I had to put it in gear when i parked on a slight hill.

I recently got new disc, pads and calipers for the rear. I got the calipers from someone who was breakin their corolla and they was in good condition. I got everything fitted by my mechanic for £55. 

Brilliant

So they were the correct size, glad to hear it. For I remember you posting this question on another topic (It was you wasn't it who posted the question? )

[DeMellow]

The calipers seizing is a common fault on a twin champ. I've had over 15 twin champs...