2000 S70 Parking Brake Adjustment

rollocarlos · Post by **rollocarlos** » 24 Sep 2014, 14:06

I live in a state where there is a brake inspection. I need to tighten the parking brake so the handle doesn't pull all the way up to the console cover. Is there a way to adjust the brake to make it grab quicker?
thanks

Post by **rmmagow** » 24 Sep 2014, 14:14

Can-O-Worms. Yes, under the center console there is a small panel that you can remove. There a T-40ish silverish looking bolt there. If you are lucky, just tightening this up a bit will give you improved parking brake action. BUT, if not, you will need to remove the rear rotor and have a look around to see if the parking brake disintegrated. There's also the possibility of rusted solid cables etc etc. Try the adjuster in the center console first but at this age, you probably have more work ahead of you. My 98 V70 ran into problems and I had to bring it to a shop because there was a lot needed to be done to fix them.

Post by **abscate** » 24 Sep 2014, 16:08

Somewhere around your model year the Volvo transitioned from adjust at rear brake drum (through hole in rotor) to adjust in cockpit. If you have adjusters in the drum, you leave the cockpit cable nuts alone.

Post by **precopster** » 24 Sep 2014, 16:26

1995 850s have the T40 on the console as well. I've owned 2 1995 850s and a 1999 V70. All of them had the adjustor wheel in the cockpit.

I haven't checked on any of them for the rear adjustor. My 2000 V70s park brake is near useless and it's a later build with the newer (faultless) ignition switch. Must check this all out.

Post by **Atis** » 24 Sep 2014, 16:47

If your parking shoes are in a proper shape (the "brake material" is not falling off from the metal part) raise the car, take off rear wheels and there should be an extra hole in the rotor below one of the wheel screw holes. With a flashlight and a flat screwdriver look inside and rotate the small slotted wheel like thing there. Rotating it upwards will bring the shoes closer to the rotor. Rotate it until the rotor cannot be moved. Smash the rotor center with a hammer 2-3 times (do not damage it). If you can move the rotor, tighten the small wheel again. Now you can rotate it back ~2 steps. Check if rotor can rotate freely. Put back wheels, check free rotation again and lower the car. Open console, take out small lid and adjust the brake lever to a comfortable position.
Done. Tadaaa!

Post by **chrafael** » 24 Sep 2014, 20:33

Hi neighbor! The other posts have it about right. If the car's been driven through water a lot you might find the cable rusted out where it passes into the car body ahead of the rear wheels. In that case all the adjusting in the world won't help. Make sure the cable actually works on both sides before you adjust the shoes.

Post by **Atis** » 25 Sep 2014, 05:48

+1 on cables
When the car is raised, take off the caliper and the rotor and check whether the shoes are moving freely if you pull the lever.

Post by **abscate** » 25 Sep 2014, 06:37

The cars with the adjuster in the rear have BOTH adjusters - star wheel at shoes, plus T40 for cable stretch. Once the parking brake has been used for a few months, the cable stretch stops, and the star wheel adjust should be used to adjust for brake shoe wear, not the console T40.

Im not quite sure when they transitioned - my 2005 is console only, the 1999 is star wheel adjust.

I suspect the change is it at the P80 to P2 transition