Parking brake cable adjustment

becdavies · Post by **becdavies** » 04 May 2021, 12:06

I’m needing to adjust my brake cable a little as I’m having to pull it up quite a bit to get good hold.
Looks very easy to do with just removing the trim around the console and adjusting a bolt.
It may sound stupid but please no harsh comments - I’m not mechanically minded and no I’m not a blonde - lol
BUT
Is there any risk of breaking the cable - obviously I’ll only do small adjustments at a time but don’t know if they only go so far before they break then an expensive tow to the shop....

RichCrewe · Post by **RichCrewe** » 04 May 2021, 18:13

No, you won't break the cable. If you tighten it too much, the brake shoes will rub all the time. Try two or three turns at a time and take the wrench with you for the first couple of trips afterwards. When I last over tightened the rear brakes started vibrating at about 70-ish. I was able to pull over, park safely and re-adjust.
You can try jacking the back-up (flat surface, engine off, in gear and with wheels chocked.) Check that with a rear wheel spins freely with the brake off, but so-much stuff rubs anyway it's difficult to tell if it's too tight unless it's nearly locked solid.

Post by **jonesg** » 04 May 2021, 23:30

I broke my cable adjuster, had to replace everything from the lever down , including threaded adjuster , 2 new cables , the brake shoes , the drum/disks and two custom expandable adjusters. The threaded cable adjuster is the weak point. Once the cable is stretched beyond adjustment it needs changing. After mkt shoes can be a poor fit requiring the threaded spacer adjusters, volvo blue box shoes work as designed. Lesson learned, check the brake shoes before screwing the adjuster beyond its capacity.

Post by **vtl** » 05 May 2021, 06:17

P2 takes adjustable claws from P80: 30793438 and 30793437. One or two clicks through the brake disk mounting hole and the parking brakes start to bite well again.

Post by **pgill** » 05 May 2021, 11:23

vtl wrote: ↑05 May 2021, 06:17 P2 takes adjustable claws from P80: 30793438 and 30793437. One or two clicks through the brake disk mounting hole and the parking brakes start to bite well again.

I agree the best place to adjust is at the shoes

Note: For my LR2 with a similar configuration I replaced my shoes at 13 years because I had read about the friction material delaminating and resulting in significant damage. If it were my car I would replace the brake shoes.

Picture of the adjuster (LR2 not Volvo but it should be very similar on your Volvo)
Can be adjusted without removing the brake rotor

: adjuster.jpg (130.38 KiB) Viewed 1645 times

Take care

Paul

Post by **jonesg** » 05 May 2021, 18:27

I used the ones from FCP.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... YsQAvD_BwE

EngineeringBloke · Post by **EngineeringBloke** » 10 May 2021, 21:06

FYI, I replaced my 2006 S60 2.5T FWD parking brakes in Sep 2018 and neither the old or the new ones had the Adjuster that Paul shows. Hence all adjustment had to be done at the parking brake lever. I'm looking at the photos on my phone. Mine had a short H-shaped piece there.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-31257573

vtl and jonesg are suggesting successfully using a superior S80 part on other Volvo P2 models. I wish I had done it.

Be sure to pick up new spring sets as you may damage the old ones during brake shoe removal:
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... o-31445338

Although I picked up the part that expands the shoes and is attached to the cable, I was not able to detach the cable although I might not have loosened the cable enough. Still I was happy with the job and pleased to have a working parking brake again (the shoes had delaminated and I needed to fix it for the Mass state inspection).
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... o-31257570

Post by **jonesg** » 11 May 2021, 00:50

EngineeringBloke wrote: ↑10 May 2021, 21:06 pleased to have a working parking brake again (the shoes had delaminated and I needed to fix it for the Mass state inspection).
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... o-31257570

same here, they're fussy in MA.
Moved to Maine, I got my sticker yesterday, $12 and they don't check the ebrake operation....or much else.
If they still seem weak, it helps to bed the new shoes by engaging lightly and driving a short distance.

Post by **abscate** » 13 May 2021, 04:32

You have to evaluate your shoes before you move the adjuster. If they aren’t adjusted regularly, they wear on one end, and delaminate after about ten years. In short,if they are original, they need replacing.

I adjust mine when I rotate/ change tires in fall.spring