2001 V70 2.4T "Failed" MA inspection for parking brake Topic is solved

[prwood]

One of Massachusetts' required annual vehicle safety checks is parking brake functionality. Specifically, the statute says this:

(a) The inspector shall operate the vehicle to test the parking and service brake. The
parking brake on all vehicles will be tested by accelerating the motor to approximately 1,200
to 1,300 RPMs with the vehicle in the lowest forward gear against the brake in the applied
position. The vehicle will be rejected if the parking brake will not hold. The service brakes
will be tested at a speed of between four and eight MPH. Service brakes must be reasonably
equalized so that the vehicle does not pull to either side when applied. A test with the brake
meter shall be made at a speed of 15 to 25 MPH in all questionable cases.

(b) Brakes shall be adequate to stop the vehicle from a speed of 20 MPH in not more than
the following distances:
Service (foot) Brake Pleasure Vehicles 30 feet
Trucks and Buses 40 feet
Parking (hand) Brake All Vehicles 80 feet

The parking brake on this car has been an issue on inspections at various points. It was an issue at a different place I took it to probably 5-6 years ago - I tightened the adjustment nut under the lever and it held well enough to pass inspection. It was fine at the place I've been taking it to for the past few years, but this year they wouldn't inspect it. I think this place has been pretty lenient in the past, but due to MA cracking down on inspection stations, it seems like they're maybe trying to prevent you from getting a Reject sticker by just refusing to inspect things that they can tell are obvious before they pull the car into the inspection bay. Not exactly an aboveboard practice, but it is what it is.

Anyway, just before he pulled into the inspection bay, the inspector tested the parking brake, and then backed the car up and returned it to me, saying it wouldn't pass inspection. This is why I say "Failed" in quotes, because he didn't even inspect it, therefore it didn't "fail". When I got home, I tightened down the adjustment nut all the way, but it still wasn't holding very well. My father-in-law took the rear brake assemblies apart today. He inspected and cleaned them. The shoes had plenty of meat on them, and all of the other parts were in good shape. He lubricated the pieces that allow the brake cable to attach to the shoe, as well as the cable as far as he could back into its housing. After reassembling and tightening the lever adjustment nut again, it's still not holding well enough to pass.

Our thing is that the brake cables have probably stretched over the years. Our next step is to get a replacement front brake cable assembly and try replacing just this in case it's enough to fix the issue. If not, then we'll move on to the rear two cables.

Anyone else have experience with parking brakes and have any suggestions? It seems like a fairly simple system, so I feel like replacing cables is the only thing left to do, but I figured I'd ask!

[br0dy519]

I have nothing to offer other than the fact that my xc needs a new cable and has needed one for years. I think it's a common issue.

My fix because my province doesn't believe in safety or emissions testing was to remove the shoes and hardware from one side of my system. If I had a conscience or was required by law, I'd replace the cable. 1A-Auto has a good video for it on youtube. Doesn't look like too big of a PITA if you've worked in there before with the hardware.

[abscate]

If the inner drums get worn even shoes with good meat won’t hold well. The shoes have to radius to the drums well

[vtl]

Buy two of these: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-30793437 and two of these: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-30793438 When your father-in-law drinks your beer and takes it apart again, he needs to replace brake shoe links https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-31257573 with what you bought. The new shoes can be adjusted by a screwdriver via lug bolt hole.

[jonesg]

its the long individual cables that stretch, the short front coupler is far less likely to stretch.
If the brake shoes are not volvo blue box they're a source of problems too.

On mine, I broke the front adjuster after it bottomed out and I thought it was finally tightening down, so I replaced that first.(IPD)
It didn't do squat because the longer cables were stretched out.
So I replaced both side cables and new shoes with all new hardware both sides, still no brake action, I replaced both discs, still no stop action.

Finally solved it by installing optional star wheel adjustable spreader bars from FCP. The bar is 2 part, threaded and pushes the shoes apart or closer.

Close examination of the old vs new brake shoes revealed the new shoes were sloppily made compared to the original volvos. I dressed the new aft mkt shoes with a grinding wheel to match the notches in the volvo ones, adjusted the spacer bars to snug the shoes up ...and the problem was solved.

Bed the new shoes by engaging the brake 50% and driving 100 feet, if the disc feels hot , they're bedded.!

Heres the optional adjustable coupler.
https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... FhEALw_wcB

[prwood]

Buy two of these: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-30793437 and two of these: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-30793438 When your father-in-law drinks your beer and takes it apart again, he needs to replace brake shoe links https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo- ... 0-31257573 with what you bought. The new shoes can be adjusted by a screwdriver via lug bolt hole.

So do those two pieces attach to each other? It didn't look like the individual claw piece had any thread to attach to the threaded side of the adjuster link. Does it just slide in, or...?

[vtl]

So do those two pieces attach to each other? It didn't look like the individual claw piece had any thread to attach to the threaded side of the adjuster link. Does it just slide in, or...?

Yes. Look here: viewtopic.php?p=594351&hilit=30793437#p594351

[prwood]

So do those two pieces attach to each other? It didn't look like the individual claw piece had any thread to attach to the threaded side of the adjuster link. Does it just slide in, or...?

Yes. Look here: viewtopic.php?p=594351&hilit=30793437#p594351

Interesting. From looking at the pictures, it doesn't look like the adjustable link fits very well next to the spring given how chunky it is compared to the skinny link it's replacing. But seeing as nobody's mentioned it, I assume it's not interfering with proper operation?

Also, looking at that thread and the other one linked from within it on SwedeSpeed, it seems that most people must not have required vehicle inspections where they live, or if they do, they don't check the parking brake to the level that they do in MA? Most people seem to treat it as a preventative to mild rolling when the vehicle is parked, but in MA the inspectors seem to treat it like it should literally stop a speeding car as well as a hydraulic brake.

[vtl]

Also, looking at that thread and the other one linked from within it on SwedeSpeed, it seems that most people must not have required vehicle inspections where they live, or if they do, they don't check the parking brake to the level that they do in MA? Most people seem to treat it as a preventative to mild rolling when the vehicle is parked, but in MA the inspectors seem to treat it like it should literally stop a speeding car as well as a hydraulic brake.

MA inspection is a joke compared to those in Europe, at least in northern part of it.

[cn90]

Another trick is to find a quiet residential street ..
Drive at 10-20 mph, then gently pull the P brake.
Repeat a few times to basically remove the rust on the inner side of the drum part of the rotor.