X Reg Ford Mondeo hand brake adjustment.

I have just replaced both sides of rear brake shoes, and the rear DS calliper; but the hand brake now has little braking effort; and the handle reaches maximum travel. (Vis:- Too high). I have wound the calliper cylinders out again, so that they are a good tight fit across the Pad/disc, before reinstalling them; but the with little change in the hand brake handle travel; or the braking effort, on both sides. Is there a better way of adjusting the calliper cylinders, to give a tighter setting; or is it just a case of letting the new pads “Bed In” to the original discs? (I know you should change both discs and pads, but the car belongs to an OAP suffering financially).
Regards and thanks.

Alfie., July 2009

the cables get seized and you think you need a new one, try this first because the problem is the plastic sleeve perishing on the cable causing it to stick. you may not get enough travel at the caliper to unhook the cable so start releasing the cable from the other end (under the exahast. with the majorit of cable out of the car you should be able to give enough pull to get enough sleck to get it off the caliper. Put brake end of cable in a vice and ii used the split in a jemmy (crow bar) to pull out the cable and reveal the perished plastic pull the cable until the other end prevents further travel. slice away all of the now revealed plastic sleeve grease and put back on.

jules, May 2014

my ford mondeo handbrakes are playing up because they are jammed how can i fix the problem

Abbey, February 2010

i had the same problem with 2lt ghia x 2002 hand brake not working ford bulleton sheet no 8/2002 had recall on rear brakes calliper changed hand brake for manual ajuster reqiures a mod under the car hope this helps if you have a workshop manual you will see if the hand brake has been replaced it is differant to the one in the picture and the mod has been done under the car

colinsparky, September 2009

John,
Many thanks, for your reply.
The hand brake operating lever is initially held against a stop, (A cap head screw holding the lever return spring mount); so the lever is already fully retracted.
I thought of clamping the “Pad/disc/pad” assembly tightly together, with two small “G” clamps first; and then adjusting the cylinder to be a tight fit, over the assembly. In that way, all the initial “Play” should be taken out of the system; before the lever is operated. (?). A Ford worker friend also said that these callipers are “Difficult” to set, but will check with their Ford contacts; and get back to me.

Many thanks again, for your response to this “problem; which is very much appreciated.

Alfie, July 2009

Never the best, these, but make sure that the handbrake operating levers on the caliper are right back when you are doing the work, even if it means disconnecting the handbrake cables first.

John, July 2009