hello, can anyone tell me how good my handbrake should be to pass test,it seems to be a cable operated one, and allthough it will hold lorry on small gradient it does not hold it on steep one.have checked cables underneath they seem to be free and pulling up ok athough i am having to really pull the lever hard is this because its cable and not air operated? any help much appreciated reguards mark

mark, November 2009

21% is the mark you are aiming for, if its not holding the shoes require adjusting. williamsdiesels.com if you ever need assistance

Dean Williams, November 2009

Fiat do or did, make trucks, but not very common to see them in Ireland or UK - except with the odd circus!
The handbrake in a Ford Cargo is on the left of the drivers seat.
Maybe it's some sort of a Ducato van or something? (Don't know when they started making Ducatos might not have in 1985)

JD, November 2009

hello, good point its reg as a fiat but looks like a cargo,it has the handbrake lever on the right hand side of the seat and when i bought it iwas told it was a fly off handbrake,but im sure there isnt any air assistance looking underneath i followed the cables back to the rear wheels ,is it possible that its just cable operated hence not very good ?

mark evans, November 2009

How hard you pull the lever is irrelevant. All Ford Cargos have a small parking brake control valve/lever - a round knob with a sliding collar which you have to pull upwards (between first and second fingers). That part of the system involves air. The actual parking brake is applied at the rear wheels by springs. Air pressure is required to release the brakes. The parking brake actuator is connected to the rear brakes by steel wire cables with clevises.
Are you sure it's a Cargo at all?

JD, November 2009