How do you adjust handbrake on crewman?

Answer 1

1. Put drivers seat all the way back and with a 1/4 inch extended 10mm socket, undo the adjuster nut (which is just under the handbrake lever) so there is plenty of laxity in the handbrake cable

2. Chock front wheels, jack rear up, take rear tyres off, handbrake off, car in neutral (you can chuck the tyre under the car incase it falls off the jack)

3. take rear brake calipers off , (1/2 inch 19mm socket works best) Undo the 2 bolts holding caliper on. If your not familiar with how the pads fit into the caliper then now is a good time to check because it is easy to accidently bump them out.

4. Pull the disc rotor off and check the inside of the drum where the pad rubs. Clean all the dirt, dust and rust out from inside the drum surface. use a wire brush and compressed air, dont breath in the crap,

5. at the bottom of the drum pad assembly is a bolt with a skinny nut with lots of slots cut into the side of it. This is the handbrake adjuster nut/cog.

6. with a small flat head screw driver and hammer, tap the adjuster nut around (as you adjust the nut the drum pads expand and hit the inner surface of the rotor hub). Every turn or 2, push the rotor back on until you can only just get it on. This will be pretty close to the correct adjustment

7. you can still adjust the little nut with the rotor on, There is a hole in the rotor (it may have a rubber grommet in it. Turn the rotor until the little hole is at the bottom, Adjust nut if you need to with a flat head screwdriver

8. WHEN DOING THE OTHER SIDE THE ADJUSTER NUT GOES THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION

9. re assemble, check handbrake, re adjust 10mm nut under handbrake cable if needed, repeat steps 2-8 if needed

• The crewman handbrake should easily be able to lock the rears when going forward, BUT is hopeless in reverse. I would never trust it to hold a boat on a steep boat ramp!
• Yes you can adjust the handbrake with out pulling the calipers off by sticking a screw driver thru the little hole but seeing the dust and dirt is probably why your handbrake doesn't work then you should take the extra time and do it properly.