Automatic? Do you use the handbrake?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by v_forty

Well there's a whole range of responses!

I've known people do one or the other, big and small cars, old and new(ish), including a mechanic who I watched take my car out and park it up.

The mechanism on the XC90 is a bit of an odd one, like someone said earlier - why not utilise the handle for both applying and releasing? I too hold the button in when lifting a traditional hand brake lever (which people also have varying views on whether it's correct or not) as the noise or the ratchet clicking isn't particularly enjoyable.

I should add - anytime the car isn't on a level surface, the handbrake is always applied before putting into park. Having read some more about how that all works, I'll be using it all the time now!

you wouldn't be able to generate the force needed unless the travel of the lever was longer than practical.

[canis]

Originally Posted by Clan

you wouldn't be able to generate the force needed unless the travel of the lever was longer than practical.

Fair point. Although I'm sure it could be overcome. But anyway, as the last chap said, now that it works I'll be using it every time. I think I'd like to obtain some of those adjustable 'H' bars for better shoe adjustment. I think I can improve on it further yet. I actually like a brake which can remain applied, that's a useful feature.

Yet those people do exist. My father-in-law, for example. He absolutely will not use a parking brake for any reason, even hill starts. He rides the clutch instead. Hovers there, rocking backwards and forwards.

"But I'm not riding the clutch", he argues, "I'm using the clutch!" His brand new car lasted 38,000 before it was totalled. By then the flywheel was warped. *shrugs*

[Clan]

Originally Posted by canis

Fair point. Although I'm sure it could be overcome. But anyway, as the last chap said, now that it works I'll be using it every time. I think I'd like to obtain some of those adjustable 'H' bars for better shoe adjustment. I think I can improve on it further yet. I actually like a brake which can remain applied, that's a useful feature.

Yet those people do exist. My father-in-law, for example. He absolutely will not use a parking brake for any reason, even hill starts. He rides the clutch instead. Hovers there, rocking backwards and forwards.

"But I'm not riding the clutch", he argues, "I'm using the clutch!" His brand new car lasted 38,000 before it was totalled. By then the flywheel was warped. *shrugs*

ALL adjustment must be done on the cable at the front, to the right of the passenger seat to make sure the expander leverage in the rear drum is maximised. You are "curing" a problem of neglected cable adjustment by introducing another problem at the shoe when you fit these un approved H adjusters which were not intended to be there.

[canis]

Originally Posted by Clan

You are "curing" a problem of neglected cable adjustment by introducing another problem at the shoe when you fit these un approved H adjusters which were not intended to be there.

I'm happy with the cable adjustment as I have it now. My thinking was that might be able to "fine-tune" the force applied by the shoes with H adjusters, like a plus/minus multiplier of pedal effect. But I'm willing to admit, I'm perhaps barking up serveral wrong trees. I'm new to drum brakes, and still learning, and therefore I thank you for the correction. It does stand to reason that Volvo will have done the maths on pedal travel vs. shoe movement.

[Simmy]

the thing is most who take on handbrake work dont realise that the H bar can wear leaving adjustment lacking replace it and the job can become easier and genuine volvo shoes are a must have..

[baggy798]

Originally Posted by v_forty

The mechanism on the XC90 is a bit of an odd one...

But is it an arduous one? I don't want to do anything too arduous you see. Same with indicating, that's too much effort so I don't do it.

[v_forty]

Originally Posted by baggy798

But is it an arduous one? I don't want to do anything too arduous you see. Same with indicating, that's too much effort so I don't do it.

No, far from it. It's perhaps the only car I've come across with a foot pedal to apply the hand brake, and hand lever to release it (I'm sure there are others...). So in that respect, a bit of an unusual set up.

[Tannaton]

It's worth pointing out that the back end (wheel end) of the XC90 parking brake is identical almost to that on every other P2 and P80 model.

It's the foot pedal that is the difference. I rebuilt the parking brake on mine last September with new shoes, discs and cables and it still works today 9 months and 20k miles later, without any further adjustments, but I use it every time I park.

Clan and I disagree on the adjusters - however I'd never argue with him as his habitual training is to return the car to working factory spec, and that's what you'd want if you took it to a dealer.

My view as an engineer is that it's a flawed design where the fraction of a millimeter clearance between the shoe and the drum is maintained and adjusted by tension in the cable. As the cable gets older and more sticky, precise adjustment will not be possible, even though the cable is serviceable, so I'm an advocate of the adjusters, which were fitted to some other Volvo models.

[canis]

Originally Posted by v_forty

No, far from it. It's perhaps the only car I've come across with a foot pedal to apply the hand brake, and hand lever to release it (I'm sure there are others...). So in that respect, a bit of an unusual set up.

When I worked at [redacted] (horrible place, horrible boss!) I worked on many prestige cars, Rolls-Royce, Ferraris, Lambos, endless Mercedes and Porsche, plus a few Jaguars which at the time had recently fallen into foreign ownership.

Quite a number of the new (then) models of Jaguar and Mercedes used this same system. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, being so new they all "just worked" (plus the fact that I was run ragged all day long) and it's why I know nothing about them. I just wanted to say, this set up is not unique to the XC90.

Whatever, as others have defended, it seems to work when adjusted correctly and that's the main thing. I think I must be warming to it, or something.

STOP PRESS: For fun, I just looked at their website. Ohhhh dear.... I could tell you some stories...

[Forg]

Originally Posted by v_forty

I should add - anytime the car [XC90] isn't on a level surface, the handbrake is always applied before putting into park. Having read some more about how that all works, I'll be using it all the time now!

My manual 1993 Legacy had an anti-roll-back mechanism of some sort, if you were stopped while pointing uphill & had the 'box in 1st, it wouldn't roll backwards if you released the handbrake and failed to balance the clutch/throttle correctly.
I never tried to see if it did the same if you were pointing downhill & had the 'box in reverse.
I wonder how that worked?