Hi all,
After many months I'm finally starting to reassemble my IRS! Feels so good working on the XJS again & seeing shiny bits go on:



My plan is to fit the handbrake calipers before installing the cage back onto the diff. I have some 'refurbished' calipers to go on & new Ferodo pads, brass forks, etc.

But being aware that they have self adjusters in them that I admit I don't fully understand how they work...Is there a specific setup procedure I should follow to set them up 'for the first time'? Do you manually actuate the caliper levers once the pads are installed to ratchet them against the disk or similar?

I'm trying to do everything right first time & really avoid the point of the cage being back in the car only to realise i've done something wrong that is then impossible to access.

 

I have found that when they are way out of adjustment because of a recent rebuild, the self-adjustment really doesn’t work very well.. Since you have it apart, save yourself some time and help the ratchet mechanism along first…. You’ll see they have what looks like a flat headed screw in the side, and through the slot there is a cotter pin. Take the cotter pin out and tighten that thing up a bit, but not all the way. Alternatively, with the hand brake calipers not installed, you can spin one side which tightens them up on the same screw thing. Either way you won’t waste so much time trying to exercise the levers. After reinstalling the assembly in the car, if you find the handbrake will not self adjust… one side might be moving a great deal, and the other not at all. Wedge a piece of wood so the side that is moving stops moving, which will exercise the one which wasn’t moving. That will take up a ton of slack too, then they will start moving in tandem again. Not required if you get them “close” before the first install. Good luck, have fun.

-John

 

Read the attached:

 

Hi Asdrewg

Have a look at my Thread on how I adjusted my own Hand Brake Calipers, with lots of Photos that might hopefully help but instead of using the Split Pin that you would have taken out, use an 'R' Clip instead, as this will make it much easier to adjust the Caliper Screws in future if you need to

Refitting and Adjusting the Caliper Hand Brake Pads before Locking them with an 'R' Clip instead of a Split Pin

Alex

 

Thanks all, that's some great info! I'll read through it all slowly

Just to aid my understanding - The self adjusting ratchet - is this a single piece that the caliper adjustment screw screws into the center of? As in, is this the 'nut' to the adjuster screw 'bolt'?
In other words, is this basically an infinite ratchet - does turning the adjustment screw to bring the two halves of the calliper together, and activating the arm/ratchet repeatedly, do exactly the same thing? Or have I misunderstood how this works

 

Hi Asdrewq

To be honest I can't remember but once you get the Calipers on, you will then be easily able to see how it goes, before you put the Shroud back on the IRS assembly

Alex

 

The self adjusters are, if they work, an automatic way of tightening the large adjusting screw. Screw pictured here with its retaining-position split pin installed:



The self adjusters only have a finite adjustment, depending upon the amount of free thread on the adjustment bolt. Unless the handbrake is set up perfectly to start with, the self adjusters will not (in my experience) make it work. Better pads, better supported pads in the caliper, larger pad area, and close parallel fitting of the pads to the disc when in the "off" position, are the only way to achieve a good handbrake that will work reliably and effectively.
It is not difficult to remove the sprung cover from the adjustment mechanism and you can see how it works and how a U shaped sprung thingy holds the ratchet and clicks. You can also lube the mechanism and ensure it is free-moving. But, as I say, this will not without the other mods give you a decent handbrake!

 

Check out this YT video:


Despite the dubbed audio, and weird colors, its a very good instructional video.

HTH, Dave