Issue No. 17: Adjusting the parking brake of the Lada Granta

The parking (hand) brake in a car is one of the important parts of the safety system. In extreme situations or during traffic accidents, the handbrake can save the health and even the life of the driver, passengers or pedestrians. This is why the handbrake system must always be maintained in perfect condition and ensure that the parking brake is always in full working order.

To do this, you should regularly tighten it, or, more precisely, adjust it, because there are cases when, for the purpose of adjustment, sometimes it is necessary not only to tighten, but also to loosen the handbrake. It is necessary to test the parking brake of the Lada Grant (VAZ-2190) for proper and uninterrupted operation when there are even the slightest complaints about its functioning.

Adjusting the Grant's handbrake

Adjusting the parking brake of a VAZ 2190 is no more difficult than on a classic or “chisels”. Let's look at the step-by-step principle , starting with inventory.

Necessary tool for tightening the handbrake

What you will need for work :

• Inspection pit, overpass, lift;
• Keys: open-end and ratchet with long head 13;
• Socket wrench or ratchet with a 10mm head;
• Possibly WD-40.

It is better to do all the work with a partner, who will check how far the lever rises from the inside of the car. Otherwise, after each tightening of the cables, you will have to climb into the cabin yourself.

The lift will make it much easier to adjust the parking brake.

Parking brake adjustment principle

So, the car is on a pit/lift, the tool is in your hands - the handbrake is loose. What to do?

Step 1 : find a resonator under the bottom. We remove its mount, located closer to the front of the car. Then, using a socket wrench or a ratchet with a 10mm socket, unscrew the 4 bolts securing the heat shield.

If the bolts are rusty, you can pour WD-40 on them and try to unscrew them. If the studs still don’t work and break, you need to be prepared to replace them. Otherwise, the screen cannot be put back.

This way we get the opportunity to move the screen forward without removing it. Underneath there is access to the parking brake adjustment mechanism.

Step 2 : slide the screen forward to access cable adjustment.

Remove the cushion mount 1, unscrew the bolts 2. Move the screen 3.

Step 3 : holding the adjusting nut (open-end wrench size 13), loosen the lock nut (head size 13).

Step 4 : Rotating the adjusting nut clockwise, tighten the cables. Periodically check from the inside how the handbrake is holding.

We do not remove the locknut! Just weaken it.

As soon as the parking brake lever reaches 3-4 clicks, tighten the locknut.

1-lock nut. 2-adjusting nut. For convenience, you can loosen the locknut and rotate them both clockwise with a long head of 13.

Step 5 : return the heat shield to its place, fix the fastening screws and the rubber suspension of the resonator.

Checking work:

• the rear axle is suspended, the parking brake is removed - the rear wheels rotate freely;
• the rear axle is suspended, the brake lever is raised (to maximum tension - 3-4 clicks) - the rear wheels do not rotate even with force.

Introduction

For example, even with the simplest job of replacing a broken tire, you must put the car on the handbrake, otherwise you risk “putting” the car on the bumper as a result of the car “driving” forward. And this is not the worst thing that can happen! You may cause yourself serious physical harm.

Toyota BB was dropped on the asphalt

The same Toyota

Classic fell off the jack

General questions about the parking brake on Grant

Let's look at a few basic questions about VAZ 2190 brakes.

Operating principle of the Granta handbrake

When raising the handbrake lever in the passenger compartment:

• the drive brake cable is tensioned;
• through the equalizer he pulls the cables going to the rear brake pads;
• The pads are pressed against the brake drums through expansion bars, stopping the wheel from moving;
• When the tension is loosened (removed from the handbrake), the tension of the cables also weakens, and the wheels move freely.

Lever 1 pulls cables 3 through cable 2. Those, through levers 4 and strips 5, push the brake pads apart.

Why is it necessary to tighten the parking brake?

When the cable tension is loosened, there is a danger of the vehicle rolling away .

The Granta mechanical handbrake has a conventional device without self-adjustment. The same instructions apply to Lada Kalina, Priora.

This means that as the rear pads wear out, the original parking brake setting will lose effectiveness.

Handbrake adjustment video 2190

Design and location of the hand brake cable for the LADA Granta

The purpose of the LADA Granta handbrake cable is to transmit force from the lever in the cabin to the rear brake pads. It is enclosed in a multi-layer protective shell and has tips for attaching to the handbrake lever and the rear wheel brake drive. The adjusting nut on the cable allows you to adjust the length of the drive, and the return spring returns the system to its original state after lowering the drive lever. The handbrake cable is located under the bottom of the car and is partially covered by the muffler thermal shield.

Crib

Instead of a conclusion, let's summarize :

• Carry out work on a lift, pit or overpass;
• Tools: open-end wrench 13, ratchet with heads 10 and 13 (preferably long);
• It is not necessary to remove the heat shield - just move it forward as the vehicle moves;
• The ideal stroke is 3-4 clicks of the handle until the rear wheels come to a complete stop.

If you've already started adjusting the brakes, maybe change the rear pads too? Detailed instructions with description and photos are here.

Have something to add to the article, share your opinion or recommend? Write in the comments!

Examination

But if you twisted the nuts there, this is not a guarantee that the handbrake now works perfectly. This needs to be clearly verified.

To do this, it is enough to go through a successive stage of verification activities.

If the check shows that the handbrake still does not hold, even if the cable was tensioned exactly according to the instructions, the handbrake is probably simply worn out and the cable needs to be replaced.

Installation method No. 2

First you need to do a few manipulations under the hood:

1. Unscrew the tube that goes to the left brake mechanism and put a plug on it.
2. Unscrew the tube going to the front right wheel. Install it in the hole intended for the right rear brake mechanism.

Before starting work, be sure to drain all liquid. Try to do everything carefully so as not to damage the hydraulic mechanisms. Try not to let the liquid come into contact with the metal, as it will corrode it. Further actions:

1. Install a new handbrake between the seats.
2. Install the bolt instead of the regulator pendulum. Screw it to the bottom of the body. It is recommended to temporarily remove the front seats so that they do not interfere and do not get dirty during work.
3. A tube is laid from the engine compartment along the bottom to the new handbrake.
4. You lay pipes from the regulator along the bottom of the cabin.
5. Select the tube sizes and install them on the rear axle.
6. Attach a flexible hose to the rear beam on the bracket.
7. Be sure to install a rubber ring so that the hose does not rub during operation. To make it easier to put on, cut this ring.
8. Connect the hose to the tubes. To secure metal tubes, use plastic zip ties.

Causes of malfunction and their elimination

As a rule, the reasons why the handbrake does not work are quite simple and do not require long or expensive repairs:

• torn cable . One of the common causes is a broken cable on the handbrake or under the car. The problem is solved by simply replacing the cable;
• jammed cable . Due to damage to the sheath in which the cable moves, it may become jammed, preventing you from using the handbrake. And the cable itself consists of many steel strands, which, if damaged, can also prevent proper operation. The solution is to replace the cable;
• dirty brakes . If dust, dirt, ice or reagents that are sprinkled on roads in winter get on the pads, this can cause the brakes to not work properly. The solution is to press the brake pedal several times smoothly while the car is moving. Thanks to friction, the pads will be cleaned;
• incorrect adjustment . It may happen that the cable system is not adjusted properly, the bolt is not tightened correctly, or the length of the cables is incorrectly selected. The solution is to adjust the system and correct tension of the cables;
• pad wear . The pads are subject to abrasion during operation. Every time you apply the brakes, the pads gradually become unusable. The solution is to replace the pads;
• oil in the pads . Oil or brake fluid leaks can cause the car to not hold up with the handbrake. The most important thing in this case is to identify the cause of the leak - it could be the rear axle seal or the brake cylinder. The solution is to eliminate the leak and clean the pads. If the pads are very oily, replace them.

What is the importance of system health?

The serviceability of the parking lock is very important, like any other elements included in the list of the car’s braking system. Tasks that a well-functioning handbrake performs:

1. Ensures that the machine stops on any uneven terrain (rises, slopes, etc.).
2. Helps in situations where the main brake has failed or during emergency braking.
3. Creates a controlled skid (requires certain skills).
4. Can temporarily replace the main system (when it fails).

But remember - the use of such a mechanism instead of the main system is strictly prohibited, if only because it is not intended for this. As a last resort, when such use is still necessary, do not apply the handbrake too sharply, this can cause the car to skid, provoking a dangerous situation in which both you and other road users may suffer.

The handbrake consists of three main parts:

1. Handbrake drive.
2. Actuating mechanism.
3. Control node.

The drive is a metal cable. It is this cable that activates the car’s brake pads or its stopping system (depending on the design features of the car). The part that transmits force to two cables is designed to evenly distribute the force between the wheels.

Sometimes the cable can become loose, which leads to a situation where the handbrake does not hold and needs to be tightened. As a result, the handbrake adjustment must be carried out jointly by the service station workers or with their own hands.

The actuator of the handbrake, which needs to be tightened, is the pads of the rear units, which are driven by both hand and foot drives. Thus, the design does not have to be very complicated.

How do they work?

The operation scheme is banal and simple - there is a handle that is connected to a cable, which in turn is in a special braid (that is, the cable runs in it). Then this cable is hooked onto a special adjusting bolt (it can be tightened and loosened), which is engaged with a bar, along the edges of which there are two more cables that go to the two rear wheels. And these cables (extending to the wheels) are engaged with a special bracket, it is this that opens the pads and blocks the drums.

That is, in simple words, when you move the handle up (raise the handbrake), the cable stretches and pulls two separate cables to the wheels. Inside the drums, the brackets are unclenched, which spread the rear pads, due to which the wheels are blocked.

Let's watch a short video and it will become clearer.

Hydraulics or mechanics

It is worth noting that at the moment not all rear brakes are cable or mechanical; now there are quite a large number of handbrake brakes that operate hydraulically, this is especially true for rear disc brakes rather than drum brakes . Hydraulics duplicate the operation of the main braking system.

That is, when you lift the handle, a special piston creates pressure on the rear discs and they are blocked. If the handbrake does not work in such a system, then the reasons are significantly different from its mechanical counterpart.