Hand brack problem to week

308 handbrakes are legendary for not working - I'm sure there are many threads here with advice for fixes that may or may not last - try a search on '308 handbrake'

 

I'm going to try to get mine to work as well, but be careful that, even when released, the brake levers on the rear calipers themselves are not continuing to apply pressure. I have read how even though the lever is all the way down in the cockpit, the mechanism can still stick with enough tension on the rear pads to cause severe rotor and pad wear.....especially on the inside, where it's not as visible. In other words, they do not always release well

Alpo...it's fairly common for the hand brake pulleys and cables in the rear to have some corrosion. I'd start by putting the rear on ramps and looking over the mechanism back there. The pulley system is bolted to the rearmost crossmember. If you have the steel plate in place back there, simply remove it. You'll then have a good look at the cabling.

 

Maybe we could fashing a brick on a string and attach it to the handbrake lever. That would work better.

I spent some time on mine a few years ago and got it to work OK. I think the system needs to be redesigned to make it work great.

Aaron

 

I use two pieces of 4"x4" pine, each about 1.5 feet long. Back the car gently down the drive until it comes to a stop. If you live in a ritzy neighborhood you might have to go to oak or mahagony

 

Haha. Funny! I agree. And, I've also learned that the handbrake on the 308 is completely useless. Not worth the trouble of fixing in my opinion.

 

Alternative is a big rock.

eff

 

I simply cut the end off a 4X4 to create a nice wedge and keep it in the boot.

 

To the OP, carefully examine the cable system, making sure it has not broken or jumped a pulley.

Then adjust for slack.

That is usually why it's not working, unless you have a stuck/dirty caliper at the brake itself!

 

Its a fine line in getting this set. So were between no enough and too much comes down to a half a turn of the turn buckle. I had to release mine to do the interior work, but will have to go back to the e-brake redesign project when its done.

 

Chairpilot did a whole R&R on the handbrake with pictures somewhere here and found that the rotating bracket in the rear that has the pulleys on it had been bent down through the years to the point that it couldn't pivot the entire way around as it should. One of the bolts hit the cross member. So, may want to check this out and see if the pivot plate thing is not hitting anything. Part #13 on the picture
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Good idea, as that's a dodgy looking setup back there.

 

Ric Rainbolt's monograph, 308 Emergency Brake Adjustment, from the old site...
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Probably the same guy designed the 308 handbrake and window mechanism. Fortunately seems like they fired him by the time the 328 was designed

 

Rumor has it that his name might have been Rube Goldberg.

 

I rebuilt my whole system when I did the car last year. Completely refurbished the pulleys and pivots and fitted a new cable kit from Superformance. Add in rebuilt callipers and new pads and discs and I expected it to work well. It doesn't. Looking at it carefully and thinking about it to optimise the adjustments I think the real problem with the design is that although the hydraulic system applies pressure to the pads on both sides of the disc, the handbrake lever only pushes on one side of the disc. Its never going to work properly.

 

Mine works perfectly. I just park on a flat surface and put it in first and set the handbrake. The car doesn't move. LOL

 

Mine are rebuilt but don't work worth a **** on a slope so solution..

Wheel chocks!

 

With no wind on a perfectly level surface mine works perfectly.