Anyone ever have their handbrake stick?

[aaronon]

A few months ago I went to drive off and took my handbrake off.

I accelerated and the back rear wheel was stuck (the left one was fine). At this stage I phoned someone and they came out and sorted the problem (by hitting the rear drum with a metal pole releasing the handbrake).

I took it to a mechanic who opened it up and said that there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Now, a few months later the same wheel jammed. This time however, it wasn't as tight (the car moved slightly as opposed to not at all, like previous). . .I engaged and released the handbrake about eight times, and kept accelerating until I hear the brake "pop" free and I was able to drive.

Does anyone know what's causing this? If a mechanic says there's nothing wrong with the inside of the drum then what exactly could it be?!

Will it be costly? . . .my first MOT is in November and I presume it's not going to stick during the test so it should be fine . . .BUT. . .after my MOT if I get a service by Volkswagen and tell them the situation GOD KNOWS what they'll say is wrong / charge

Any ideas?

[black-a4]

I had the exact same problem, got it fixed last week. Hasn't happened again since (fingers crossed)

Dealer's charged me under £30 to clean inside the rear driverside brake drum, and its done the job so far.

I'll let you know if it comes back.

[chewy]

Had the car been standing for any length of time?

[black-a4]

I think my car had been sitting for a while on the dealers forecourt, but it gradually got worse over the course of a year. Until one day it seized up completely after sitting for about a day with the handbrake on. My gravel driveway, looked like I'd plouged it

But getting the rear drum cleaned out, seems to have stopped it. I'll keep you informed aaronon.

[aaronon]

Thanks a lot.

Yeah I got mine fixed a month or two ago and took it to a mechanic I know personally and he cleaned the inside of the drum - unfortunately it returned the other day but popped off this time as I kept attempting to drive.

I don't leave my car sitting, I drive it every day.

I don't pull the handbrake up tight anymore for fear of it sticking so I pull it up one or two clicks.

[black-a4]

No worries.

I'm the exact same, don't really need to use the handbrake on my drive, so its kept in gear mostly now instead!

[RUM4MO]

Generally speaking, its the handbrake actuating linkage that is part of the brake shoes that causes most of these problems as it starts to seize up. Ideally, every other year, I'd reckon, the drums should be removed and the shoes taken off and cleaned and maybe freed up and slightly lubricated - but that takes a bit of time and that means money - so mainly I'd expect that the drums would never get removed unless there was a seious problem. My daughter's Ibiza, as it turned out, had been causing her problems like this for a couple of years before she told me about it, by the time I got hold of it to service/repair the rear brakes, the brake linings had split so the shoes were replaced - solving this and the original problem! That is one of the reasons that I tend to prefer disc brakes - ie they are easier to service as a DIYer - so they do tend to get kept serviced - fighting with drums can be a bit of a time wasting pain in the bottom.

[black-a4]

Well, mine has started to stick again! I'm guessing cold weather does it no favours.
It doesn't really bother me, no point throwing money at it, when I plan to sell in 6-7months.

[RUM4MO]

Well, mine has started to stick again! I'm guessing cold weather does it no favours.
It doesn't really bother me, no point throwing money at it, when I plan to sell in 6-7months.

I hope you stay lucky as it could seize up solid at an akward time, I went with my daughter to pick up her new Ibiza SC on Saturday, and the first thing that I noticed with her old Ibiza 6K was that a back brake was "sticking", when I asked her how long it had been like that she said a few months - but he ho, she needs her car to get to work, so it was just lucky that it stayed noisey but okay until she traded it in - would not have banked on that if I was her!