MOT Test Handbrake efficiency - Sprinters (1 Viewer)

[Dave and Ginny]

Hi all

Having just replaced all the handbrake components, shoes, disc/drums on my 1995-2006 416 Cdi with twin wheels on the back, with genuine OEM parts...the handbrake doesn't really seem that much better .

For stopping the wheel turning whilst applying wheel nut torque perfect!

For holding back over 4 tons on a moderate slope...useless!

Now, they test these days on a roller set up...so is it possible that I will get the required reading on their machine from the handbrake ability to stop the wheel revolving?

Just wondering how the equipment measures it's efficiency.

Cheers Dave

 

[ambulancekidd]

We had a lot of Sprinters of this vintage in the Scottish Ambulance Service & on the day of the MOT the handbrake worked, well sort of worked, but by the following day the handbrake was useless! Attending incidents where we needed to keep the engine running for the blue lights etc & on hills it was a nightmare.
We're on the lookout for a new motorhome & I'd like it to be Sprinter based, but the handbrake issue's do worry me.

It wasn't so bad to hand my ambulance to the mechanic & say fix it, but I do all of my own maintenance & don't relish the thought of continually crawling around doing brakes.
On a lighter note, we had a 906 Sprinter camper, so it was the the later model & in four years of ownership the handbrake only required greasing of the cable ends etc & the handbrake could easily hold even on the steepest of hills.

 

[pappajohn]

It's tested in two stages.
Applied slowly to a certain point to check rolling balance then applied fully to check force required.
I believe imbalance can be no more than 17% side to side and efficiency is something like 50%.
Something to do with roller force required vs percentage of axle weight I believe

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[Dave and Ginny]

Thanks for the replies @pappajohn and @ambulancekidd.

I've adjusted it correctly and used all Mercedes parts. It stops the wheel turning when I was applying 200nm to the wheel bolt carrier (in the pic below). It seems effective enough at stopping the wheel turning, but it's a small drum, had bigger on a Moggy 1000 years ago, and it can't hold back the weight of the vehicle.

It's a bit like the rudder on the Titanic not being big enough to turn away from the iceberg!

I'm hoping that the way the rolling road tester works just reads the efficiency of the ability to retard the wheel and doesn't correlate it to the weight of the vehicle.

 

[injebreck99]

If all the brake parts are new, they would need time to bed in before becoming fully efficient.

 

[canopus]

' We're on the lookout for a new motorhome & I'd like it to be Sprinter based, but the handbrake issue's do worry me '

Get a 616 CDi - the handbrake is 'air' operated.

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[Robin McHood]

' We're on the lookout for a new motorhome & I'd like it to be Sprinter based, but the handbrake issue's do worry me '

Get a 616 CDi - the handbrake is 'air' operated.

Oh yeah! And if you are new to them, wait a bit after starting before releasing the handbrake if you've been sitting for a while! You may not have bogged in after all......