How to Tighten Your Handbrake

After a while, your handbrake may not be as tight and strong as it once was. In this video, I show you how to adjust it and make it tight again so it will be able to hold your car from rolling if you are on an hill. You can adjust your handbrake to lockup the back wheels or just so it is snug. Adjust it however you like, just make sure that you aren’t causing the rear brakes to drag while you are driving as you will wear out your brake pads prematurely.
If you have any questions, the comments section is below. You know what to do by now. Thanks for watching :)
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[@EpicLegoCrafter]

Just so you are aware, though this does work in the short term, this eventually stretches the cable more and causes more damage. To properly service your handbreak you need to be adjusting the handbreak down at the wheel end. This involves removing the rear wheels and using the adjustment holes on the break rotors/drums to adjust the drag on the breaks themselves. This method is significantly better in the long term and will preserve your handbreak and leave it more reliable in case of an emergency

[@erege09]

Can you recommend a video showing this I have never seen done any other way.

[@mousaal-ag3686]

I did take it to a autoshop and they said the cable isn’t dredged out or anything or not in the slightest damaged it’s just not adjusted right , so instead of buying a whole new cable or letting the autoshop adjusting it for me for a 150 I can just simply watch this video and adjust it myself . I do agree with your point though , it’s not valid is every scenario

[@99shadows66]

@@erege09 Watch this video to see how the adjustment is done at the rear drum star adjuster. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGaaiJumYp6XfMk

[@maxmax0]

I guess it depends on the situations. If the shoes have been adjusted properly and the handbrake still does not engage, then this method is the right one.

[@CardoTheCreator]

Helped me fix my handbrake! Thanks dude!

[@josequintana6526]

MIlan, thanks for the informative video. I have a 2010 Honda Accord and was able to access the wires just like you showed through the backside of the center console. Came off very easily, no tools needed. Found the turn bolt (which is a 12mm) and after some tightening, I was able to get the e brake to hold the car at the correct position. Manual calls for 7 to 9 clicks on the 2010 Honda. I feel a whole lot better now that the e brake is working properly, and I didn't have to pay for such an easy job. Have a blessed year.

[@carolescott1766]

Brilliant. Simple and very informative. Well done.

[@bobrob6834]

Grear video .very handy perfect timming .took me 5 minutes.i tested it by putting in neutral a resting on a small hill .didnt move .thanks again

[@MobbinAMVS]

Thanks for the tutorial(y) i both tighten my Audi A3 and my bro's Golf Mk4 handbrake :) cheers!

[@jwest88]

I ended up just having to adjust my self adjusters in my drum brakes; I had worked on them recently. Good to know about this method though if I ever need to use it.

[@kimberleymansfield1099]

Thank you very much for this! I pulled mine a little too hard the other day. I will check the cables first. Again great video!

[@nghoongk]

i gained good knowledge from your video. keep it up. thanks!

[@ahanancm]

Hey bro I have been a subscriber for a long time now, love your videos you inspired me get my car and do a bunch of work. I have 2001 Acura CL. It's a 6 speed auto but has a foot brake. It's very lose and I need to get it tightened. I have looked everywhere and can't find any solution to my problem. Please make a video as soon as you can. Also I did many things like you did such as sounds, calipers, some Plasti Dip, and I am planning to do more. Love your videos and hope you keep grown because you provide great information.

[@thatraro5504]

cant wait to see yor video on kick pedal handbrake bro

[@daleschmidt7157]

Great video.

[@milkdad36]

What a nice and clear tip~~~~

[@kcpth]

Another great video

[@nchilo]

Awesome video. Thanks 👍🏻

[@durbanboy101]

very informative video, cheers.

[@staypositive4358]

Awesome! I think I need to do this! Thanks!

[@KW-cv5me]

Thank you so much for this video! I just bought a manual car without anyone to teach me how to drive or tune it up so your videos have been a great help, thank s for taking the time to make them!

[@noelcreary7210]

That was HELPFUL Thank you. 👍👍

[@Colombiandaddy56]

Hey man I can’t find your other video for the pedal parking brake did you make one?

[@crzyofficial7658]

Thanks mine was totally different on the scion but this allowed me to get the sense of it and found the same thing but super easy to access.

[@crystalr2711]

Hello, did you make a video for the foot brake pedal tighten?

[@Tony-ir9vu]

Great job!!!

[@Elheino]

Thanks again Milan!

[@erickrobles87]

Hey! thanks man your video help me out and simple hehe nice video man

[@puneetsokhal8300]

Really helpful video! Thank you. Love the mags, where did you get them from ?

[@amerrushdi5077]

thank you ....... nice work.....

[@johannesryum4822]

i didnt finde any money, SCAM!

[@OdaBergin]

+Livier hmmm to bad

[@davidcunningham2984]

what a rip off!

[@heyday101]

Looks like Canadian money.....not worth a lot :)

[@269kx]

Thanks bro helped alot

[@Shalashaska016]

Thanks. Definitely something to look into as my car rolls on inclines in nuetral with the Handabrake on max. Not sure if I need new drums or what. We have severe hills here however.

[@milanmastracci]

Shalashaska016 Yeah having a manual car, you use your handbrake all the time so having one that works is a near must!

[@tarek3702]

shared and liked your video

[@MasterPx]

Great video

[@akizmetkat999]

Hi Milan, Under my console there are two cables (one for each side obviously) going into the equalizer. Coming out of the equalizer is the one cable that I presume is the one that gets adjusted. But every picture I've looked at of this whole assembly shows the two cables on individual adjusters as well. The two adjusters are in approximately the same place. But not on my car. The adjusters are about 2-3 inches apart, indicating one cable is longer then the other. After watching your video and reading the comments section I'm beginning to think that one of my cables might be stretched. Would that be a reasonable assumption? And if so, then the second cable is not far behind, correct? Darn it! Nothing is ever easy anymore it seems. But anyway, great video. Very clear, simple and informative. Please keep em coming.

[@rohanancelloyd580]

Great teaching method

[@Hallsballs01]

Did you ever post the one for the foot brake? I can't find it.... Thanks!

[@905nite]

Do you know where I can find replacement leather seat from the Accord Coupe? I have the same Coupe as you and I'm having a hard time finding one since most places have leather seats for the sedan. Also great video. I'm fixing my E-Brake as well.

[@samsad3982]

Good video 📹

[@randyearls595]

Thanks for info. (y)

[@MulaloMatodzi-qp9pg]

Oh yes thanks my brother for teaching me how to fix the loss handbreak

[@donluknis5082]

Thanks great job!!! It really helped me out .

[@nayanmanibaniaYT]

Good job done thumps up ✌️

[@milanmastracci]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@SM-ff3kd]

Thanks buddy

[@buckmajor]

I changed my drum brake shoes and my handbrake is loose. I have a feeling a didn't auto adjust and the spin the wheel. If the wheel is not spinning when the handbrake is down does that mean I have to loosen the axle bearings?

[@xMattJew]

Canada ftw, sweet videos man! Always enjoyable and idiot proof!

[@milanmastracci]

xMattJew Thanks Matt!! Glad you enjoy em :)

[@djghostman1687]

awesome deal man will this work on my 2006 honda civic lx

[@joshroussel9153]

Very helpful, found 3 toonies :)

[@milanmastracci]

+Josh Roussel You made money working on your own car ;)

[@moNYTx]

waiting for the other vid. Thanks

[@milanmastracci]

moNYTx For the kick pedal emergency brake?

[@moNYTx]

milanmastracci yeah man. Got a weak e brake on my auto lol

[@milanmastracci]

Okay ill have to find a car with a kick pedal hand brake and fix it :)

[@MegaBobtube]

Hey Milan, I have a problem with my hand brake. Whenever I pull down the hand brake as I am leaving for work, the car would not reverse. My parking space is a bit inclined so that it reverses freely by just pulling the hand brake down. What I mean it would not reverse, is that, I have to turn the gear in reverse, then I would hear a sound like it is forced to reverse. What is the problem?

[@paulcantiller]

What happened to the foot pedal version?

[@BassAddict12]

Hey could you do a video of tightening the hand brake of a Mini Cooper Base Model? I have a 2007 and the handbrake was just like what yours was like in the beginning of the video.

[@jakeg6549]

What makes the e brake light come on in the dash gauge. That light has to be on for my 2000 convertible mustang top to go be put down or go up. I need that light to come on. What do I do Milan?

[@zamthianmangzkc6800]

How can i check if my ebrake cable is stretched out? I have the same problem with you, the car sliding off the hill. Went to shop and paid $400 to fix but still have the same problem. I just want to know if I just need to tighten it up the way you show or replace the cable first. Thanks m8

[@broly19812010]

I have a 2002 Chevy Cavalier. Is the cord tightener located in the same place??

[@rugeramerican308]

does this apply for all cars? I got a ssangyong 97

[@RoyalDoesHisBest]

DUDE I FUCKING LOVE YOU . you seem to have everything i need bro . got my car a couple months ago and about last month i tried to make it slide/ "burnout" lol . and it would not do it . no matter how hard i pulled . thanks dude . now just to find the parts . might have to ask my grandad. he always has a shit ton of tools lol

[@milanmastracci]

LP KING Ahahah I'm glad to hear they help :) Just be sure the brakes aren't grabbing and bitting the brakes with the handbrake down

[@kairabilon8135]

Thanks bro now I can do burnouts lol 😝

[@Lholathequeen]

Thanks for great job. U have any video for foot brake adjustment. Reggards

[@gareth2933]

Can you send me the link to the video for the foot brake adjustment please

[@bushbasher69]

you should adjust at the wheels aswell if it has a internal drum but this car does not. and if the wheels dont spin freely it could be because of other things bad caliper/bearing

[@srp960]

My 2010 SS Chevy Camaro shows no resistance in the handbrake could this be because it needs an adjustment or could this be because the cable is broken?

[@ohscarxd]

Hey man! Awesome video..just one question, how do you know if the two wires are stretched or not?

[@milanmastracci]

Oscar Luo You'll notice that if you try and tighten the handbrake, the cables won't adjust and grab the brake caliper. This means that the cable itself is unwinding and can't handle much pressure. You'll need to replace both cables in pairs because if one is stretched, the odds are the other will not be far behind it

[@_ClayMorey_]

Do all car have the same handbrake place? I have a Lexus lx 470

[@steviewanderer]

You said you'd put up another vid for the kick pedal, but i can't find it on your channel mate.

[@tophermondon8419]

is there any other way that i can adjust my rear disk brake separately cause i think one is tighter than the other???

[@turkishstig8489]

So this doesnt work if your cable are stretched? But why wouldnt it hold the car if it is not stretched?

[@chrisc8774]

will this method work on 2014 accord

[@garretflook3497]

i was wondering if it was possible to transfer a foot emergency brake to a handbrake, and how to do it if possible.

[@larry12345]

for the jack up test, does drive train matter at all? with your car seeming like its a front wheel drive it wld be completely fine since theres nothing really connecting to it apart frm suspension but wat abt in a rear wheel or 4 wheel drive car? even when the car is in neutral wld there be a potential chance of damaging any mechanism if u try to spin the wheels with your hands?

[@firstname405]

It would be the same as rolling the car down a hill in neutral, would it not?

[@manjul2007]

Link for the paddle handbrake adjustment please

[@MogBean]

Are there cables you can buy that don’t stretch?

[@01059871]

In my Fiat 500 the cables are not aligned, which means I'm basically braking with one tire. Any idea on how to align both cables?

[@MrRangerZr1]

Milan, Which taillight tint vinyl would you recommend? Can you give me the link plz.

[@milanmastracci]

+MrRangerZr1 www.metrorestyling.com/Smoke-Out-Tail-Light-Vinyl-Film-p/smktailfilm.htm

[@MrRangerZr1]

milanmastracci For some reason, I cant get it to look good. It always had some bubbles and looks like crap.

[@milanmastracci]

You need to apply heat to the wrap before you apply it to the car, that way its warm and will stretch

[@lovechild8454]

How Do I tighten the handbrake on a Saab 9-5 se 2000 model

[@D0SAGE]

One of my wires is about a inch longer on the left side what does this mean

[@TheOddest1]

I'm having a problem where the passenger side pulls harder than the left (the right brake is engaged more than the left, when the handbrake is pulled). I'm not sure how to fix that

[@JK-rt2zx]

How much was it it replace your ebrake cables?

[@MrPureruckus]

Look it up

[@cwatson42785]

Hey Milan, Are all cars pretty much the same? I have a 01 audi a4 and was wondering if it's generally the same?

[@mohammedrahman3447]

Yes, the principal is the same

[@sonnydangol7909]

I got mine tightened down to 4 clicks and feels pretty tight with no play at all ,but still car is slipping and not holding on major inclines , regular inclines it’s doing ok but it’s the really steep inclines I am worried about .. I drive a VW cross polo , any suggestions? Thanks

[@kishanpatel7255]

Check your rear liners

[@happybeing777]

would this work with an awd

[@howardmphembe3369]

So will my handbrake light be on wgen this is lose?

[@joehyundaitech7961]

how does the handle become loose in the first place ?

[@StevePhillips]

Nice professional demo you should consider being an actor.

[@steezy1692]

Gonna try this on my datsun 280zx. I had driven it and parked at a downhill and when I started the car, It started to roll and almost hit a car that was 3 car lengths away from me 🤦‍♂️.

[@beast11135]

How do you know If the cables are stretched?

[@siddharthsharma1720]

In how much time should the cables holding the ebreaks be changed .?

[@milanmastracci]

+Siddharth Sharma It all depends on how much you use them. They lasted 6 years before needing to be changed.

[@paulinedevine6434]

The release tip on my hand break snapped off. How do you suggest that I repair it?

[@mattrutherford4641]

I would very much like to see a video on that!

[@ilib1849]

I have bought an golf mk3 cabrio. And im stuck with an mistery on the car, The rear drum brakes don't work (just a litle when pull the handbrake verry high.. I opend the rear drums and saw that al the springs where good and the shoes where also verry good. I cleaned everything and put it back together ... Earlier I also tryed to turn the 2 bolts by the E brake but they where tot the max turned.. What can it be I also tryed to bleed the rear brakes but still nothing.... the cylinders are not leaking and as I said the brakes have a smal bit of control when I pull the E brake al to the max ( The E brake lever goes also verry light) HELP! And sorry for my bad english im frome Holland

[@tylerdiablo]

Is there not a like a star shaped bit inside the drum you can adjust?

[@graxkexka2233]

Hia, tightened my handbrake and everything seems to work fine, except ... brake lights stay constantly on :( any easy way to fix this? Nothing on the dash when I drive, had new shoes fitted and cables are relatively new.

[@valdissafonovs2565]

Check brake fluid level. Had the same issue. Guys from garage changed brake support... They couldn't explain why light is on.., I found it later 😊 level was a bit lower. Added fluid, fixed!

[@kabirsharma4820]

are parking brakes applied to front wheel or rear wheel or both?

[@milanmastracci]

Only the rear brakes

[@kabirsharma4820]

milanmastracci Thanks for the reply

[@SuperPeter05]

There are some front wheel drive cars, with the hand break on the front wheels only and not on the rear.

[@onlyastron4ut]

To the rear, to do some mad skids!

[@elmasduro780]

i have a question i have a honda accord 2003 v6 i had adjust the nut about 2 time but it get loose in a few day i could say in about a week and half what do you think this problem is causing the hand break to get loose so fast? is the nut need to be replace i know the cable is good because when i tight it hold the car on a hill or on drive.

[@milanmastracci]

+pepo la guira I think your hand brake cable is stretched

[@elmasduro780]

+milanmastracci so you recommend me to replace the cable?

[@milanmastracci]

I think that might be the issue from what you're saying, yes.

[@kittykattzz01]

What a sexy, knowledgable young man. Im kinda glad my handbrake wasnt tightened enough now that I found you lol 😂😂 Thankyou!!

[@davidcunningham2984]

you're on the wrong site

[@kneebarx]

lol im sure he wouldnt mind tightening your hand brake

[@thehorseman1806]

I hope this tutorial works for a 06 scion xa, guess I'll find out

[@WiseFoolTrades]

Hey Milan, I adjusted my cars handbrake today but I encountered a problem. With the handbrake adjusted and the back jacked up, both back wheels were able to move freely. With the handbrake fully applied, the right wheel didn't move but the left one did. I rode the car and tested it on quite a steep incline and the car holds perfectly and doesn't move but I'm worried about the handbrake not working on the left wheel. I feel like the cable is seized or something. I have rear drum brakes by the way and my car is a 2003 Vauxhall Astra 1.6. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[@milanmastracci]

+Wise Fool This actually happened to me once. What is wrong is either 1 of 2 things. Either 1, your hand brake cable is seized and cannot actually pull the mechanism for the hand brake, or you have a problem with your hand brake mechanism. For my car, my caliper was seized so I took it apart, got rid of all of the corrosion and then put it all back together. It worked like a charm after that

[@WiseFoolTrades]

milanmastracci If you could make a video then that would be fricking awesome! Shall I open up my rear drum brakes and check?

[@milanmastracci]

I would first take a look at the hand brake cable and see if its moving anything. Get someone to give it a tug and go from there

[@Puffmac1]

+Wise Fool The hand brake is also adjustable at the wheel to ensure they apply evenly. This is usually done by means of a bolt accessible through an access hole in the drum. When I had a Corsa, I found this website invaluable, it lists the workshop manuals for most Vauxhall cars: workshop-manuals.com/vauxhall/

[@FernandoDiaz-tgo]

Where the other video for kick pedal

[@JoeSwanikerFord]

when you stop to park your car which one do you do first. Apply E- brake first before you engage the park or you engage the park first before the E- brake..Joey

[@boxxi4]

The E-Brake is the park 😂👍🏻

[@RCCaleb]

E brake then park, that way the E brake is holding your car and not your transmission.

[@hingholo8027]

i press the foot brake fully and then park after that handbrake and release the foot brake.

[@MonkeyDManolis]

Hi, I have an audi A4, model of 1997 and i have a loose handbrake. I changed the back pads but still nothing. I removed the plastic pieces from around the handbrake to gain access to the bolts, but i dont know which one to tighten. Is there a possibility that my car doesnt have one or that it has to be jacked up to do the job?

[@dadollahik88]

+MonkeyDManolis changing the back brake pads makes no difference. The are another set of pads under the rotor and when you pull the hand brake up those pads push against the rotor holding the wheel in place. So those extra set of pads might be worn out or need adjusting. I would recommend taking your car to a mechanic or a friend who is good with car since it is sometimes difficult to take off the rotor the get to the other pair of pads.

[@MonkeyDManolis]

thanks man

[@ADirtyPanda97]

+MonkeyDManolis just wondering, how did you get the brake piston back?

[@dakotadixon2844]

Work for A 2012 Chrysler 200 four-cylinder think it’s an XE

[@thurm101]

Is this a Honda Accord EXL

[@AndersDakin1]

Just Wonder same method for vw too? VW golf 4

[@milanmastracci]

+Anders Dakin 95% of cars on the road are like this. Yes :)

[@deadlyhydra]

my parking brake only holds one side of my car and the tensioner in the floor pulls to one side more than the other