Handbrake self-tightens

[isuzutoo-eh]

G'day all,
When I use low range/CDL for more than a manouvre, the handbrake has gone weird.
The lever loses almost all the travel, so it only has one or two notches before its fully applied. Maybe a third or a quarter of normal travel. The handbrake is still very effective just very short travel.
Once the vehicle is driven in high range/CDunL for a few hundred meters it is fine again.
It has happened on rocky/dirt terrain twice as well as three times on Stockton Beach.
I can't help but think the handbrake might be dragging when this happens, but in low range with an Isuzu its hard to tell.

Vehicle is 1985 County with LT95.

Any advice on why this happens and how to fix it?

[Bearman]

Hi Mark, That's a bit of a weird one. Only thing I can think of that might cause this is a gearbox mount may be broken and causing the cable to tighten when the gearbocx flexes under heavy load as in low range. Check both gearbox mounts and make sure the cable is not snagging....Brian

[isuzutoo-eh]

Ah man, can't you give me some good news like...the thingummy needs greasing...or...'thats how LR designed it'...broken things never sound pleasant to me.
I'll crawl under it tomorrow and have a Captain Cook :D

[Bearman]

Not a hard one to fix Mark. If you find a broken one (sometimes it is hard to see if they are broken, may just look like a crack. Put a jack under the box and jack it a little and you will soon see if one is broken) they are easily replaced. Put a jack under it then undo the 3 bolts that hold the bracket to the chassis and undo the mount nuts,jack it up a little and the mount and bracket will fall out. Reverse the procedure to refit. If you find a broken one, see if that box you picked up from Tony has a good one on it....Brian

[isuzutoo-eh]

Thanks Brian,
Vehicle is away getting the brake master cylinder resleeved and the system pressure bled at the moment so i'll have a look when I get it back tomorrow. I was worried the mounts would be welded to the chassis, not bolted. Doesn't seem so bad now.
Cheers

[Brid]

I have seem this happen due to the front prop shaft spline freezing up, and pushing the transmission back on front suspension travel.