RS2 Handbrake solution???

[A80Avant]

Hello everyone,
I was at the garage the other day and was discussing the issue with the awful RS2 handbrake.My RS2 has no handbrake at all now,and i only use the gear to park.
I was also told by my mechanic that it is useless to try and tighten everything back cause it will disengage again after a couple of tries...so...
I thought of something like the picture above.
I have noticed that many cars have extra small calipers in the rear wheels for the handbrake.The cables are connected to them and the handbrake is executed by the pads on the extra calipers which usually sit on the opposite side of the rear brake caliper.
Is something like that doable to the RS2?Can the cables be disconnected from the rear handbrake and reconnected to the new extra calipers?
has anyone ever tried something like that?

thanks
Vasilis

[A80Avant]

taken from a carrera GT but this is what i mean...

[A1QSHIP]

I know for a fact that the rear brake shoes for the Carerra GT emergency brake cost more that the regular rear pad set.
Have you replaced the e-brake shoes in your RS2 and adjusted properly?

[A80Avant]

yeah..the e-brakes had been replaced lots of times,and adjusted,but they never lasted for more than 1000kms.I hate having to take the car to the garage for readjustments all the time.
Actually i used the picture as an example.It could be any mechanism as long as it fitted the rear RS2 discs.I woudlnt mind.Besides from the place im in,anything is better!

[flossymeister]

Vasilis,

i don't know if you've asked about this over on RS246 as well? One of the guys over there - PP - has a brilliant handbrake on his RS2.... in fact i'd say its one of the best handbrakes I've ever seen! It holds the car no problem on a 20% gradient when the car is out of gear.

I know he recently had something done to it because he'd had enough of the problems, but i don't know what. might be worth asking him what his solution was?

Cheers,

Tim

[A80Avant]

hello flossymeister,
thanks for the input.
actually i had read on that forum about the solution given,and it has the link back at the yahoo discussion group for the RS2 where someone described the solution he did,keeping the original handbrake.
However i found the solution rather difficult for me to understand and thus difficult to the mechanic to explain to so that he could take it underway.It requires some sophisticated explanation,and believe me not many people here in greece are capable of executing difficult projects.Since i mentioned this kind of a solution to him,i thought of asking it around,cause he seemed to think that it could be possible.Now if someone has tried it even!,that would make it doable!

cheers
Vasilis

[robo]

Vasilis,

i don't know if you've asked about this over on RS246 as well? One of the guys over there - PP - has a brilliant handbrake on his RS2.... in fact i'd say its one of the best handbrakes I've ever seen! It holds the car no problem on a 20% gradient when the car is out of gear.

I know he recently had something done to it because he'd had enough of the problems, but i don't know what. might be worth asking him what his solution was?

Cheers,

Tim

I have very good hand brake on my rs2 after replacing two cables, shoes, all internal inside wheel disc. I think will be alot cheaper to do that then doing additional hand brake.

[flossymeister]

yeah Rob, I think PP's solution was something similar. I don't think it involved a totally new system or anything, maybe just a slight adjustment of the components used or something. Don't think it was expensive but it sure as hell did the trick - after reading so much about how bad they were - and witnessing it on a couple of RS2s - I was amazed by how well it worked!

[Audi_CQ]

Hmmmm... I've got a RS2 setup on my Coupe Q and can lock rear wheels in the dry while driving. What bad handbrake? Cleaned everything, used new cables and adjusted shoes: everything

[Graham]

With the modified calliper wouldnt there be the danger of the plate pushing the piston back in so next time you use the foot brake your foot sinks to the floor as you take up the slack.
Graham

[A80Avant]

actually i didnt understand that last one Graham,what do you mean?you mean using the handbrake while driving?

Guys i dont know how you have done it,but it seems to my RS2 that no matter how well cleaned,replaced,tightetend the e-brakes get,after a while they will become rubbish once again.I havent tried servicing them,as i just bought the car and was held up by other issues,but all this is coming from the previous owner that has taken the car to several audi specialists and has gotten the same answer...:dont mess with it.leave it at that.

I dont know why the custom extra caliper would be a problem,as it is used by many cars as a structure.Im not interested in doing handbrake turns,only to know that i can use both gear as well as handbrake to secure the car on any slope,mud road etc,without carring a rock or a brick with me in the car to put on the road,or turn my wheel towards the pavement 'just in case'!!!

[Graham]

I wouldn't dream of using the hand brake for any other thing than a parking brake , (although in snow it can be fun)what i mean is, say you pull up at home, put on your handbrake which:
a) Clamps the car in place
b) By acting on the pads will push the calliper piston in slightly,
so the next time you get in the car the first time you use the brakes the callipers have to move back to their operational position and if they have moved enough when you put on the hand brake earlier, the pedal will sink to the floor, same effect as when you change the pads you have to pump the brake a few times before they bite on the disk as the piston has been retracted.
I hope this explains me a bit clearer (About as clear as mud )
Graham

[Graham]

Sorry my mistake, i now see what you mean, a second calliper for hand brake only, i thought you ment fitting the hand brake mechanism onto the existing road calliper

[scillyisles]

I've had an RS2 since new and whilst the handbrake has had to be adjusted at services by the Audi dealer - I've never really had any problems with it.

[meep]

Just out of curiosity anyone know where one can find one of thoose handbrake calipers that would fit a 25mm thick disk? thi widest i could find was for a 20mmm disk