Why Are Your Handbrakes Stuck?

If you've kept your car outdoors overnight during freezing or snowy weather, then your handbrake might freeze and stick in place. Sometimes, ice can develop around this system's cables. They can't easily move if they are frozen in place.

Don't be tempted to force your handbrake up and down here in the hope that strong movements will break the ice. You could do more damage to the part that has frozen.

Your best option here is to turn on your car's engine and leave it running for around 10 minutes. As the car warms up, heat will naturally pass through to the rear handbrake system where it will defrost the ice gradually. If ice is your problem, this should free up your handbrake again.

Sometimes, handbrakes have problems with internal or external rust or corrosion in their cables or other parts. For example, a rusty or corroded cable might stick when you try to use the handbrake because it can't move freely. The brake itself might not move or might get stuck in a certain position.

While you can sometimes dislodge light rust by gently trying to turn your handbrake on and off to get rid of the blockage, this is just a short-term fix. If you don't deal with the problem part, then things will get worse and you could have a bigger repair on your hands.

Handbrakes have a return spring in their systems. This spring sits at the back of the brake's system on the actuator arm. It helps your handbrake move when you engage or release it.

Problems with this spring can make your handbrake stick. Sometimes, the spring disconnects. If this happens, then you don't get any retraction force or support.

Or, older springs lose their anti-corrosion coverage or if the can rust if they're exposed to a lot of water. if the spring sticks or breaks, your handbrake can't move or work at all.



Here, you need to have someone look at the spring to work out where the problem lies. They can reattach a disconnected spring or install a new one depending on the problem.

You shouldn't have to put too much effort into using a handbrake. If you use too much force, then the handbrake might stick. While this most often happens when you're regularly too heavy on your handbrake, sometimes the system breaks down when you use too much force just once.

Here, your handbrake cable might seize up and lose some of its movement. Or, the force of your pull might jam your brakes against their drum, fixing them, and your handbrake, in place. If anything sticks here, then you might also have a lubrication problem which needs attention.

If you can't use your handbrake normally because it is sticking or stuck, then you need expert help. If your handbrake doesn't work, you can't park safely. If it gets stuck in an on position and you continue driving as normal, then you could cause a lot of damage to your brakes in general. This could leave you with a bigger problem to repair, and it could make your car unsafe to drive.

To find out what you should do next, call Stopmaster Brake Service Pty Ltd.