Jonesy - it's time for you to get your hands dirty and break out the tools!
There are several reasons why your handbrake may not be working as it did following the drums being filled with mud.
There probably has been a bit of wear on your shoes, caused by mud getting between them and the drum. It was this mud that made it stiff at the gate - there was no room between the shoe and the drum to close when you pulled the handbrake as mud was filling the gap - bear in mind the drums were hopefully nearly skimming the drum already!
Just a little bit of wear on the shoes translates to a fair bit of extra movement in the handbrake lever - IF the shoes have not been moved closer to the drum to fill up the gap created by the wear.
The self adjustment mechanism is there to make sure the shoes move out to the drum with wear - however, when covered in mud or when corroded, they stop working. They could have stopped working over the winter with lots of water you may have driven through, due to corrosion, but it's now they've really worn and you've needed them to adjust.
So, even though you've still got meat on your shoes, the whole lot sounds like it could do with pulling apart, cleaning and greasing in the right places, the adjusters freed up and greased - perhaps with waterproof grease not copper grease as it won't wash out so quick - and then put back together. You may decide, considering the low price of them, just to put new shoes in whilst you have it all apart.
Now drum brakes look like a scary prospect when you take them apart for the first time, what with springs everywhere that have to go back in the right place and being strong springs too. After you've done them a few times though, they are not tricky, just a little time consuming.
Fortunately for us, Martin has written a guide:
www.bigjimny.com/images/documents/Changi...Rear_Brake_Shoes.pdf
One you have given them a good overhaul, then and only then should you look to tighten the cable with the 10mm nut on the adjustment yolk, found on the handbrake lever it's self.
There are three cables really. The first a very short one that goes from the lever to a yolk that the other two connect to - one for each side of the car. Mine has never sat straight, so one side comes on before the other, but it's a handbrake, not something that stops the car, so as long as they both work when fully on, it's not an issue. Rear cables are £50 a side. You could buy them both and still find it won't be straight. I don't know why this is, just don't worry.
You're going to have to get used to this if playing in mud regularly, or see Dave about a rear disc conversion - but don't get a Muddy Zook one, Daves are far superior from what I can see and I sold a Muddy Zuke one, having bought everything needed as a trial fit on a spare axle made me unhappy with it.
I hope this helps.
Kirkynut
