Earlier this evening I was parking on a steep incline with no kerb to turn the wheels into. I always leave it in gear, along with the handbrake, but as the car was creeping forward slowly with the handbrake lever on the usual notch, I pulled it up to the next notch.
As I did this, there was a muted 'THUD'  :o  :-?   :(

I can feel resistance in the lever when I get to the 3rd notch as if it was working, but no handbrake at all. The lever can be pulled up to it's maximum travel.
It's going to be the weekend before I can have a look at it.
Any idea if there is a common fail component ?  From what I can see, the cables going into the drums look ok.

ooohh, sounds like broken cable...did it feel solid when you applied the handbrake before or did you get that nice steady resistance...? or maybe a siezed mech' on one side and the cable has jumped off a the catch.....there is on here a guide to the back brakes under the maintanence section....its pretty thourough.....sorry about the spelling its getting on in the evening now.. good luck.. :-/

Could be the linings come unbonded... That's how mine went ::)

Lazydocker wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 20:58:

Could be the linings come unbonded... That's how mine went ::)

Doubt it's the linings unbonding as I fitted new shoes in the last year, tho' thanks for the 'heads up' on what to check if the failiure is not visually obvious.

bluebuss wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 20:53:

ooohh, sounds like broken cable...did it feel solid when you applied the handbrake before or did you get that nice steady resistance...? or maybe a siezed mech' on one side and the cable has jumped off a the catch.....there is on here a guide to the back brakes under the maintanence section....its pretty thourough.....sorry about the spelling its getting on in the evening now.. good luck.. :-/

Usual 'steady resistance' when I first applied the brake, but as the car crept forward I gave it an extra notch up and...'PING'.

Turk wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 21:35:

bluebuss wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 20:53: ooohh, sounds like broken cable...did it feel solid when you applied the handbrake before or did you get that nice steady resistance...? or maybe a siezed mech' on one side and the cable has jumped off a the catch.....there is on here a guide to the back brakes under the maintanence section....its pretty thourough.....sorry about the spelling its getting on in the evening now.. good luck.. :-/ Usual 'steady resistance' when I first applied the brake, but as the car crept forward I gave it an extra notch up and...'PING'.

Must read things properly :-[ :-[ :-[

No resistance at all now? Cable, if still getting proper resistance when pulling the lever, probably shoe related

Lazydocker wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 21:57:

Turk wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 21:35: bluebuss wrote on 10. Mar 2011 at 20:53: ooohh, sounds like broken cable...did it feel solid when you applied the handbrake before or did you get that nice steady resistance...? or maybe a siezed mech' on one side and the cable has jumped off a the catch.....there is on here a guide to the back brakes under the maintanence section....its pretty thourough.....sorry about the spelling its getting on in the evening now.. good luck.. :-/ Usual 'steady resistance' when I first applied the brake, but as the car crept forward I gave it an extra notch up and...'PING'. Must read things properly :-[ :-[ :-[ No resistance at all now? Cable, if still getting proper resistance when pulling the lever, probably shoe related

Hmm...got me thinking now. :-/
Newish shoes don't mean they can't fail, and there is some resistance from 3rd notch up, but lever pulls up to it's max travel. 

Looks like it's 'pull it loose > find the fault > put it back together > go get parts > pull it loose > fix it > put it back together'. ::)

good luck mine had a seized cable you could adjust all you wanted but still no effort .its a PITA to change

It was a snapped cable on the nearside. Just inside the shroud nearest to the hub.   :y