If its anything like the brakes on the smaller ecospace machines (mx10) they are not adjustable for holding force. In other words, if it won't hold the car you have to replace the whole brake.

Thanks for the information. That's what I am being told. Don't think the elevator was checked with the proper full load during the acceptance test. Elevator Drive won't run with the full load and the brakes wont hold the full load.

The brakes not holding is one thing, the car not being able to run up with a full load makes me wonder about the counterweights. Whats it counterweighted at? I wouldn't assume whoever installed it got the right amount of counterweight in it. I have a couple ecospaces where counterweights were either in the machine room or on the cartop when I picked the job up, seemed like someone just wanted to go home on a Friday and not fix it right.

The holding force on the mx brake system is set by the gap. Too much gap equals less force. The gap on those is set to .002". If the gap is set properly and it is still not holding, then the springs are shot. Adjusting this can be very tricky. Some think of it as four-wheel independent suspension like a car but adjusting one screw will change the clearance of the other positions on the drum. When I was adjusting for kone, I would put the car on car top and run to the machine. When either direction is push on the inspect station the e-brake will pick. I would set a 1/2" box connector on one of the direction buttons and actuate the brake by pushing the fitting with my foot and set the gap for that brake. Then go to the controller and swap the e-brake and main brake, go back up and set the other one. The long and short of it, if you hear the brakes clunking as they set, there's too much gap therefore too little force to hold the load. I have seen people pull weights out of the frame, big mistake when you do that.

One thing I did forget, I no longer work for kone, they changed the brake system on their machines. So depending upon the brake system, you may or may not be able to adjust anything. Pictures of what you're working on are always helpful.

Thanks for the information EElevator and BRG. The elevator doesn't have the correct counterweights in the frame. The Owner is going back to Kone to get them to fix the problem. Don't know how the acceptance test was passed.

I saw one today. they're using a Mayr brake now. They are not adjustable. It probably passed acceptance but through time they're worn out. Sounds like someone had problems with the unit slipping through the brake and their fix was to pull weights, not a good idea.

BRG, did you have many issues with the pick switch with only .002" of lift? The last brake I replaced on a Kone was on a MX 10 machine. I'd set the gap on that brake to .004-.005" and had to make a return trip to adjust the pick switch and put loctite on the adjustment screw. Seems like it was finicky at .004", barely enough lift to reliably switch the picked switch both ways. It makes sense being a little closer would put a little more pressure on the brake, I just erred on the higher side of the spec to avoid callbacks for the switch.

The older brakes I would set them at .004 then take them to .002. After making adjustments, pick and drop the brake a few times to get it to sit on the drum properly. The screw I would back it out, put a drop of loctie on it, pick the brake, turn the screw in until the switch clicked then go another 1/8th of a turn in. The locking tabs are made so once the brake is adjusted they can be installed without turning the adjustment screws to get them to fit. Pull them off and turn them over or reorientate them to get the slot to line up for the anchor screw. The mx 32, 40 and 100 are different but those are not that common.