Hand Brake help needed.

[Tinster]

I'm finally attending to minor but important details-
now that my car seems a tad more reliable that in the past.

When purchased, my car had a hand brake handle but the hand
brake did not seem to function, even a little bit. DPO Pedro
said it needed adjusting.

I later found out there were no cables connecting the handle to
the rear brakes. I purchased the entire Roadster Factory
hand brake kit but it did not include the arm itself.

Blah, blah, blah I now have a mostly functional handbrake
that will hold my car on a minor incline.

My problem is with the existing arm. It has a spring sticking
out of the end with a black plastic button on the end. Neither
seem to serve any purpose.

I must pull the hand brake arm upward with one hand, while
pushing the toothed piece into the matching toothed piece.
To release, I have to pull the handle more upward, pinch the
toothed piece and pull it away from the matching toothed piece.

Somehow that spring and button are involved but nothing happens
when I push them.

Any and all suggestions welcomed,

dale

 

[TR3driver]

Dale, the rod sticking out of the knob should be linked somehow to the pawl (the little lever with teeth, just above your arrow).

Ooops, looks like the TR6 IS different than the Stag. Here's a diagram :
https://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/tr6/images/82a.gif

 

[Tinster]

Thanks Randall, I've tried that - no fix.

d

 

[Steve1970]

My problem is with the existing arm. It has a spring sticking
out of the end with a black plastic button on the end. Neither
seem to serve any purpose.

Dale,

Is the button attached to a thin metal rod (part # 60 in the rimmerbros diagram)?

The button/rod/spring assembly needs to hook into the toothed part of the arm. The only way I was able to successfully do this was to unbolt and free the arm. From there, I had to pull the toothed piece down so that it was visible and not stuck up in the arm (a small screwdriver or car key works for this). Now insert the metal rod (hooked end down i believe) and it should grab onto the top of the toothed part. This part takes a bit of finagling. Now the fun part... without the button/rod/spring assembly popping out you must refasten the arm to the mount.

 

[70herald]

I would look for a different handle on fleabay.

 

[startech47]

Is the bushing worn out where the arm pivots around the bolt that attaches the arm to the bracket on the transmission tunnel? It looks like it is out of line. That would also throw the pawl alignment off.

 

[Tinster]

Bushings are new.

Installing that danged handle, cables, etc
was truly a miserable job! Hateful.

d

 

[BobbyD]

It was a PITA job to do as the rod, button, spring etc wouldn't stay together when I tried to re-assemble it, I ended up getting it connected and then wound tape around the button and the handle to hold it in place.

The TRF Blue Book has a pretty good exploded diagram showing the pieces.

Because I had the two cables connected, the hardest part for me was fitting that bolt DR8 through the washers, handle and the segment ratchet. It was one of those jobs I had to walk away from a few times.

In looking at your handle picture again, it doesn't look like you have the washer/spacers (part # DR9) This part keeps the handle nicely centered on the bracket and the ratchet. Also make sure the bolt looks like the one DR8 in the diagram. As you can see, it has a special shoulder on it.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

Yep, when I did mine, the language coming out of my backyard would have made a sailor blush.

 

[Tinster]

It was a PITA job to do as the rod, button, spring etc wouldn't stay together when I tried to re-assemble it, I ended up getting it connected and then wound tape around the button and the handle to hold it in place.


Because I had the two cables connected, the hardest part for me was fitting that bolt DR8 through the washers, handle and the segment ratchet. It was one of those jobs I had to walk away from a few times.

<span style="color: #990000">Hey BobbyD- I have the spacers. I too walked away several times,
since my cables also are hooked up. Thanks for the diagram but I still
do not understand the function of the spring and button.

I push it and nothing happens. I pull the whole thing out - nothing happens.

later gator,

d</span>

 

[tdskip]

Dale - the handbrakes are a pain in the butt. I got one done, the other is still pending. Pending as in I can't bear to think about trying again right now...lol.

 

[TRDejaVu]

Thanks for the diagram but I still do not understand the function of the spring and button.

I push it and nothing happens. I pull the whole thing out - nothing happens.

later gator,

d[/color]

If the whole thing (button DR3) comes out then it isn't connected to pawl DR5. Pushing the button should cause the pawl to pivot away from DR7. This allows the handbrake lever to lower and release tension from the cables to release the brakes. When you apply the handbrake without pushing the button, you should hear the pawl clicking across DR7.

The spring is to ensure that the pawl is positively engaged against DR7 except when you push the button. You should then feel the spring resistance.

 

[TR3driver]

On second look, seems to me as though the TR6 assembly is the same as the Stag; which means the bend in the thin rod just kind of cups the rounded part at the top of the pawl. The diagram does not show the proper orientation of the rod.

Having fixed my own by removing the pivot bolt (DR8) and uttering a few choice swear words myself (Ok, a LOT of not-so-choice words); next time I'll do it by disconnecting the cable !

Since that was how mine came apart, it should be possible to reassemble the same way : with the cable disconnected, lift the handle until the pawl clears the ratchet and the top of the pawl can pivot forward. Insert the button, rod and spring into the end of the handle and guide the end of the rod so it engages the top of the pawl, and pushes it backwards when you push on the button. Then lower the handle to the 'released' position to hold it all in place while you reconnect the brake cable.

But I could be wrong.

 

[John_Mc]

Yep, when I did mine, the language coming out of my backyard would have made a sailor blush.

Agreed. When I redid my rear suspension, compared to the handbrake assembly, everything else was a piece of cake. I got extremely frustrated with that last "little" part.

I'm looking at both the RimmerBros and TRF diagrams and I'm confused by the design. On MY car, as I recall, there is NO hole in the pawl for the rod assembly to go into. ISTR that I had to push the rod assembly button in all the way, hook the hook OVER the top of the pawl and lower the arm to engage the teeth on the ratchet. To me it looks like the rod assembly hole in the diagram should be on the TOP of the pawl, not the bottom. Then by pushing in the button you would disengage the pawl teeth from the ratchet.

 

[TR3driver]

On MY car, as I recall, there is NO hole in the pawl for the rod assembly to go into.

That's what I was trying to say, the rod doesn't fit through a hole in the pawl. It just kind of cups the rounded part at the top.

This is the Stag lever, which differs in many details. But I think the pushrod is the same.

 

[BobbyD]

Dale..... u paying for the flight to PR to get your hand brake working? I'd prefer Feb when the weather is really lousy up here! And I.....um....we... can stay for a week or 8

 

[John_Mc]

Thanks Randall. Sorry about that. I wrote my inquiry, then got called away from the computer for a while, then came back and submitted it without checking for any new replies!

 

[Tinster]

On second look, seems to me as though the TR6 assembly is the same as the Stag; which means the bend in the thin rod just kind of cups the rounded part at the top of the pawl. The diagram does not show the proper orientation of the rod.

Having fixed my own by removing the pivot bolt (DR8) and uttering a few choice swear words myself (Ok, a LOT of not-so-choice words); next time I'll do it by disconnecting the cable !

<span style="color: #660000">Well, isn't THAT a fine pickle! I spend the better part of a week
tearing out my rear end to clean up and adjust everything ..............

and now I find I have to tear it oyt again to remove the tension from the blankety
blank hand brake cables.

d


Blargh!!! </span>