A long shot but...
Discussion
Im machining a clamp which goes over the end of the 'open slotted bracket' for the handbrake. Basically the clamp will reinforce the fingers so they dont bend apart and out of shape preventing the retaining pin from sliding out and losing all tension in the system.
Open slotted bracket in question highlighted below (Not my car)!
My trouble is I physically cannot measure the bracket, I can reach to it but getting callipers or similar in there is impossible. I have moulded plasticine onto it with partial success but Its not going to cut the mustard.
Is there anyone with a chassis off or better access who is kind enough to take the dimensions for this bracket so I can accurately make a clamp which will slide over the end. I would be eternally grateful!
Open slotted bracket in question highlighted below (Not my car)!
My trouble is I physically cannot measure the bracket, I can reach to it but getting callipers or similar in there is impossible. I have moulded plasticine onto it with partial success but Its not going to cut the mustard.
Is there anyone with a chassis off or better access who is kind enough to take the dimensions for this bracket so I can accurately make a clamp which will slide over the end. I would be eternally grateful!
I recognise that!
The open bracket pictured is my temporary reinforcement. The actual chassis bracket is behind it (just visible at the edge). The problem I found was not so much that the handbrake cable slipped out of the slot in the original bracket, but that the sides of the bracket bent until they allowed it to slip out. The cure wasn't to close the slot or clamp it in place, but to reinforce the bracket so that it didn't bend.
When it fits properly the groove in the end of the handbrake cable fits the slot in the bracket tightly. It is only when the lower part of the bracket bends that there is room for the cable to move. That is the bit you need to reinforce.
I am not quite sure which bit you want measured, but I have the old handbrake cable that would give the dimensions of the slot. I can measure that tonight if that helps.
The open bracket pictured is my temporary reinforcement. The actual chassis bracket is behind it (just visible at the edge). The problem I found was not so much that the handbrake cable slipped out of the slot in the original bracket, but that the sides of the bracket bent until they allowed it to slip out. The cure wasn't to close the slot or clamp it in place, but to reinforce the bracket so that it didn't bend.
When it fits properly the groove in the end of the handbrake cable fits the slot in the bracket tightly. It is only when the lower part of the bracket bends that there is room for the cable to move. That is the bit you need to reinforce.
I am not quite sure which bit you want measured, but I have the old handbrake cable that would give the dimensions of the slot. I can measure that tonight if that helps.
Edited by Tanguero on Tuesday 11th December 11:23
I thought you may recognise it!
Is that not the slotted bracket then? Looks the same as the one on mine??
Exactly as you say though, the bottom finger, both bends down and opens out which allows the pin to slip out. My clamp will encase the end of that bracket, realigning the fingers and will have overlapping notches top and bottom to prevent this from occuring. I am drawing it up for the CNC today (over engineered
). Will stick a pic of it on here later.
Thanks for the offers of help, Adam
Is that not the slotted bracket then? Looks the same as the one on mine??
Exactly as you say though, the bottom finger, both bends down and opens out which allows the pin to slip out. My clamp will encase the end of that bracket, realigning the fingers and will have overlapping notches top and bottom to prevent this from occuring. I am drawing it up for the CNC today (over engineered
). Will stick a pic of it on here later.Thanks for the offers of help, Adam
The white bracket you can see is my temporary reinforcement. The actual bracket is behind that and is brown with rust. If you look closely you can just see the edge of it - the top corner is touching the red circle and the lower prong is showing between the arms of the front bracket if that makes sense.
The chassis bracket is not free at the top of the upper arm like my temporary one, but welded to the chassis. I don't think from your description there will be anything much for your clamp to fit over at the top.
I will see if I can find a better picture this evening.
The chassis bracket is not free at the top of the upper arm like my temporary one, but welded to the chassis. I don't think from your description there will be anything much for your clamp to fit over at the top.
I will see if I can find a better picture this evening.
Makes sense, did you just bond that plate on top of the other one then?
I also wondered if there was space at the top, as it felt pretty tight but I couldnt tell for sure. If not then that makes my clamp idea bit more difficult like you say
The bottom finger is currently bent on mine (although the handbrake pin is now held in) so I will see if I can get a mini G clamp in there and flatten it out. Then I might at least be able to reinforce it in a similar fashion to what you have done.
I also wondered if there was space at the top, as it felt pretty tight but I couldnt tell for sure. If not then that makes my clamp idea bit more difficult like you say
The bottom finger is currently bent on mine (although the handbrake pin is now held in) so I will see if I can get a mini G clamp in there and flatten it out. Then I might at least be able to reinforce it in a similar fashion to what you have done.
Well the problem is at one point it was set too tight on my car before I had her. This weakened that bracket over time so now its more suceptable to bending.
Ideally with the chassis off I would replace the whole thing with something more robust but thats not going to happen so reinforcement is needed.
Ideally with the chassis off I would replace the whole thing with something more robust but thats not going to happen so reinforcement is needed.
Exactly the same problem as mine had - for the same reason too.
My plate isn't bonded in at all. What you see in the picture is only half the plate, it is about twice the width you can see and there is a corresponding slot cut in the other side that fits behind the nylon adjuster. The cable tie in the picture is enough to hold the whole lot together.
Although it looks like a bit of a bodge it was actually very secure and fixed my handbrake adjustment problems for the best part of a couple of years until I welded a new plate on when I did the body-off.
My plate isn't bonded in at all. What you see in the picture is only half the plate, it is about twice the width you can see and there is a corresponding slot cut in the other side that fits behind the nylon adjuster. The cable tie in the picture is enough to hold the whole lot together.
Although it looks like a bit of a bodge it was actually very secure and fixed my handbrake adjustment problems for the best part of a couple of years until I welded a new plate on when I did the body-off.
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