hand Brake Assembly help!!

FMD159 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 08:54 PM

Hello guys

I am in the process of assembling all my little detail components that I sent for re-chroming....in this instance I have assembled the hand brake leaver to the rachet bracket...but I am not convinced I have done it correctly...I followed the parts guide and think Ive done this relatively simple assembly correct but I cant seem to limit the travel of the outer lever when depressing the realease button when I test the operation of this....any glues as to how I stop the outer lever from moving up when I press the button down?

how is the outer chrome lever supposed to be fixed to the barcket to ensure no movement?

here is a series of photographs which explain what i mean

FMD159 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 08:59 PM

shaft position when the button is not pushed...notice the position of the shaft in the black bracket sleeve....

FMD159 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 09:03 PM

when i depress the hand brake realease button the shaft moves out of the black bracket sleeve...

FMD159 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-07-2008, 09:06 PM

rachet mechanism seems to be fitted correctly as per the assembly diagram??

DO I need to weld this in position by any chance?

**Chris1750** · #5 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 04:07 AM

Yep - the outer chrome sleeve needs to be welded to the base - you can see where the spotwelds on yours have failed. I've attached a photo of mine (grubby ++) with the button depressed - the sleeve doesn't move. The inner spring loaded shaft attached to the button moves in and out to engage the rachet.
It should be fairly easily and cheaply fixed.
Chris

FMD159 · #6 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris1750

Yep - the outer chrome sleeve needs to be welded to the base - you can see where the spotwelds on yours have failed. I've attached a photo of mine (grubby ++) with the button depressed - the sleeve doesn't move. The inner spring loaded shaft attached to the button moves in and out to engage the rachet.
It should be fairly easily and cheaply fixed.
Chris

daveydog · #7 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 09:55 AM

That button is an electrical switch to tell the operator of the vehicle that the handbrake has been left on or partially on. It's connected to a wire that goes to the instrument panel and a red light. It's not really neccessary in the big scheme of things but it's a nice thing to have. Yours must have been removed due to a malfunction. If the wire that it was connected to is still there (maybe tucked under the carpet) you could get a replacement switch and get it hooked up again.

**Chris1750** · #8 (**permalink**) 03-08-2008, 04:19 PM

If you replace the button/switch get one that is 'off' when pushed down and 'on' when let up and not the other way around so that the warning light works OK - I'm sure you'll get it sorted.
On my car there are four dash lights that are mounted to the right of the instrument cluster (RHD). They are, L to R, green (low beam), blue (high beam), red (handbrake) and red (manual choke) though I believe that they are different on the overseas LHD models with some models using one of the red bezels for a low brake fluid warning - probably much more useful than a choke light .....
As daveydog said above, it should be easy to reattach but IMHO it is a bit of a pain. Mine is so sensitive that even a minor shift in the handbrake activates the switch without the brake being on and vice versa when the brake is let off, the light often remains on unless I push the lever down and hold it for a couple of seconds.
I've attached a photo of the dash lights in my car. You can also see that my indicator/light stalk is on the right - yet another quirk from those lovely Signori in Milano ..
Regards from the shed,
Chris