badshead Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 Does anybody have experience of swapping the TR4A handbrake for the later ratchet type as fitted to the TR6? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi Bill, no experience in doing the swap but why do you want to do it? Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
badshead Posted March 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi Bill, no experience in doing the swap but why do you want to do it? Roger Roger My first experience of the fly-off variety and I'm not a fan. After 30+ years of using the ratchet variety, I instinctively press the button to release it - not good for those quickly nipping out into that brief gap in the traffic moment! No doubt brilliant for handbrake turns, but I prefer the TR6 setup. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Herald948 Posted March 27, 2009 Report Share Posted March 27, 2009 I don't have access to TR parts books at the moment, so my answer is based on what I believe are the very similar Spitfire parts. Triumph changed from "fly-off type" to "non fly-off type" handbrakes during the Spitfire Mk3 run. The Spare Parts Catalogue notes that "[the two assemblies] are interchangeable and [the non fly-off type] may be used for all replacements." I take this to mean that the swap IS that simple and requires only the proper "assembly" that includes the lever assembly, pawl, pin, pawl release rod assembly, pawl release spring and ratchet segment. NOTE: only the pawl and the rod assembly carry different part numbers, so you might be able to achieve your goal with just those two parts from a later car? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TorontoTim Posted March 28, 2009 Report Share Posted March 28, 2009 I don't have access to TR parts books at the moment, so my answer is based on what I believe are the very similar Spitfire parts. Triumph changed from "fly-off type" to "non fly-off type" handbrakes during the Spitfire Mk3 run. The Spare Parts Catalogue notes that "[the two assemblies] are interchangeable and [the non fly-off type] may be used for all replacements." I take this to mean that the swap IS that simple and requires only the proper "assembly" that includes the lever assembly, pawl, pin, pawl release rod assembly, pawl release spring and ratchet segment. NOTE: only the pawl and the rod assembly carry different part numbers, so you might be able to achieve your goal with just those two parts from a later car? I can confirm this, as I once swapped a TR4A "fly-off" handbrake with an early Vitesse "standard" version (the Vitesse was my rally car at the time). From memory, I'm fairly sure that I only changed the pawl and the rod. The pawl of the non-"fly-off" version pivots in the middle rather than at the end, and the rod is angled slightly differently so that it reaches the end of the pawl, rather than the middle (if that's clear!). It's a very simple change - assuming the parts are easily obtainable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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