Jonesy, TR4 Handbrake Conversion

[jonesy]

Tr4 Handbrake (fly off Handbrake) Hi all does anybody have any ideas about a conversion from the original Handbrake to something more reliable and. easier to use thanks

 

[james christie]

https://www.revingtontr.com/product/rtr4394-1k/name/kit-tunnel-handbrake-tr2-4-fly-off

james

[John Morrison]

Jonesy,

Hello, firstly, I enhanced your title to be a litle more detailed.

The reason beings being (a) It will hopefully obtain you more informative responses, and

(b) it aids searchs for similar questions in the future, If you are unhappy with this let me know, and I will, or you can revert back to

your original wording.

As regards your question, it is, if you are at all mechanical, very simply to put a 'Kit' together to convert to a transmission tunnel TR4A style.

Indeed I put everything needed in a box, together with instructions, and posted off to a member on The Isle of Man, a few years ago.

All the components are available, Think I aquired a used complete handbrake lever by asking on this forum, I fabricated the carrier for the assembly, that needs welding to the transmission tunnel. You drill two holes in the kickplate above the tunnel as the 4A cables run along and out, underneath the car there, and two unique brackets are needed to 'Stop' the cables next to the backplate.

 

John.

 

 

[Z320]

Hi Jonesy,

the Girling construction with the short lever going outside the brake drum

and the hope for the pin sliding on the backplate is a very sad and poor construction.

From the late 1940ies on (VW beetle is the oldest car I've seen this detail) a long lever inside the brake drum

and the brake cable going angular through the backplate became common on the continent and is still in use on most cars around the wourld.

I swoped my @&%$§!!@ TR4A handbrake 2019/2020 to this construction with BMW parts

and can stop my TR now from any speed with little effort only by the handbrake.

There is a description about how I made it at this forum, you have to look.

Sadly it's nothing for simply order, buy and fit in minutes.

Ciao, Marco

Edited April 14, 2021 by Z320

[Tr4aJim]

Jonesy,

Here is a discussion I started a few years ago regarding the handbrake on my TR4A (which is less effective than the one on a TR4). Maybe you’ll find some useful info in it. I did install the handbrake lever extensions, and between them and careful adjustment of the rear brakes, the handbrake works much better.

If fact, a few years ago it saved my wife and I when I had total hydraulic brake failure traveling at 80kph, approaching a red traffic light. I was able to use the handbrake to quickly slow/stop the car without lockup. 

As a side note, before the brake failure, I was going to get the Revington kit to convert my handbrake from “fly off” style to the “ratchet” style used on later models. I’m glad I didn’t, as I found the “fly off” handbrake action allowed me to modulate the rear drums without accidentally engaging a ratchet.

Jim

[Z320]

Indeed the lever extensions have a very good reputation - but I don't understand how they work.

Because from a longer lever you have only a benefit when you also change the point from where you are pulling the lever.

Because torque is the ammount of lenght of the lever (angled 90deg to the force) X the force pulling (in 90 deg. angle) to the lever.

So "the real resulting lever length" sadly is very often reduced be wrong angle of the force.

This is one of several reasons why the TR4A handbrake is worse than the handbrake on the TR4

Edited April 15, 2021 by Z320

[Z320]

Hi,

I asked the members of the "Brezelfenstervereinigung"-forum (early VW beetles with the 2 small rear windows.

The beetle had the construction I now use from April 1950 on the Export model.

Ciao, Marco