Handbrake lever extension brackets (at the wheel)

[pfenlon]

Does anyone know if these re still available anywhere please.

[TR NIALL]

6 minutes ago, pfenlon said:

Does anyone know if these re still available anywhere please.

Tony Sheach (TR4Tony)was doing them I think.

[DaveB66]

Yes I got a set at MG/Triumph spares day earlier in the year, make a considerable difference to the handbrake on my TR4 and I'll probably get another set for the TR6 next February

Dave

[Z320]

From the solid axle to the IRS axle the result must be different 

[pfenlon]

14 hours ago, TR NIALL said:

Tony Sheach (TR4Tony)was doing them I think.

Cheers Niall bill get in touch.

[RogerH]

There used to be a chap on ebay - Tony  Hart or hunt - that did them also for Stags

 

Roger

[stuart]

Properly set up handbrake shouldnt need them.

Stuart.

[Z320]

better get rid of that poor construction

and swap to a common and well working construction

[ianc]

Having fitted extended levers (from Phil Barnett, the then Birmingham Group Leader) to my solid axle TR4 in 2016, I can say that they are a boon for ageing gentlemen whose arms aren't as strong as they were some 50 or more years ago.

For big, strong fellows like Tony, they enable the driver to execute more spectacular turns in auto-tests!

BTW, Tony's levers, like the ones I have, replace the original arms, they are not add-ons.  This means that one has to dismantle the mechanism at each backplate, but I managed it, so it can't be too difficult.

Ian Cornish

[MichaelH]

Hi Z320

Would you tell us the origin of your brake mechanism?

I have fitted the Triumph 2000 plates and mechanism which has a a different piston, although the hand brake isn't much better

Michael H

[TRTOM2498PI]

1 hour ago, MichaelH said:

Hi Z320

Would you tell us the origin of your brake mechanism?

I have fitted the Triumph 2000 plates and mechanism which has a a different piston, although the hand brake isn't much better

Michael H

Hi Michael,

Apart from the lever extension, have you tried competition brake linings on the back ? I have these on both TR's, and I can skid the back wheels with the handbrake applied.  Clive put me onto the place that can re-line them.  Not too far away from you either.  They do Clive's clutch plates.

 

 

Cheers.

[Z320]

16 hours ago, MichaelH said:

Hi Z320

Would you tell us the origin of your brake mechanism?

I have fitted the Triumph 2000 plates and mechanism which has a a different piston, although the hand brake isn't much better

Michael H

Hi Michael,

I swaped to the most popular, probably most used construcion for this on a large number of cars:

a loooong lever inside the brake drum, bearing the forces only on the brake shoes, not at the backplate.

The first car I'm shure using this is the 1950 Volkswagen Beetle, I found no earlier one.

The backplate is original TR (modified), the brake shoes too (modifed), the long lever, self adjusing mechanism and cables are BMW E36 models.

I can brake my TR4A (IRS) from any speed down to zero by the handbrake like on a modern car with only mechanic handbrake (most have electric locked handbreaks nowadays).

This is a real modifiction, all other (sorry me) is playing with a poor construction.

If you want, visit my post about.

Ciao, Marco

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Z320

[Z320]

Btw the problem got worse with the IRS axle

because of the "unfortunate" position of the pivot point on the trailing arm

[ianc]

Bear in mind that the Works' VC Rally cars have the handbrake lever mounted on the prop shaft tunnel because the steel plate welded to the underside of the chassis prevents access to a conventional TR4 handbrake lever, and there's somewhat reduced leverage with the re-sited lever  (but one can operate it whilst wearing a fixed seat belt).

One can effect further improvement by moving the cable's attachment point nearer to the hand lever's fulcrum.

Just requires the lever to be disconnected and a hole of the correct diameter to be drilled between the existing cable attachment and the fulcrum (pivot).

I have combined this with the already fitted extended levers at the backplate (see posting above), and overall it makes a considerable difference.

Ian Cornish

[RogerH]

Indeed, as Ian has found, repositioning the HB pivot and fitting backplate lever extenders the braking effect is quite considerable.

 

I believe the TR6 HB already has the repositioned pivot but is not a fly-off style.

 

Roger

[Z320]

1 hour ago, ianc said:

One can effect further improvement by moving the cable's attachment point nearer to the hand lever's fulcrum.

Just requires the lever to be disconnected and a hole of the correct diameter to be drilled between the existing cable attachment and the fulcrum (pivot).

Ian Cornish

This is what I mean with "playing with a poor construction".

Some thought on this:

- Triumph did that on the TR6 - means they knew the poor handbrake but refused to give the customers a better one

- "if it does not work - pull stronger on it" is no improvement for me

- this diggs the grooves in the backplate deeper and „better“

- I did that modification but noticed the 50% reduced way to pull the cable, an exact adjustment is needed

I did not even drive out of the garage with this modification and swaped back to the original hole.

Ciao, Marco 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Z320

[Andy Moltu]

I have to say that I have set up the hand brakes on both the 6 and the 4A optimally, with new cables, no grooves and the Hart bolt on hand brake extensions.

Without a doubt the biggest (and only) difference is the M20 linings on the 6 which gives way better hand brake function than the standard shoes on the 4A.

Both work but less effort from my L arm on the 6. Not sure if M20 linings are still available and not keen on lashing out £100+ on the current fast road/competition linings without knowing they will work well on the hand brake.

[stuart]

FWIW I found some repro drums are thinner in the wall so therefore bigger inner space and some linings are thin, combine the two and you nearly run out of adjustment before you start.

Stuart.