Handbrake

[PeterTR7V8]

I'm just working my way down my list of wrinkles to iron out & I'm up to the handbrake. No, not the wife, the parking brake or snap-turn-assist device.

To stop my TR rolling down the drive and into the bus lane I have to pull on my handbrake with two hands. I'd have thought that if this was normal practice it would be called a 2handbrake. Because of this my attempts to do snap turns (closed road, professional driver, do not try this at home) have come to nought or worse, -0.7.

This used to be the case with the GT6 also but I was told that it would never work well because of the independant rear suspension set up. Now that I have a solid rear axle again why do I still have to put up with an inefficient handbrake? Is this the case with everyone who owns a TR7 or is there something I can do to make it work better?

Before you start, I don't want to convert to rear disc brakes, thank you.

The main issue seems to be the lack of leverage you get on the brake handle. Using both hands I can lock up the wheels so the mechanism works but because you are pulling straight up you can't apply all your strength to the lever like you would if you were pulling the lever towards you. Would some modification to the cable location on the lever help or would bigger slave cyls be the way to go?

Has anyone successfully addressed this issue?

Peter

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[Ianftr8]

Hi Peter

I had the best success when i took out the handbrake cable and regreased it (actually I swapped it for a spare that I had been oiling and greasing for about a week before I fitted it). It turned out that the old one was starting to break so it was quite a timely change.
Other than that the rear compensator bushes need checking.
Finally are the slave cylinders free to move forward and aft on the back plate - if there is a build up of crud or rust this wont help.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Ian.

Ian Freeman
1979 TR8 DHC California car that never crossed the pond, started life as KDU 315V.
1962 Triumph Courier

[macmattom]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"></font id="Comic Sans MS"><font size="4"></font id="size4"><font color="blue"></font id="blue">Hi Peter.

My handbrake also appeared to be just one step up from useless when I first bought my TR7, so during the renovation I have bought a brand new cable, in case the original was stretched. Can you tell me if you had any joy with yours, as I've not yet fitted my new cable so don't know if it will solve the problem. Any ideas help.

Thanks very much,

Mac

The pheonix rises from the ashes - just give it time.

[Hasbeen]

Peter, my Morgan +4 had a man's size handbrake lever, with a "fly
off type button, & it really was capable of "handbrake turns".

I believe you have no chance of getting the 7s little lever to do
this, but I found one great improvement. After all the usual, pivot
points overhauled, & greased, as was the cable, I found the most
important thing was close adjustment of the shoes. The best way to
do this is to make the auto adjusters work, as manual adjusting is
such a pain, in the late cars.

With the rear adjustment right, & auto adjust working, my lever will
just hold the car on 2 clicks, & sort of lock atleast one wheel on 3
clicks.

To get them to work, I sanded, & polished, [just with a soft copper
wire brush] to some extent, all the parts of the adjusters, & the
shoes where the adjusters rubbed on them, then lubricated the areas
with a smear of waterproof graphite grease. Graphite grease only
because I have it for travelling irrigators.

I had to clean them up, & regrease after about 3 1/2 years, [about
40,000 Km] It does help, but won't make your car a gymkhana whiz.

Hasbeen

[PeterTR7V8]

Mac, no progress on the handbrake but you have spurred me into action again. The problem is the lack of usable leverage the handle gives you. On modern handbrakes you are pulling the handle towards you but on the TR7 you are lifting it because the laver is too short & has a small angle of movement. There is about 40 deg of movement available on the handle but only 10-15 deg is used because the tendency is to keep the cable adjusted tight. The higher the angle the better leverage you get, or so I reckon. Ideally it should be perpindicular like the WRC cars have it but practically that isn't an option.

I think I can make it better if I put spacers under the 2 front bolts where the handle attaches to the transmission tunnel & loosen the cable so that the handle is at a greater angle before the cable tightens. Finally, if I can put a slight bend in the handle so it sits an inch higher I think that will help too. If that doesn't work then maybe a hydraulic conversion is in order.

I might have time to look at it this week.

Your car is looking really good if the thumbnail pic on your signature is any indication. Is that a kit on the back?

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[FI Spyder]

Good luck trying to get the rear wheels to lock up to induce a snap turn. I'm happy to get it to hold on my steep driveway so I can get the planks up to the front wheels to drive up them to get under the front end. To do that I've greased/lubed all pivot points involved, new rear cylinders, clean and sparingly lubed with brake grease, moving parts in rear brakes. It works so that's all I want.

TR7 Spider - 1978 Spifire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra

[nervousnewowner]

i'm in the process of restoring a tr7 convertible i just bought and handbrake on mine way off too,been trying all sorts and at the moment have it holding the car on 8 clicks but as mentioned earlier a new cable may help, also the usual adjusting the shoes out and making sure the adjusters under the car are held when setting up the adjusters underneath, if i got anything wrong there folks let me know, might be the reason why mine still needs tweaking too...

[busheytrader]

Hi,

I had problems with my handbrake as it became next to useless. The cables had stretched with no more adjustment left on them, the automatic adjusters in the drums had gummed up with brake dust and rust, the shoes had worn (but still within their limits) whilst the pivot points on the rear axle had stiffened. The drums themselves were fine.

Replacing the cable, cleaning the adjusters with a rotating wire brush and greasing the pivot points made it work a treat again. I reckon 5 clicks on the handbrake is just about right for the amount of effort needed. The brake backplates wear with use where the levers pivot on them so I might have to fill in some weld next year. I clean the adjusters every year before MOT time to make sure it passes. I found that any grease on them just gums things up.

Adam

TR7 V8 DHC Jaguar Solent Blue. 9.35cr Range Rover V8, Holley 390cfm, JWR Dual Port, 214 Cam, Lumention, Tubular Manifolds, Single Pipe Exh, 3.08 Rear, 200lb Spax & Solid Bushes, Anti- Dive, Granada Vented Discs & Calipers, Green Stuff, 4 Speed Rear Cylinders, Uprated Master Cylinder & Servo, AllyCat 5 Spokes. No Door Stickers. Mine since July 1986, V8 from 1991

[Ianftr8]

BL used to sell add-ons for the brake levers on the back brakes, this increases the leverage. Im trying to persuade my cousin to let me borrow the set from his Spitfire so I can make copies.

Worth noting that I have always found it best to use something like "Copperslip" on the moving parts.

Happy Christmas

Ian

Ian Freeman
1979 TR8 DHC California car that never crossed the pond, started life as KDU 315V.
1962 Triumph Courier

[PeterTR7V8]

Ian, the lever extensions are described in the book 'How To Improve your TR4-6' & the relevant section is online at Google Books here http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=v9Vk ... t#PPA47,M1

It may be worth trying because as the book points out, the longer the lever the further the cable has to move & that may help to achive the greater angle needed on the handbrake grip to make it more of a pull than a lift.

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[busheytrader]

The "How to improve your TR7 / TR8" book has the exact same drawing and dimensions for these lever arm extensions

http://www.veloce.co.uk/shop/graphics/pdf/V4045.pdf

Adam

[Ianftr8]

Cheers for that Peter & Adam,

I had forgotten that there was a design in the TR7/8 book.
It has only taken 15 years for me to be finally happy that my handbrake is working. As you say you pull the handle
more in an upward motion rather than backwards,
so the only thing to do is have the adjustment wound out so you get more clicks.
I can at last lock the back wheels by pulling with one hand so it is possible to steer with the other!

Merry Christmas

Ian

Ian Freeman
1979 TR8 DHC California car that never crossed the pond, started life as KDU 315V.
1962 Triumph Courier

[PeterTR7V8]

I'm trying to have one of those periods where I do more driving than tinkering but I did force myself to get under the car the other day to loosen the handbrake cable. I managed to get about 1.5 inches of extra travel on the handle creating an angle that has made it easier to apply more muscle. As a result I can now stop my car rolling down the drive using just one hand to set the brake but the handbrake turn still eludes me.

The handle is now almost at the limit of what the plastic housing of the transmission cover allows if I go with the lever extensions I'd probably need to retighten the cable somewhat. If I thought about though it I'd realise that I have better things to spend my money on.



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To do list:
Upholstery/Motor/Gearbox/Suspension/Brakes/Carb/Tyres../Gearbox/Paint/Cam+Motor
Done......./done./done....../done......../done../done/done/redone.../done/under way
Blog: http://www.forum.triumphtr7.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8548