Monday, 19 May 2008

Hand brake springs

My Hand brake ratchet spring has been weak for some time now, and I will replace it, however after having the hand brake slip off for a second time (no damage or real the landy was only on a the gentle slope outside the garage) I decided that a temporary solution was in order until I have the time to strip the hand brake mechanism and replace the spring.

So here is my temporary fix (some may say bodge but I think that's harsh :-> )

Take a hose clip (the sort that you screw tighter) I used one that was for a garden hose since that's about the same diameter as the hand brake.

Find a suitable spring with a hook at each end.

Hook one end securely round the rod end which which comes out of the back of the hand brake lever

Undo the hose clip and slip it over the hand brake.

Feed the other end of the spring under the clip, between the clip and the hand brake lever.

Slide the clip up the lever tensioning the spring. Tighten the clip when the tension is such that you can operate the push button and the spring operates the ratchet when the button is released.

It took me a lot longer to find a suitable spring that to fit and now my hand brake operates correctly, with no danger of it slipping off.

Must find a correct spring and repair it properly though

No comments: