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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Handbrake shoe levers

Has anyone experience of lengthening the rear brake shoe levers to give better handbrake performance on rod operated handbrakes .
If so how much do you lengthen them by?
Peter King

Not the rear ones, but when I needed to rebuild the handle mount due to it being made of cheese grade steel I mounted the handle higher up and made the arm longer on the back of the handle. Worked well.
Rob Armstrong

Making the levers longer will give you more travel at the lever.

What's the issue with your existing set-up? If the clevis pins aren't worn and the holes in the rods and levers aren't worn oval, the standard system works fairly well.

Ditching the rods and fitting a late 1500 cable can make it more efficient. You just need somewhere to mount a support bracket.
Dave O'Neill 2

If the mechanism is in correct order there should not be an issue. The early set up shown survived through several marks until changed at GAN6 182001. Viz later 1500 midgets.
Wear in the thread of the support balance lever ATA7320 and the carrier balance lever 2A7058 will cause the balance lever 2A7507 to flap about. Unfortunately the support lever thread receives no direct lubrication. The thread is 3/8 Whitworth. The picture shows the old threaded part removed and a new part awaiting welding in position.
Its receiving carrier is still available. Apols for the upside down pic I dont know why my computer keeps on doing that?
The balance lever is not currently available but the thread may be good if it has been maintained by a regular lubrication regime.
The cross rods wear as do the pins but pins are replaceable and the cross rods can be restored. The inner ends can be welded and re-drilled whilst the outer ends I have cut off, threaded, and fitted with adjustable cotter pins ends.
Alan


Alan Anstead

Also, do a search for Paul walbran's posts on the subject. He goes into some details about the linkages, how they wear and how to fix them.

I needed more movement rather than more leverage, so lengthening things was the way forwards.
Rob Armstrong

Hi Dave,

The issue is that the handbrake is inefficient when attempting handbrake turns on tests.
Having just come back from WRGB a fellow Scrutineer told me that his was a mod on Minis and also Midgets on Autotests.
What I want to know is how much increase do I need to extend these levers by so I have better control of the rear brakes.
Peter King

Pauls posts are from the autotesting point of view.

I made the lever on the handbrake about half an inch longer.
Rob Armstrong

what kind of car do you have? if it is a frogeye I have a solution.
Flip
Flip Brühl

http://www.mgparts.co.nz/advice/technical-notes/handbrake-adjustment-and-correct-rear-drumbrake-set-up/
Rob Armstrong

Thanks to all especially from Rob I think this will sort the problem
Peter King

This thread was discussed between 30/10/2016 and 31/10/2016

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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