Handbrake R40 (Alternative) Mini R53

[Arctic]

Hi Mike
It comes from a special forest which grows the best pine also when at the meets if people borrow it they know it's not theirs and as to go back in my tool box, something we always did on site as tools seemed to find new homes otherwise

[Arctic]

Hi Gary.
A big thank you to you also for revitalising my interest in the HB, i did mention it to you on the other side that I looked at it sometime ago but let it slide because of having to purchase the whole unit, as we both agree I think this should have been the part used on the 75/ZT from the start, i must admit though i wish it could be fitted as easy as the SSC maybe after a bit of practice i could bring the time down to about 50 minutes.


I am at the moment in contact with a person whom says he can supply me with a good quantity of these but I am waiting on the price, in the mean time I will stick with the SSC at meets etc as time is always in short supply cheers Arctic.

[Arctic]

Ordered and obtained a few more just in case I am asked for one at the nano, it should keep the owner occupied for a couple of hours fitting it, with supervision of cause I do not intend to get caught up on fitting these at the nano as time is already really limited due to being busy, the time just fly's by when your having fun.

Before the mod on the mod


After with the belt and braces mod


And the one not to buy is the one in the bottom of this photo as it is a little short.

[David Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Arctic

After with the belt and braces mod


And the ones not to buy as they are a little short.

Steve,

What is the difference between the ones in the top picture and the top one in the bottom pucture, and how would you tell them apart when buying? They look the same visually. How long should the right length one be as I have one on the way to me.

My manual car has a slight issue that the driver side rear drum is always slower to lock than the passenger side, and when looking at this version of the hb mod, it looks much better designed in terms of equalising forces between the 2 wheels as it looks able to swivel more than the old design.

Thought i might give it a try soon.

[Arctic]

Hi David
There is no difference only that the top photo as the same R53 cable and equaliser with a belt and braces fitted by me ie two hole drilled and a split pin inserted either side of the cable.

This was to settle a very tiny niggle I had in my mind a (what if ) thought, the equaliser was to open up at the part where the front cable in inserted through the equaliser so in reality a bit of OTT scenario it is the bottom one that you need to steer clear of as it is to short in the cable length in my opinion form looking at it and measuring it, not in fact as I have not fitted one I have amended the script above the photo now

Hope I have been able to answer your question cheers Arctic.

PS good luck with the fitting take your time and it should go smoothly

[David Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Arctic

Hi David
There is no difference only that the top photo as the same R53 cable and equaliser with a belt and braces fitted by me ie two hole drilled and a split pin inserted either side of the cable.

This was to settle a very tiny niggle I had in my mind a (what if ) thought, the equaliser was to open up at the part where the front cable in inserted through the equaliser so in reality a bit of OTT scenario it is the bottom one that you need to steer clear of as it is to short in the cable length in my opinion form looking at it and measuring it, not in fact as I have not fitted one I have amended the script above the photo now

Hope I have been able to answer your question cheers Arctic.

PS good luck with the fitting take your time and it should go smoothly

Thanks Steve,

I spotted one on ebay for £5 so took a chance for on it. It is one of the top picture ones but without the split pin mod. Now that i have finished refurbing the auto i plan to make a start on the manual so will be getting around to it during the next month hopefully. I have done both cars with the stainless shackle mod previously so can now do it a bit quicker than the first time i tried which took me most of a day. Second one took about an hour and a half, although the majority of that was getting the back seat back down!

[David Lawrence]

Mine has arrived. Inspired by your split pin mod to stop it from spreading apart, i went the bolt route. Drilled a hole for a m5 bolt, tapped the bottom hole with m5 tap and a lock nut on the bottom for good measure. (Lost my tin of split pins!)

image.jpg

This compensator was only £5 from ebay and articulates around the centre pin much better. Thanks for bringing this idea to us, looks likely to be a real improvement for equalizing brake force properly.

[David Lawrence]

Fitted the R53 compensator today, and immediately found why my stainless one hadnt been working properly, the stainless shackle was out of the two prongs that it should rest in. I think that this happened when i replaced my rear backplates a while ago, as i heard something twang as i was adjusting everything back then. I had assumed it was just the cable pulling in to tge backplate, but obviously not, and this explains why the stainless mod worked fine before i fitted the new plates but not after, as this problem basically eliminated all the articulation possible.

Anyway, the new one is now in, and i can hear both brakes applying evenly now so should prove to be a much better design.

The job went very smoothly, the only tricky bit being that lug that holds the front cable in to the handle, but by tapping on the end of the threaded rod it did bend it out of the way. To bend it back again once the new cable was in place i placed a small chisel just on the tunnel under where the lug is, then a large screwdriver to lever up on the lug to bend it back in place.

steve,

Do you want my old compensator? If you do please note that it still needs to be modified properly by you, because my shackle was a couple of mil too long. This might be what allowed it to spring out if the prongs when i did the back plates. I got round it by using a couple of extra washers under the nut, but im sure you will be wanting to make it to standard.

If you do want it, just pm me your address again, as i have deleted all my PM's and lost it.

[Arctic]

Originally Posted by David Lawrence

Fitted the R53 compensator today.
steve,

HI David.
Yes please I will drop you a PM or email with my address, the R53 is a good alternative and as you say it give a smooth steady tension and equalises evenly, I have fitted several now they do take more time than the SSC one therefore I will only fit or help to fit one if a member asked me to help at the meet cheers Arctic

[David Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Arctic

HI David.
Yes please I will drop you a PM or email with my address, the R53 is a good alternative and as you say it give a smooth steady tension and equalises evenly, I have fitted several now they do take more time than the SSC one therefore I will only fit or help to fit one if a member asked me to help at the meet cheers Arctic

It's in the post this morning. Ive not adjusted at the drums yet as ive just received some new disks to fit, so i will do it then, expecting a much better balance. I did notice as i fitted the R53 that the angle of articulation it tightened up at was beyond the angle the old design would ever have managed, so im sure it will perform better long term.