[Mgs] MGB handbrake

[PaulHunt73]

Not much to go wrong at the diff.  The compensation lever points up, and its 
spacer tube should be free to move back and fore on the bolt or pivot when 
things are tightened up.

There is a clamp bolt between the two halves of the lever to clamp the 
trunnion that is part of the cable.  The long cable goes straight on to the 
left-hand wheel, and the short cable from the trunnion comes back to the 
right-hand wheel.

You can see pictures of the upper part of the compensation lever here 
http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/handbrake.htm#2

Bear in mind there are two handbrake cables depending on whether you have a 
wire wheel axle or a stud wheel axle.  Note that as wire-wheel hubs can be 
fitted to stud wheel axles and vice-versa, looking at the wheels is not good 
enough, info here http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/axlelen.htm

The greatest scope for error comes with the levers inside the drums, and the 
shoes.  The levers are handed, and there are 'early' and 'late' versions, 
the same part numbers for both banjo and Salisbury axles.  However, when 
fitted to the Salisbury axle they go on opposite sides to when they are 
fitted to the banjo.  On the Salisbury, which I assume you have, the short 
bar that goes through the back-plate should be above the long bar that goes 
between the shoes.

There seems to be a gotcha on some replacement levers where they are too 
long, and foul the rear shoe.

As for the shoes when the car is moving forwards, a point on the drum should 
go over the 'empty' section of the shoes before it reaches the friction 
material.  That's both shoes, both sides.

Info on back-plate levers and shoes here 
http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/rearbrakes.htm.

PaulH.


----- Original Message ----- 
> but we wonder whether the whole assemblybincluding the levers attached to
> the back of the diff.bwas at one time removed and put back together
> incorrectly.  Can anyone point us to a good diagram of the layout?