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MG MGB Technical - Handbrake tightening.

After checking the rear wheel adjustments to make sure they're correct, and fitting a new (correct spec) handbrake cable with brass nut and spring : I'm keen to clarify whether - and if so where - washer(s) can be inserted to improve the effectiveness of the brass nut. I confused myself! Thank you. John.
J P Hall

When you say 'effectiveness' do you mean amount of adjustment or preventing it coming undone?

The correct cable _should_ allow the nut to get the correct adjustment over a long period of time including cables stretch and wear in components over time.

As in the first attached the brass nut should have a scallop where it sits against the trunnion on the end of the cable so it can only be positioned at increments of 180 degrees and cannot slacken in normal use. A washer there would have to be curved, and it would have to be pretty thick to be much use.

I reused a good roadster cable on my V8 (both stud wheel axles) but it didn't have quite enough adjustment so I fitted a 1" 'shortener' where the short cable from the right-hand wheel terminates at the compensation lever on the diff, 2nd image. That's done the job for getting on for 30 years now.

I've heard of others drilling another hole in the tunnel for the stud on the outer at the cabin lever end but didn't fancy that, and it would still have to be in the reinforcement piece on the tunnel wall or metal fatigue could result.





paulh4

Thanks as ever, Paul - yes it was just to improve the effectiveness of the handbrake pulling the cable/s as the handle comes up. With everything fully adjusted up, brass nut squashing the (new) spring completely, the Roadworthy Certificate (like your MOT) was passed today without issue; but I know that the setup can and should be improved for the future.
Your idea of a clamp that effectively shortens the cable, has a lot more merit than just adding washers - not unlike a proprietory part that I found hiding under my TC a few years ago. I shall investigate further. John.
J P Hall

There are these things but with the handbrake off and the cable not being under tension I would have thought they would flap around and hit things when driving along and maybe jump off altogether.

paulh4

Very similar gadget, Paul - apparently a common solution which was acceptable back in the 50s but which would probably be frowned upon now - possibly even a failure point at MOT or RWC time. So I'll go back to other ways of shortening the new cable. John.
J P Hall

A new cable shouldn't end up like that if everything is right. (That said, the dimensions on some new cables don't seem to add up so that could be the issue too.)

First thing to check is the position of the expander levers where they poke through the backplate. The end, where the cable attaches to, shouldn't be more than 10mm from the backplate at take-up. Apart from its effect on cable adjustment, the larger the gap the less the mechanical advantage thanks to the geometry of the set-up. If the gap is too big, even with the shoes correctly adjusted, then it can be remedied by building up the notches where the expanders engage with the shoes. Try +1.5mm on the end away from the pivot as a first step.

If the expanders are in the right position and the cable still runs out of adjustment, the best way to bring it back into range is reposition the outer cable's abutment block where it attaches to the tunnel. Moving it back about 30mm is usually about what is needed, and plug the old hole with a grommet.

Paul Walbran

Trevor that's brilliant mate, thank you. There would be an awful lot of B owners who would benefit from this advice, and Paul's, if they put their mind to it. I'm pleased because I just this week sold my very nice BGT to a young 52 year old who races a seriously fast BGT, and who wanted a good-all-round BGT for road use. Now that's the sort of "next generation" of MGB owners who will get to know the mechanics of the cars and look after them well. John.
J P Hall

This thread was discussed between 20/03/2025 and 26/03/2025

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