Handbrake Chassis Guides

[Neil Clark]

The new chassis arrived without the curved guides for the handbrake cable.  I cut the two off the damaged original chassis but before the welder could come over we had the lockdown.  Is welding the only solution or is there a drill / bolt on retrofit that would do the job?  I'm stuck for progress at the rear until I get this done.

[Nigel Clark]

I've just a quick look under the back of my Spit Mk3. As you know, these handbrake cable guides fit to the chassis bracket onto which the front differential mounting bridge attaches.

Assuming the diff bridge mountings are already welded on the chassis, I imagine the cable guides could be attached with a pair of small (M5 or similar size) bolts but space is tight. If it was my car, I would want this properly welded later, which would require dropping the diff so the front bushes didn't get melted. If using small bolts, plug welding into the bolt holes at a later date should make the mounting stronger.

Just my point of view, others may or may not agree.

Nigel

[KevinR]

They need to be welded on, the forces on them are huge.

[Nigel Clark]

6 minutes ago, KevinR said:

They need to be welded on, the forces on them are huge.

I'm happy to bow to Kevin's knowledge. Welding it is then.

Nigel

[Neil Clark]

OK thanks.  I'll be patient then!

[Neil Clark]

Once I got down to seeing what I could do, I found that because I had cut the old ones off vertically right through the old chassis mounting, leaving the curved guides attached to their support plates that weld to the chassis, I have almost the whole angled section and it fits relatively well into the part left by the unknown chassis restorer.  Although I wish he hadn't cut them off it is a very good fit.  I've drilled and bolted them directly to the chassis without disturbing the diff mount "cups" but with triangulation to bear loads.  Fitted the cable and rest of the handbrake parts today and it seems very rigid.  If for any reason it doesn't hold perfectly, once the lockdown is over and I have the welder round for the bonnet hinges he can easily get to these guides and add a vertical weld away from the diff mount.