Handbrake lever mounting bracket on csx3000 cars

[blue sky]

I have a question for anyone who has a 3000 chassis or has worked on them. The handbrake lever is attached to the chassis via two 5/16" countersunk bolts. There are two bushings/spacers that are part of the mounting bracket welded to a cross member tube that offset the handbrake lever to the right. Aren't these bushings suppose to be threaded for the two 5/16" bolts and not drilled 5/16" completely through. If you had to put a nut on the bottom bolt to secure the lever, it would interfere with the operation of the handbrake lever. If anyone is familiar with the mechanics of this area, I would truely appreciate your insights. Thanks so much. Regards

[mickmate]

Yes threaded ID.

[blue sky]

Hi Nick, I thought they were suppose to be and that means someone screwed up. I appreciate the help. Hope you are doing well. Regards, AJ

[LMH]

Could you go up to 3/8" and thread the bushings for that? Just a thought.
Larry

[Dominik]

Isn't that very handbrake bracket hardened, meaning you will struggle to drill it for oversise (countersunk) bolts?

[mickmate]

Heli coil it.

[blue sky]

Hey Guys, Thanks for all the suggestions. I would have to use inserts vs. heli coils if I went that route due to the diameter of the existing holes. The problem is getting the correct centerline when you drill by hand. As you know drills will lead to where they want to go and there is no guarantee that you are drilling 90 degrees to plane surface by hand no matter how good you think your eyes are. Larry, I don't want to do anything to the hand brake assembly which would mean drilling the ratchet plate if I went to 3/8" bolts. Dominik, the mounting bracket is normally just a mild steel fabrication welded to the chassis so there is no problem drilling or filing on it. I am also considering making new threaded bushings and yes it will be time consuming removing the old ones. The thing I don't like is getting in there and welding the new bushings in place with fear of having sparks go somewhere I do want them to be. I know I would have to cover up everything. Fortunately the floor panels are not installed. Have to talk to a friend about using TIG instead of MIG which is how I usually weld. How much easier this would have been at the time of paneling if I caught it then. Anyway I really appreciate all the input. Will let you know how it goes. Regards

[mickmate]

What diameter are the holes?

[LMH]

A threaded insert like a helicoil, would still need the hole to be threaded. I've seen shouldered inserts that might be something that would work and you wouldn't need to weld under there. Sort of like a threaded pop rivet.
Larry

[blue sky]

Greater than the 21/64" drill size I need for a 5/16-24 heli coil. That is the reason I would have to go to one of the threaded inserts.

[blue sky]

Larry, You are talking about a rivit nut. They have to bind on the back side which is not possible on the lower bolt due to interference with the bias bar. Rivits nuts have a tendency to rotate unless they are splined and broached into place. AJ

[Dominik]

"Dominik, the mounting bracket is normally just a mild steel fabrication welded to the chassis so there is no problem drilling or filing on it. "

Yes,
but wouldn't you have to drill the handbrake (bracket) too, and countersink it for a bigger bolt? I recall from my fading memory that the ratchet part is hardened.

Nick?
Say something, other than "helicoii it"? :-)

[mickmate]

What diameter are the holes?

[blue sky]

Hey Dominik, Your right that you would have to drill out the hand brake ratchet plate if you put in anything larger than a 5/16" bolt which is why I don't want to change bolt size. Don't want to touch the handbrake lever assembly. I don't know about all of them, but the ratchet plates of original levers I had or repaired were mild steel. You could run a file across them and the would cut the material.

Nick, I think I know which route I am going to try. I normally like using a product called time-serts which have around the same wall thickness as a heli coil but is one solid piece instead of spun wire. It also has a shoulder stop. Unfortunately the hole is too large for this. I found a thin wall screw-in insert that will work. Only need to drill the bushings out to 25/32" and tap to 7/16" course thread. The bottom bushing is the one you have to watch since its OD is 5/8". The 1" OD of the upper bushing is not as delicate. Naturally my concern since I have to do it by hand and not on a drill press of mill is getting it 90 degress to plane surface. The main tubes also make it more ackward to work with the lower bushing. If this doesn't work them I am left with removing the existing bushings and machining up new ones and welding them to the chassis. Lets hope the inserts works.

AJ

[MAStuart]

Thanks for starting this topic. I was going to build emergency brake brackets for my leaf-spring car, but have been holding off until I got a little more information. I was wondering if it was possible if I could get a picture of what things look like when it is put together for the emergency brake system. I was also wondering if the emergency brake system was the same for a small block and a big block car? When I was looking around on Nick's site I saw that he has emergency brake handles and the cables. They are listed under 427.

My plans call for a bracket for the emergency brake with a hole spacing of 2.375 and spuds of 5/8 diameter and 1 inch. My plans only show the 5/8 one as being threaded. I am really glad you brought this up, because if I had made the brackets and had to cut the spuds off to replace them, I wouldn't have been too happy. Thanks. If you can post a couple of pictures, if not Thanks for starting the thread and making me aware of a another possible problem in my plans. Mark.

[mickmate]

Hey Mark, aren't you doing 289?

[MAStuart]

Thank You Nick! Very nice pictures. You are very lucky to have access to get pictures like these and share with us. Not to many cars left in unrestored condition . Yes Nick I am building 289 car (coupe). So from your pic it looks like a 289 and 427 are a little different. Upper looks like thru bolt with nut on inside.......so my plans must be correct. Is the bolt spacing 2.375 on the brake handle you sell . Will handle and cables you sell fit a 289 car. Thanks again! Mark

[blue sky]

Hey Mark, The 2 3/8" centerline dimension is correct. Even though the handbrake lever is the same, the mounting bracket for a Mk1/2 and Mk3 are different. Use Nick's photos for what you want to do. The bottom bushing is threaded for a 5/16" countersunk screw which was where my problem has been at. You don't want that screw sticking through the mounting bracket otherwise it will interfere with the bias bar. Top bushing is a through bolt but I am going to insert that one also since I have to do the other one.

Nick, Is that your Mk2? If it is, I know what to get you for your birthday; a bottle of naval jelly!

AJ

[mickmate]

I only wish it were mine. Some very accommodating guys out there for those of us with the sickness. Naval jelly, good stuff! Completely different bracket shape and attachment method between 427 and 289 but same handle as far as I can tell.

[blue sky]

Don't know if they still make that stuff. Probably outlawed by EPA now. Last time I used it was in the 60's on a VW floor pan. Oh, how times have changed. The handbrake for all Cobra Mk's and the Frua were the same. AC's policy was if it was in the store's room, use it regardless of however you had to make it work. A busines philosophy of all small industry in those days was based on one word; frugal.