My new (old) Defender .. ;)

Latest Landrover project .. 'Make the Handbrake Work' .. 'cos it simply doesn't.

I looked, fettled, hammered and cursed and it won't.

So this project is to swap it for one that does, so the 'old style' 1989, lever to cable to convoluted lever contraption to wheel cylinder thing type handbrake as, I believe, also previously fitted to Series Landys as well as 90's, will be junked and the mechanical lever to cable to lever (much simpler) system from the Disco will replace it. Hopefully this can all be done by Saturday evening ..

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, nowt went wrong, indeed it all went very right!

Decided to take the 90 brake off completely first and see what's broken in it .. couple of pawls, couple of rollers and a whole ****e-load of ****e .. cleaned it all up and all it is is a couple of rollers, a couple of pawls or ramps and .. er .. that's about it! Oh, and a couple of springs and brake shoes .... they were mostly hidden when I first looked.

Cleaned up, greased up, replaced and it all works, even the adjuster feels like it's adjusting, the cable is also adjustable and the handbrake now holds it in first gear on only three clicks of the lever!!!

Cost nowt, two hours playing at fettling, cleaning and not using a hammer ... 'cept where necessary ..

Happy ..

Building my bitsa ARB Diff Locker up ... new bearings etc ... Even bought some new engineers blue to do it reet ... This is the diff with the machined crown wheel carrier side, as per the first picture, so this is a trial run to fit stuff 'just in case' ...

So, most bits fit, one doesn't!! Currently just building to see what goes where 'cos it's a 'parts bin' build. One side builds fine, the locking side has an issue. ARB use a specific adjuster/locking ring which I don't have, for the bearing adjustment. The standard adjuster won't fit .. so, putting the, standard adjuster on top of the 'top hat' ARB air inlet, it looks like I can cut or machine it away enough to work. It doesn't support any load as such, it just adjusts the bearing and thus crown to pinion gear pre-load. It doesn't bear on the inlet ring or bearing carrier so hopeful;ly it'll all work. I can get a 'proper' ARB adjuster, but they're at least £20 + delivery .. and I can't afford it 'cos we're away on hols tomorrow!

Where's me 'ammer an' cold chisel?

Hope you get a result with that, don't see any reason it shouldn't work. As you say it doesn't take any thrust load.

Heh, it works!!

So in my last instalment I finished having to make a locking ring and adjuster .. which I've now done. Drilled it, ground it, filed it, 'it it wiv' a' 'ammer and generally fettled it all and it all now works ..

So, First pic shows the thing I made to adjust and lock the bearing, fitted into the threaded portion of the diff. All I did really was drill and grind the centre of the standard ring out, then ground it as flat and parallel as I could get it, I'm sure it's 'out' a tad, then filed four slots to facilitate adjustment and locking via a heavy implement (beforesaid 'ammer and small chisel)'. There looks to be more slots but they're 'left-overs' from the (NOT SO) tightly toleranced standard Landrover locking ring!!!

Second pic shows the ARB 'air inlet ring and pipe fitted, which astounding though it is after I've fettled the spacer/adjuster behind it, now fits perfectly! As a bonus the slots I filed and the slot in the ring also line up so the standard Landrover locking tab thingy fits and holds it all properly. Gotta say I'm pleased so far.

Third pic is it all bolted together and connected to a compressor for testing .. and
the video of it working with me waffling on about stuff ...

Next instalment will be fitting to the 90 .. but that'll be a while away I guess, 'cos I need airline, fittings and other stuff.