VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Hand Brake Spring Install... Need Help

Trying to figure out the trick to installing the Spring in the hand brake, i bought it from TFS #FS-136, got the little picture and understand it no problem. I am not able to get the spring in per the diagram.

Spring is really tight and been kicking my butt. to the point i have ruined the paint on the lever and handle trying to get it in there.

Is there a trick to easy way to install the spring per the diagram ??

As I remember it was a struggle getting mine in. I bent open one of the tabs on the squeeze hand grip. I had to take out the pivot screw, then insert the spring into the lower part then holding the handle over the top of the spring squeeze it together until you can stick the screw back in. It was not easy, and when it was installed the spring coil tended to stick out the side. I was able to get it back close to where it belongs, but it would not stay exactly in the middle. I think I used a phillips screwdriver thru the spring coil to help keep it aligned. You might need three hands. Good luck

There's a technique I use but I can't remember exactly right now. I do use pieces of teflon film to prevent scratches as I got tired of repainting those damn handles! I just got in a new spring for Steve's car and need to put his together. Problem is the pawl rod is being nickeled right now. Do know it's a PITA.

ok guys here is what i did, and man it was easy and went together like nothing. hope this helps anyone doing this themselves.

i removed the bottom bolt that holds the prawl and lever w/ lock. removed the prawl, and then pulled the rod out of the way of the handle. i then put the spring in the handle the way it goes, per the Filling Station diagram. then put the other end of the spring through the hole in the brake handle where it goes, then clipped on my needle nose vise grips, and pulled the handle and spring up and into place, and put in the first bolt to hold the handle in position. then gently release the spring from the vise grips. could also use something else to hold if needed.

Then you can flip the prawl lock and lever back around, put it in position install prawl and install bolt, then install the end of the lever in the handle and install hardware. consider it done !!

this was really easy and takes maybe five minutes, or maybe it took me 5, because i had been fighting it for days and figure this method out !!

IF is it in the car, not sure you can do it this way. but it is easy to remove and well worth the time to make this easy on yourself !!

I can't pull up your pictures inregards to this subject I have mine installed but I wanted to make sure it was correct.

I couldn't get the pictures either. I was curious to see them as I have one I need to replace.

Updated the posting... original postings i did used the old forum style of linking photos. photos were loaded and linked from picaso, then Google took over and reorganized them. so all the old links are no longer valid with googles new link system, plus now the forum allows us to attach photos to a post. so need to update as i can. thousands of photos over the restoration project !!

Great pictures, thanks for getting them on!