Lagondaforum

Subject: V12 handbrake

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My handbrake was not engaging properly and on inspection this was due to a worn pawl and worn teeth on the ratchet. When I looked on the Lag Club spares website, joy of joys, both parts are available. So I ordered them and two days later they arrived in my postbox (great service!). Predictably the new pawl and the (very) old one are different thicknesses but I reassembled the handbrake using the new ratchet (the difficult bit to fit) and then I can use either pawl as that is an easy part to swap.
The reason for this post is that I am very surprised at how sensitive this mechanism is to the precise alignment of the handbrake lever (and its pawl) and the chassis/ratchet. Once all the parts are lined up correctly it seems to work fine, but there is a small amount of play in the handbrake mechanism and the driver seat is tight up to the handbrake lever.
Now I am worried that any small contact with the engaged handbrake lever (eg a trouser leg getting caught on it on leaving the car) will release the handbrake.
Does anyone have suggestions about improvements to this mechanism to make it more secure? (apart from leaving the car in gear!).

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Subject: Re: V12 handbrake

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Hi Alastair,
Can't say I recall any such problems with the V12, or LG6, which of course has the same mechanism. Could it be that a spring is missing, or too weak?
Incidentally, do check the compensator, which is on the massively over-engineered cross shaft running from one side of the chassis to the other. It is just behind the handbrake lever, and links that to the rear brakes. On my LG6 some "professional" had tightened the Simmonds nuts on the compensator fully, thus ignorantly locking the whole thing solid. This in turn led to only the NSR brake operating fully...not at all ideal.

Laurence