The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Good morning Guys, I realise it it is early for you folk up north with the cold mornings and battle to get out of bed which I apologise for .
I dismantled my hand brake assembly almost a decade ago and can't quite recall how to fix the spring that retracts the button. I have looked at the replacement brake handle and notice a little hole in the wire rod on the opposite end of the rod at the bend which protrudes out of the handle to accomodate the pawl lever. Anyone have any idea or diagram on how to attach the spring. My other issue is the spring I have has a curve on one end and a sort of S bend on the other, I must have another look through my spares to see if I have the original spring. Any help will be appreciated thanks.
Mervyn.

Hi Mervyn, yep it's cold here! Not sure if the Dexta lever is the same as a Major but i've just put a Major one back together
John

Hi John,
Thank you for your reply and pictures. Unfortunately not quite the same, I will try and send a image from the internet if I can remember how to. If you google Dexta hand brake you will see images of the handle and also an image of a repair kit which shows a hole along the rod and one on the bend. At the end of the rod/wire you will see two holes, the one on the bend is for the split pin to hold the pawl on and the one just before the bend is where the spring attaches. the other end of the spring fixes to the indented lug on the bottom of the handle. hope it all makes sense. I will attempt to remove the rod without having to remove the handle and rill a hole for a spring if there is not one already there.
Mervyn.

Sandy will be on here later, if anyone will know he will. He may even have a diagram of how it all goes together

I'm afraid I haven't yet found a manual with the handbrake and nor do we have one to look at as Davie has the early parking latch because he's a Narrow Dexta. I will see if I can find one though.
Sandy

This is listed as a Dexta handbrake repair, it shows a hole in the rod for the spring, maybe the same pic you found

My first effort at posting a picture, hopefully this shows what you need. I rebuilt my handbrake using the kit shown in the previous post, you’ll see in my picture (if it worked) that I had to stretch the return spring to make it usable, the spring was far too tight to push in with your thumb!

Pic clealy visible, good to know the kit works fine.
Sandy

Hi Guys, I'm impressed with you fellas , just what I needed to know. Your picture you have put up Bounce spells it all out for me, and John yes that is the image I was referring to . Last but not least Sandy thank you for your rsponse, I will now attempt to remove the rod and check if there is a second hole and if none will have to make one. I still have not found my original spring so will have to try and source one around town. Any idea of the length and diameter of the spring please. I could do an assessment from the spring I have which is similar but the one end has a different profile
Thanks again Guys keep warm.
Mervyn.

Back again, on removing the rod I did not see a second hole for the spring but did notice some ware on the end of the rod that is bent to accommodate the pawl. So what I did was hook my spring over that section and down to the lug on the handle and bingo the button works perfectly. My opinion is that the hole is something provided by the after market manufacturers, I maybe wrong . Looking at my spare hand brake rod it also did not have the second hole. Another step forward with my very slow restoration .
Mervyn.

Maybe it is like the Major one, that just hooks over the rod at the bend. Glad you got it sorted, now on to the next bit of the puzzle, if you are anything like me you spend half the day trying to remember where that little bracket you just found came from!

I was a bit surprised that it was "right". At least it fits ok, which many aftermarket parts don't.
I know the feeling John, we've got lots of things we don't know the origin of here.
Sandy

Hi Folk, just a big thank you for the pictures and encouragement which was a great help. Have good evening, keep warm and enjoy the toddies(sp) while we enjoy our beers to cool off .
Mervyn.