Brake pedal linkage

[Phil Bishop]

The brake pedal was getting a bit long so I took off the pedal box cover this morning to adjust and was horrified to see the whole linkage at the top of the pedal had come loose! The locking nut was flapping about and the primary nut holding the shaft from the master cyclinder was not so very far from the end of its travel - on the way to completely coming off the end! Needless to say, the little metal 'arm' that works the brake light switch was just flapping, so the brakes lights were on continuously.

 

I recall looking at this during the build and thinking the switch arm would act like a sort of washer, but evidently not. Has anyone else come upon this? I think the answer would be to disassemble the whole lot and put a shake or spring washer in there somewhere - but which side? Up against the lock nut or the (forward) main nut that adjusts the position of the pedal?

[Colin Mill]

How about some medium strength threadlock (e.g. Loctite 243)

[Myles]

Up against the lock nut or the (forward) main nut that adjusts the position of the pedal?

 

Theory (*my* theory, that is) tells me that only one washer should be needed.

 

The belt-and-braces bodger in me says slap two in...

 

The trouble with loctite is that it can take a few goes to find the ideal pedal position - once I've set mine up static, I quite often find that it needs tweaking a bit as soon as I've found the natural heel'n'toe position. Split-washers allow you to fit, fiddle and then just leave them as-is when you've found the ideal position.

 

Project Scope-Creep is live...

 

Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™

 

Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com

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[SimonRHC]

I think i saw a warning in low flying about a faulty batch of "R" clips on the master cylinder linkage long time ago.

I think caterham were recomending that you wired the little locking hole instead, but, you would need to check.

Cheers and

"don't have nightmares"

 

Simon.

[Paul McKenzie]

You had to replace faulty R-clips with a spit-pin

 

Paul

[I.Mupferit]

Personally, I would say replace all 'R' clips on the brake linkage, faulty or not ❗

 

These things should never be used on the brake clevis. Always use the right size split pin instead as these can't be accidentally pushed off ❗

 

Brent

 

2.3 DURATEC SV Reassuringly Expensive

R 417.39 😬

 

Edited by - BRENT CHISWICK on 6 Jul 2005 10:01:54

[Colin Mill]

My kit came with split pins where the manual mentioned R clips so I guess Caterham and/or the SVA think likewise

[I.Mupferit]

Caterham realised this about a year or two ago, subsequently changed to split pins and advised all existing owners to do the same. Some of us had already done so on cars previously built as we knew that R clips are not a great idea where safety related mechanical linkages are concerned.

 

Brent

 

2.3 DURATEC SV Reassuringly Expensive

R 417.39 😬

[Phil Bishop]

No, nothing to do with an R-clip - there's a nice meaty split pin there still in position. Its the nuts on the shaft from the master cyclinder that have come loose. The locking nut must have loosened, allowing the main, adjusting nut to work its way towards the end of the shaft. That's why I was thinking it ought to be reassembled with a shake washer or something.