When I got my 75 last year, it had a non-functioning park brake - some of the guts had been removed by last owner after springs rusted out. Tore into it last fall (ask me how much fun I had beating the old rusted-solid levers out), replaced everything with stainless parts, got it all back together and had to promptly tear all apart again when turning the wheel by hand produced a loud snapping noise. Turned out one hold-down spring retainer had turned on the pin and popped off. After muttering a few (dozen) choice words, put it all back together again.
This year, was spinning the tires (in shop yet, not on road dammit) and got the same noise from same wheel again. Pulled apart again, retainer had not come off (yet) but back of wheelstuds in the hub were contacting the hold-down spring as they went by. Took everything out and started comparing new stainless parts to the old rusted original hold downs. Sure enough, new pins were about 1/16 inch longer than original. Considering there is only about 1/16 to 1/8 clearance between the hold downs and back of wheelstuds at the best of times, this extra length was enough to allow contact. In addition, the old pins had a distinct triangular shaped end like an arrowhead (nice solid contact to the retainer)- the new pins looked like someone mashed the end with a hammer. The old retainers had a slot that was barely wider than the end of the pin, so when they were in place and the pin turned 90 degrees, that retainer could not turn. On the new ones, the slot was noticeably wider than the pin end, so when put together the pin could wiggle back and forth and turn.
Fortunately my old hold-down springs and pins were salvageable, just had to take to the wire wheel to buff up. Put the old pins and springs in and I seem to have adequate clearance now. Just have to pull the new parts out of the other side and put the old parts back in again.
Has anyone else seen this? It would seem quality control is maybe hit and miss on these stainless park brake kits - wrong length pins and sloppy retainers. Or did I just get the result of someone's bad day?
This year, was spinning the tires (in shop yet, not on road dammit) and got the same noise from same wheel again. Pulled apart again, retainer had not come off (yet) but back of wheelstuds in the hub were contacting the hold-down spring as they went by. Took everything out and started comparing new stainless parts to the old rusted original hold downs. Sure enough, new pins were about 1/16 inch longer than original. Considering there is only about 1/16 to 1/8 clearance between the hold downs and back of wheelstuds at the best of times, this extra length was enough to allow contact. In addition, the old pins had a distinct triangular shaped end like an arrowhead (nice solid contact to the retainer)- the new pins looked like someone mashed the end with a hammer. The old retainers had a slot that was barely wider than the end of the pin, so when they were in place and the pin turned 90 degrees, that retainer could not turn. On the new ones, the slot was noticeably wider than the pin end, so when put together the pin could wiggle back and forth and turn.
Fortunately my old hold-down springs and pins were salvageable, just had to take to the wire wheel to buff up. Put the old pins and springs in and I seem to have adequate clearance now. Just have to pull the new parts out of the other side and put the old parts back in again.
Has anyone else seen this? It would seem quality control is maybe hit and miss on these stainless park brake kits - wrong length pins and sloppy retainers. Or did I just get the result of someone's bad day?