Nowhere to attach parking brake

I have a 1981 Rabbit (US) pickup aka Caddy…

I'm trying to reinstall a parking brake lever that was partially installed when I bought the vehicle. I have gathered all the parts, but there's nowhere on the frame of the vehicle for the notch at the bottom of the toothed piece (#10 in the attached diagram) to sit in. Am I confused, or isn't the notch at the bottom of that piece supposed to hook onto a metal tab in the frame? Do those break off? I'm puzzled as to how it can be missing.There are two opposing fins where the lever mounts with the pin (#11) and the brake cables lead emerge from the floor right behind it, so I know this is where the lever should go.

Side note: This truck originally had a gas engine, but the previous owner swapped in a diesel. I can't imagine this would have anything to do with the hand brake, but I wanted to mention it just in case.

the cables come up the rear and under the lever.
They enter number 7 and are fastened with 2 nuts.
Number 7 is held in place by the finger that is protruding from the bottom of the lever handle.

The Curved part of number 10 rests on the pivot through pin of the handle.
When the lever is mounted, there is a small finger protruding from 21 or the cradle that holds it.

 

The nitch in 10 is just to stop no.10 disappearing in to the handle. It catches on the bottom of the handle shape and acts as a stop.

Ian

I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly, because it sounds like borednow and Briano1234 are saying two different things…

Briano1234 : "there is a small finger protruding from 21 or the cradle that holds it."
^ This finger is what I don't see.

borednow : "It catches on the bottom of the handle shape and acts as a stop"

Does the square tooth/notch sticking off the bottom of part #10 "bite" onto the handle that you grab? Or onto the frame/floor of the vehicle. I was pretty sure it was the latter, because it needs to stay static while the lever pulls up for the ratchet to work.

Am I missing something? 

notch goes over the tab

YES! That helps a lot! I don't have that tab… I have no idea how/why it's missing.

In case anyone's interested, here's what I've been looking at…



I guess the previous owner broke off that tab somehow.

Spose you could remove the switch, and use a Stainless Steel "Pop" Rivet and a 90 degree piece of metal to get a finger.  Make sure it is a 30gauge 90 bracket and whittle, ok file or grind it to fit.  The SS rivet will hold well.

I am trying to figure out how hard he had to pull to break that sucker off.  

Maybe broken cables added to his (the Previous Owners issues).  

I do see that one of the cable ends is broken off, so your theory fits with the evidence. Maybe he snapped the tag heaving on the lever… or maybe he filed off on purpose. Who knows…

I hadn't thought of pop rivets! I was thinking about folding a little strap of metal to bolt onto the vertical surface below where the tab should be, and have it bend over the top to make the tab. Maybe bolt it on or pop rivet it.

sporttrucker Is that photo from your garage? Can you tell me how long that tab is? Just the horizontal tooth that holds the toothed piece.