Door brakes

When we were kids the idea of owning a welder, or even an air compressor, was preposterous. Today $120 will get you a cheap buzz-box from Harbor Freight. I own a huge MillerMatic 185 I bought used from IndyCar driver Alex Barron years ago. I'm not a welder. It is much more capable than I am. Still, it enables many solutions previously unattainable. You probably own a circular saw. Building things with metal is quite satisfying, and actually much easier than working with wood. Your welds don't have to be perfect, and it is cheap and easy to practice getting better. I highly recommend.

Anyway, back to door brakes.... I included the part number of the E12 brake. From what I read in previous posts it seemed that MB brakes had different sized holes and required spacers or other mods. If there is a direct replacement available then perhaps someone could do future readers a favor by posting the part number and link with price? The Carl Nelson link above is 4x the cost of the E12 part and quite different in appearance, although I'm sure perfectly functional. One of many possible alternatives it would appear. Perhaps a good one for the owner without a welder...
 
I just put the MB part on my car,
I found steel rivet pins at True Value
I tired to dill out some plastic bushings but the wall thickness is so thin they didn't work out
so I bought 2 sizes of K&S brass tube, 1/4 and 7/32
The larger is a tight fit in the MB part, I glued the smaller into the larger so it wouldn't slip down
The rivet fits nicely into the tube
Add a little grease
 
Looks like my pass door has been replaced. :( I don’t know if it is the same for all years, but my driver side door has indentions around the door brake access hole and the support bracket has matching contour. Passenger side is flat and they just flipped the support to get the original door brake to work. But doesn’t work with the MB ones and it changes the position of the bolt holes. Also, the MB brake is too long and the back tab hits against the wall. Cut & flattened the bracket and will now need to cut the back tab off the MB brake. This was supposed to be the quick side project awaiting window parts.

Driver door with bump:

1263A159-6618-460B-BF5F-93657D5B5CC4.jpeg


Support:

27D02251-5141-48B2-80D7-0551A23A65D3.jpeg


Pass Door no bump:

112E2FE6-8767-473D-A3BD-342AB6E52B82.jpeg
 
Last edited:
JayWltrs said:
Looks like my pass door has been replaced. :( I don’t know if it is the same for all years, but my driver side door has indentions around the door brake access hole and the support bracket has matching contour. Passenger side is flat and they just flipped the support to get the original door brake to work. But doesn’t work with the MB ones and it changes the position of the bolt holes. Also, the MB brake is too long and the back tab hits against the wall. Cut & flattened the bracket and will now need to cut the back tab off the MB brake. This was supposed to be the quick side project awaiting window parts.

Driver door with bump:

View attachment 69256

Support:

View attachment 69259

Pass Door no bump:

View attachment 69257
Click to expand...
the MB one worked for me with zero problems, fits and works fine, possible you don't have the right MB one?
with the MB you don't use the plate you show in the middle photo, that stops the rollers, the MB one has the stop built in
 
mark99 said:
the MB one worked for me with zero problems, fits and works fine, possible you don't have the right MB one?
with the MB you don't use the plate you show in the middle photo, that stops the rollers, the MB one has the stop built in
Click to expand...

Good thoughts. I might buy a different brand, but I think I've got the right one as mine looks exactly like the others and has the same base number. In the pictures on this thread and the earlier threads, there's more depth in the door panel opening for the brake, which gives me less room to navigate--don't know if that's a 74 thing or a replaced-door thing. I'm reluctant to forego the reinforcement for the door metal at the opening provided by the bracket, especially as it appears the door might be a replacement. So I'll keep tinkering for now.
 
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