OK, these went out with the ark cos the last time I saw one was in the 80s but I have one on our training vehicle. Trouble is, it keeps releasing at the slightest movement - even when the red air line is removed!
Anyone got any ideas about curing this or is it a case of (like I said to my boss) GET A DECENT MODERN TRAILER.
3 Obvious questions spring to mind…
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Is the ratchet tooth clear of dirt and muck and free moving. If not this might stop the ratchet tooth dropping fully into the teeth in the wheel.
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Is the ratchet tooth hinge pin in place? If it’s popped out of one side the tooth might not be sitting square on to the teeth on the wheel.
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Is the cable wheel axle in place and the wheel sitting square on to the ratchet tooth?
The ratchet tooth I’m talking about is the one that is meant to stop the cable wheel unwinding and not the one attached to the operating handle.
It sounds like the spring on the rachet pawl has failed, which would account for it releasing when the red line is removed, albeit that removing the red line will activate the Spring chambers and cause a degree of slackness in the parking brake cable, which is probably what is allowing it sufficient slack for it to disengage.
ROG:
GET A DECENT MODERN TRAILER.
That’s it.
They’re alive and well Rog, O’Connor have a few of them I had one the other day lke yours, i ratched it up and when it was tight i let go the handle and it dropped and knocked it off, after the fifth time i left it off !!
The ratchet tooth I’m talking about is the one that is meant to stop the cable wheel unwinding and not the one attached to the operating handle.
excellent 
Anyone who has worked for “woolworths” will be very familiar with cable operated parking brakes, they still have loads of old 20, 24, 26, 30, 33, 36, 40 foot trailers with them. They even have old fashioned steel spring suspension too!
mikermhh:
Anyone who has worked for “woolworths” will be very familiar with cable operated parking brakes, they still have loads of old 20, 24, 26, 30, 33, 36, 40 foot trailers with them. They even have old fashioned steel spring suspension too!
thats the wonder of woolies
only trouble ive had with ratchets previous driver putting them on that hard i used to have to hit them with a metal bar to get them off or putting red line on first before releasing brake and the wire uncoiling /jamming up the teeth when released last company i worked with that used them i just kept defecting them until they renewed the ratchets a spray of wd 40 evreytime i picked one up so no real problems and the trailers were up to 30 years old
The ratchets do get worn and they still need grease. Saturday morning used to be spent washing the truck, then greasing the slack adjusters, propshaft and the trailer handbrake.
Some of our steel sprung trailers have a manual brake operated by a small winding handle pulling on a cable. Similar system but probably not as reliable as a ratchet
Thanks for the replies. New spring clip fitted but still not brilliant - boss is getting a new trailer (well. new second hand one).