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Jun 14th, 2026
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 8
New to Talk Morgan
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OP
New to Talk Morgan
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 8 |
Hi Peter,
MOT failure was one of my concerns, apart from the fact it does not hold on steep hill when you really need it. I keep hearing people saying they have bought an automatic because you don’t need to worry about the hand brake. Also, I believe Morgan are selling about 70% of Plus4s which are automatics, so why would they care about the few people like us who bought manuals?
Not impressed with Morgan and their attitude to the problem.
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,667 Likes: 408
Needs to Get Out More!
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Needs to Get Out More!
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,667 Likes: 408 |
The Plus 8 hand brake operates a separate mechanical caliper on the rear disc: I rarely use it, as the Auto box has a park position. At MOT time I understand that the trick is to drive to the MOT place with the handbrake just on, so the pads get good and hot. Alternatively, one can take the pads out and abrade the friction surface...or fit new pads.....
On a good day the parking brake will hold the car, just. Applying it at 30 mph the car slows, a bit. Reminds me of a footplate experience day I was treated to on the Nene Valley Railway. With Black Five loco alone full brakes were applied and we coasted some distance with the barest hint of retardation. This is an emergency stop the driver informed!
Richard
2018 Roadster 3.7
1966 Land Rover S2a 88
2024 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450
1945 Guzzi Airone
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,667 Likes: 408
Needs to Get Out More!
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Needs to Get Out More!
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,667 Likes: 408 |
Hi Richard,
Many thanks for the reply. I am not sure how the plus4 hand brake system works on our car, but the garage has tried twice to fix the problem with no luck. The second time they told me they had stripped down the rear brakes and rebuilt them, but still doesn’t hold when you really need it. Morgan don’t seem to have any solution other than to check that the connection from the hand brake lever to the brake wires are the same length I.e. one is not longer than the other and therefore not pulling with the same tension. Don’t think anyone thinks this is a solution! Given that the Morgan was twice the price of our Audi and the Audi hand brake is fantastic it is very disappointing especially as the car has been through the recall and had to have a new radiator has has only done about 3000 miles since new.
Cheers
Andrew So is this a potential MOT failure to soon look forward to for CX owners? Not neccessarily Doug, the disc handbrake performs in two modes, static i.e. stopping the car from rolling down a hill, and dynamic operating to slow the car down in an emergency. I believe the MOT test for them operates in the latter form where the handbrake alone has to achieve minimum of 16% of the service braking force. Static efficiency relates in the main to caliper clamping force and less to pad compound. Dynamic would be improved by grippier pads. As an aside it would be interesting to know type and source of rear calipers on Plus Four. It appears the ARP4 used Sierra Cosworth rear calipers which like our Mini are floating. This allows for simple linkage from handbrake cable to operate initially on one pad rather than the complexity and mechanical losses of a twin clamping action.
Richard
2018 Roadster 3.7
1966 Land Rover S2a 88
2024 Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450
1945 Guzzi Airone
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 8
New to Talk Morgan
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OP
New to Talk Morgan
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 8 |
Hi Richard
I found a parts web page from Aero Racing which shows the rear brake assembly. I think it covers the new Plus4s although it doesn’t explicitly say so. If it is correct then the hand brake consists of two pads clamping on to the actual disk using a cable assembly. I suspect this this method does not work on steeper slopes as it cannot provide enough friction to hold the car. If it had been a hydraulic assembly like the foot brake then it might work.
Andrew
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 184 Likes: 16
L - Learner Plates On
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L - Learner Plates On
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 184 Likes: 16 |
I was out in my Plus Four CX yesterday and thought of this thread as I was going down a 1 in 4 hill. Had to stop and try the handbrake of course. Guess what, no problem. Didn’t even need to yank it as high as possible like you normally do in these situations.
Sir P
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 8
New to Talk Morgan
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OP
New to Talk Morgan
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 8 |
Hi
Just wish mine would work like that. Despite the garage looking at the problem twice and pulling the handbrake on as hard a possible ours won’t hold on a hill. I know others have the same problem as me, so maybe you just have a good one.
Andrew
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,560 Likes: 12
Talk Morgan Addict
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Talk Morgan Addict
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,560 Likes: 12 |
A tip from an ARP4 owner. When using the parking brake to park, hold the footbrake down, whilst pulling up the handbrake lever, you will find that in most cases this will hold the car on most hills. It will not really do much to slow the car as an emergency brake though.
Get your MoT done at a Morgan dealer and they will (possibly) turn a blind eye to the fact that the handbrake is a little inefficient, although my car has been MoT'd at a normal garage to, who allow me to sit in the car to assist the tester and my foot may have strayed to the brake pedal, when the parking brake had to be applied!
Paul
[At last, I have a car I can polish]
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 11,526 Likes: 312
Smile, it confuses them Member of the Inner Circle
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Smile, it confuses them Member of the Inner Circle
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 11,526 Likes: 312 |
On the Aero S2 I have the second caliper, cable and fly off handle. Before the MoT I take the car out and warm it up so the cats are hot for emissions, the sidepipes don't help apparently. I also give the handbrake a bit of a pull to clear the system. Then they adjust the cable tension just prior to the test. It still only just scrapes a pass. But this seems to work as they said that they don't let anything slide in my local garage.
Everyone loves a Morgan. Even me, unless it's broken again.
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Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 665 Likes: 31
Talk Morgan Regular
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Talk Morgan Regular
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 665 Likes: 31 |
I have checked the hand brake on a slope with the box on neutral . It is working normaly. Much better than the arp4.
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,480 Likes: 42
Talk Morgan Addict
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Talk Morgan Addict
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,480 Likes: 42 |
Robbie
2021 Plus Four -- Helga
211-WX-1433
"Fettlebodge"--A chief of the PaddyMogs
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