The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline E-brake system-anyone change theirs?

Since I had to rebuild the entire drivers side cowl I'm having a hard time figuring out the E-brake bracket in regards to where it goes,where to drill the hole in the inner-to-outer bracket and it will also effect where the inner fender bolts.

SO... Since I plan to run buckets I was thinking about putting a handle like a lot of cars have that fits between the seats. And since the hook up to the E-brake "crossover" arm is off center of the drive shaft on the drivers side it seems to make since you could place a "pull up arm" beside the drivers bucket seat and not do the foot E-brake.

Has anyone done this....or have thoughts on it? What did you use?
Thanks guys.

Edit: I have a small block with a 350 tranny in my 52panel. I once had an 88 Nissan with a floor hand brake and it worked very good. Nearby Southern Rods has a floor mounted hand brake for a little over $100 but I"m sure someone out there has done this and can recommend one that works great in the trucks/panels. One from a junk yard.

Can you use an original transmission mounted lever like the big trucks used?

Otherwise I'm sure you could adapt all sorts of different things and make it work one way or the other, just takes some thought and fabrication..

Grigg

I'd think the hardest part of this project would be choosing the lever you like best in the wrecking yard. I see no reason not to pursue it.

I've not done it and had not thought about it, but one of the trucks on my project list will have bucket seats and the rule for control positioning in this one is to replicate my wife's driver as close as possible since she will (in theory) be the primary driver.

Her car has floor shift with the floor mounted brake pull close by. When I go junk yard shopping I may actually look for the complete center console with shifter and brake handle from the same model car.

Great idea I'll be stealing it and using it too!

oldsub....wow, and what a great idea from you.... get the complete console!!! All I need is enough room left for my wife to get into the back for a cold Pepsi.

These, or ones like them, are used on a whole lot of equipment and trucks.
http://www.orschelnproducts.com/products/controls/parking-brake-levers

They are not nearly as flimsy as the modern car ones feel.

Grigg

Alvin,

Look at the "west coast" HD lever and the lever lock option kinda looks like old but new.

Pete

Just finished up mine today. I went with the Lokar system with a floor mount lever.

I used a lokar and my fabricator made a bracket. mine sits forward of the seat next to the shifter. for years i used a lever from a 70's dodge van that was horizontal under the dash and turned it vertical and bolted it to the kick panel. worked well for 10 years.

i just installed a rear disc set up on my 39 1/2 ton. I was wondering what type of e brake cables should i get? I am using the original e brake handle with the long rod to the pulleys

anyone have any ideas?

thanks

We do quite a few cars/trucks for show and the customer usually doesn't like the cables and levers associated with the parking brake set up on rear discs. The newer corvette style disc that has a drum brake inside is cleaner but not invisable. For the cleanest look, not overly expensive, easy to install, and very good braking we use the pinion mount set up from TSM in Colorado. It's completely out of sight and whatever force is applied to the disc on the pinion is multiplied by the rear end ratio e.g. 50 pounds applied at the disc gives 150 pounds at the tires with a 3.00 rear gear.

The last 55 2nd I did I wound up using a floor mount I pulled out of an old mustang (I believe), since I changed the column to a Nova Tilt column, and discarded the original ebrake handle and bracketry.. My current 57 gmc build I put in a tilt column, and firewall mount master/booster, and with a little imagination, was able to keep the original e-brake handle. E brake linkage went thru firewall to a see-saw type swivel bracket mounted on a stud from A-frame(camaro suspension). Found a suitable cable, and ran it to pulley on side of frame. Works fine. I was considering using a 55 chevy passenger car handle setup-mounts under dash and to floor. Pulls up at a 45 degree angle, and doesn't clutter up the center of your interior.

+1 on a lokar brake. I put this in my 51, and made a bracket that put the two rear cables into one cable, then connected it to the handbrake. It was 'ok'. I did the foot pedal on the kick panel. If memory serves me correctly, I had to 'tweak' out the pedal a bit to get it to run down the side of the kick panel without interference.

pplummer, hi pal. Hope all is well up your way.
Question for you. You mentioned a bracket that put the two cablss in one..... did you not use the original crossover bar that each cable hooks to on each side?? It looks to me like the cable to a floor mounted unit could hook to the crossover bar and the cable go straight up the driveshaft to a floor unit....or it could angle off like the original rod to a pulley on the side and still work.
Maybe I need to check out your photo bucket before I start asking questions and first see what you did pertaining to your rear housing. I'm just asking questions to ease my pain once I get knee deep in this E-brake things.
Thanks to everyone for your comments and ideas.