Has anyone had to machine their Johnson Hot Rod Shop Kinmont Safe Stop rear drum brake backing plates to accept parking brake cables? I went to install the parking brake, and was surprised to find no way of running the cables to the calipers. Upon speaking to JHRS, I was told they do NOT run parking or emergency brakes on their builds. They also told me that the Kinmont Safe Stop brakes do not support parking brakes. There is no info on their website that parking brakes are not supported. This would have been a major dealbreaker and I would not have bought the kit knowing it doesn't support a parking brake. Couple this rear brake issue with the fact that the front Johnson Hot Rod Shop Kinmonts did not fit what Johnson advertises as supported equipment. The front brakes would not clear a Pete & Jakes 4 inch drop axle and steering arms, despite the JHRS website and people at JHRS saying so. The fix: order $700 worth of steering arms from JHRS to achieve clearance. I know hot rodding is not plug and play, but I would probably try a different brake kit in the future given the expense and lack of information and support for street legal equipment (parking brake) from JOHNSON HOT ROD SHOP. JHRS seems to think that a manual transmission car does not need a parking brake. They told me as much. If you are hot rodding old rickety lightweight vehicles that do not crash well, you should know that a brake failure controlled only by downshifting is extremely dangerous and likely to lock the brakes/skid/lose control. At best it is a sketchy, negligent way of handling a foreseeable brake failure. Google Mercury Comet brake failure if you want to see why a parking brake is necessary. On top of that, JHRS has no instructions nor pictures to show how to machine their $5,000+ product to fit a parking brake. Not very impressed with this product, given the quality of their builds that I would expect would translate over to the products they sell. Bling Bling is great but the product should have safe functionality to begin with. At least they answer the phone. They are now looking for pictures of the machining that must be done. It is not a simple straight through hole, it is at an angle and must be perfect.
Are you sure you have Johnson brakes? You refer to running the cable to the calipers. Last I knew the Johnson rear Kinmonts were just covers for 10 inch drum brakes unless they've changed? If you have a disc rear brake that sounds suspiciously like Walden Kinmonts? It is almost a year since I started my journey with Walden Kinmonts. In order to get on the list I had to prepay for the brakes. ($5500) In June of 2024 while I was at the LARS I picked up what Walden had in stock, both front and rear brakes each lacking some parts. It is now almost the end of March and still lacking major parts. The end of Jan 2025 while at the GNRS I stopped and was assured I'd have the balance of the parts shortly. Walden makes some dam good parts and I've used a lot of them and am used to waiting but almost a year is stretching my faith in him. I'll be there in mid June a year later for another visit.
That’s annoying, I feel your pain, sadly it’s par for the course in this niche industry right now. 100% have Johnson’s version of the Kinmont. I have been on the phone with Johnson several times. Their answer to fitment issues on supported product is pretty much sorry, deal with it. Maybe we will update our website to warn future customers, maybe not. They frankly seem kinda clueless for how nice of cars they build.
I’m with you in the need for an “emergency brake” I normally refer to that device as a parking brake but either way I believe every vehicle should be equipped with one. When I built the car in my avatar (NOT the same Mercury Comet in your suggested video!) I wanted updated brakes at all four corners but also wanted that “5th” brake. I located a supplier that offered what I wanted although the rear’s are not as esthetically pleasing as what is mounted on the front. (Cast iron, basics looking) Bottom line is that my brake system is modern, has a dual reservoir master cylinder, and that all important parking brake.
I have watched that video before. All the "driver" in that specific situation needed to do was NOT PANIC and simply kill ignition to the engine. I fully agree with you regarding parking/emergency brakes being required and wise equipment for street cars but, in the case of that Comet, I don't think a parking brake would have helped simply due to the engine easily overpowering the brakes. That crash did not need to happen, it was all due to operator error. Sorry I can't help with your issues.
Are there levers and park brake mechanisms in the calipers? If so, you should be able to come up with some sort of anchor setup for the cable.
You could put an E brake on the pinion flange, I have seen kits for that with a disc bolted to the pinion and a caliper with a cable bolted to the center section. Just google "pinion brake kit".
Their instruction sheet pfd won't open for me and the description is a bit vague. http://johnsonshotrodshop.com/parts-brakes.php
A guy in our club makes and sells a kit for this system. Don't know any details but could find out if needed. May be a better solution for the OP's problem.
I am trying to stay traditional with the build, the pinion disc brake would solve my issue but it’s pretty gigantic and I don’t want the fitment issues under the body. Thanks for the suggestion. The JHRS calipers do have provisions for a parking brake. The brake covers have no access for the cable to come through to hook up to the caliper parking brake arm. The solution is to machine through the brake covers. It’s not straight through, it’s a weird angle underneath. Realistically will have to take the entire rear end to a machinist so they can see how everything needs to be done. Not simple at all from my perspective and a major oversight in design IMO. Real Kinmonts are sounding really nice now.
Here is the link to those kits. Don't know any info re pricing but with our low Aussie dollar they may be a fair price. https://www.streetrod.com.au/brakekits.html Based on the prices that I've seen above for either Waldens or Johnsons kits, the prices that I've seen at LARS for the real thing don't seem so bad now.
Don't know what material or how thick your brake covers are, but would it be possible to cut a slot in them and weld or braze a tube in them for the cable.
Who’d ya talk to? I haven’t installed any. But I remember that bending steering arms was common to fit the builds when I was there. Even the ones that were supposed to fit a modified axle. I thought even stock arms needed bent to fit a dropped axle.
the rear cover is just that. Looks like you could assemble the cover to the backing plate and drill the E-brake hole. I knew several customers that didn’t want an e-brake handle “messing up the interior”. Easier to drill a hole than weld one up
Well, now we are talking about issues with their front brakes. In that regard, they are selling front brakes that don’t fit the listed supported equipment (P&J Superbell) or at best need modification (heating and bending) to fit. In fact, speaking to Shane, he knew that my forged P&J steering arms weren’t clearing the JHRS Kinmont brakes. That was my first issue before I realized no parking brakes out back. Shane sold me the SS JHRS steering arms because I didn’t want to experiment with heating and bending the P&J forged arms. The SS arms didn’t fit, and still needed a washer shim from my collection to clear. And the shims they sent were too wide and prevented removal of the backing plate (this was not obvious and took time to discover what was wrong). I’m using the Lokar under dash parking brake handle. I’m sure I can figure out the machining. This is not the end of the world. Just lots of little issues adding up to major annoyance. At least they look amazing.
I understand. It’s been so long since I bolted on a part without modifying I’d probably faint if it did
Sure it is. I narrowed and straightened an axle housing with an oxy torch last week. However, these parts don’t fit what they are said to fit. That’s different. I don’t feel like heating polished SS with a torch and bending it when I paid for it to fit.
My buddy had one of those pinion mounted "parking" brakes; found it wasn't actually an "emergency" brake.
No kidding! I don't think I've worked on any area of a suspension project without modifications to dang hear everything that went into it. It is just the way it is!
Don't really see the need for taking the entire rear end to a machinist. Just make a tool out of a piece of tubing that matches the hole in the backing plate, weld a washer on square to the tube, clamp into place on the backing plate, and using a bit that fits tight in the tube, drill a pilot hole which will be at the correct angle. Open the hole as needed to fit your cable. Should be able to keep the holes fairly small with some Lokar cables. Doesn't seem like "real" Kinmonts had an E-brake either.
I think it’s parking brake and not e brake . My OT Power Wagon has Mico brake lock for parking brake it works well but never parked for long periods without blocking a wheel .
Seems like the Waldon ones are available with parking brake, do they use the same guts? could maybe ask them to supply more pictures than what's on their website and perhaps the supporting hardware to made a cable entry work?
Thanks for the info; I noticed an E-brake tube on articles about Milan brakes; but will have to look closer for pictures of that feature on Kinmonts.
Looking at pictures, there seems to be a large and a small rear caliper used on rod kits. Do you know which? Also, it only mentions rear DRUM kits, like the picture Anthony posted. If it is drum, there are millions of backing plates out in the wild, with a small shaped cable flanges attached. Not optimum, and added searching, cutting and welding, but this might prove to be an easier fix. New early Bronco example https://tomsoffroad.com/products/74-77-ford-bronco-rear-drum-brake-backing-plates BTW, thanks for trying to resolve the issue with them before coming here. I hope the minds here can help you get a solution that works for you without too much extra fuss.
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