I have an idea I would like to try one of these tailshaft eBrakes on my rod. I would like to know the do's and dont's as well as the way to make or buy one that will work well. Pic's would help!
If you use a disk, Dont used a fluid caliper. The drive line brake works well if you have the room for the hardwhare. The gear reduction in the axle works for you. It only takes a small disk and caliper to hold the car even on the steepest hill. Trucks have used them for eons.
For whatever it's worth I have installed them, used them, and hate them. Don't know about your state but here in Wa. the State Patrol will ask you to put it in drive with e-brake on and it better not move! Wouldn't waste my time again. JMO, Lon
I think they are great if setup correctly. Of course if you have some huge Elephant Motor that idles at 1500RPM it may not be able to hold it, but little blown flathead is no problem. You just need to have the disc run TRUE...............if not it will not work.
They work, and work well. On this truck, there is one rotor on the driveshaft with two identical calipers. One is controlled by the brake pedal, the other is the e-brake. I can lock up the rears by stomping the pedal. With mechanical brakes and four 27" diameter BFG rears (38" OD), that's quite a feat.
they dont work well when your wheel cylinder blow a seal 30 miles out and you try to use it as a regular brake to get home. MAN! What ba ride that was!
Yeah, there seems to be some difference between a PARK brake and an EMERGENCY brake. I guess what I am asking really suits more as a PARK brake compared to what you have described which when you get down to it was an EMERGENCY brake. I am sure the disc would be spinning to fast on the drive shaft to be an effective driving brake like you have just described compared to a pair of discs or drums running at axle speed. But no matter lets talk it thru so future readers will get a good cross section of the pro's and con's.
Ok, My '56 dodge used one in stock form. It worked well for what it was intened to do. I had no problems at all with it. They do need adjust form time to time just as other brake systems do. If I had it engaged, the dive shaft did not move at all, therefor the car did not move. Which is a good thing.
with that setup is there any issue with road debris gunking it all up? being out in the open and all.
I was looking at this for my car but changed my mind when I found that CORRECT installation required having the chunck machined. That changed everything for me. The operation was about a 3 week deal according to the customer service people at the links http://www.tsmmfg.com/Pinion_Mounted_Parking_Brakes.htm http://ecihotrodbrakes.com/mechanical_parking_brake_system.html
Thanks guys great work, I got to say I thought I wanted one of these set ups and although they still have a lot of support I am shying away from them right now. I figure I need to take a little time to think it thru. So what was said is that if I do go for this set up I should consider a non hydraulic caliper?
Let me throw this twist in. You have a flat tire on the rear of a car with a pinion mounted e-brake, and a standard non-posi differential. You're not on a flat surface and you forgot to put a rock or block of wood down to keep the car from rolling. Jack up one corner of the car, and the cars rolls, tipping over the jack under the car. The normal action of the differential allowed the car to roll. If you have the park brake at the wheel instead, this is much less likely to happen. I also hear guys talking about trying to make the driveshaft lighter because of rotating weight. Pinion mounted e-brakes are the opposite. Yes, the guys talking about trucks using a brake like that are correct. These are on trucks with hydraulic disc or drum brakes without provisions for a park brake at the wheel. They usually mount the brake on the rear of the transmission, 9" ID drum 3" wide shoe up to 12x4. Even with those, the drivers still have to scotch the wheels in slightly hilly terrain. A lot of those trucks were modified using a Mico Lock, kinda like a line lock setup, to help the small park brake. Just think about how "easy" it is to push start an old truck with a manual transmission, that's how the weight of the vehicle can overcome the holding ability of the tranny or pinion mounted park brake. Because of rotating speed and location, a pinion mounted park brake wouldn't have much stopping ability at 60 mph if the brakes failed. On a car with 28" tall tires and 3.55 gear, at 60 mph the driveshaft is turning a little over 2500 rpm, wheels at 725 rpm. Which location will be easier to slow the rotation, higher or lower speed? More the .02 worth. Pat.
I put my pinion Parking Brake on because I had no where else to put it without totally redesigning the Wilson Welding Aluminum Backing plates which are little more than front backing plates on the rear. As for the one about road crud flying up...................My oil pan, auto trans pan, front axle are all 5" above the pavement.......................so yes, something could fly up and nick it. Something could also fly up and break the gas line or my auto trans cooler, or oil line...........but hopefully I have designed everything up out of harms way and of course there is that defensive driving that you should be practicing ALL THE TIME to miss the large objects.........................the small pebble sized ones?????????????????????? As for stopping the car using an Ebrake at 60MPH..................have you ever tried to do this.......................................it doesn't work...............I've been there!!!!!!!! You don't want to use a hydraulic brake on the driveline because it will require a seperate remote hydraulic cylinder and some pretty sophisticated pluming/mechanical work to make it work correctly. An E brake is really the wrong term to use, it is a parking brake only, if you don't think so, try stopping your car from 60MPH with the Parking brake........................just make sure you have a mile or so to slow down.................. The part about having a flat tire.............................Well if you forget to put the car in gear, forget to put the Ebrake on, forget to put something on the opposite wheel you working on.................................then maybe you deserve the consequences. If you have a light weight car and can spare the space and don't have any other possiblity it is great. If not, then go a different direction. IMHO
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