If the car is a TOYOTA I would for sure hook them up. Ok, jokes aside, IMO it is just a good idea to have an alternate means of stopping any car.
would you feel safe if you had no e-brake? And....will it stop your truck in a panic situation? Unless your a thillseeker,do it. What will it hurt?
You just made me think about cutting a hole in my floor and going Flintstones style! haha.... seriously...
Man..hook 'em up. I bought my car without an e-brake (the brake shoe e-brake linkage was gutted) and I've been looking for parts to put it back together. It's a ***** when you are not sure what the id of the rear end is.
In the event your Master Cylinder, a Wheel Cylinder, or even if a Brake Line fails. You're going to want to rely on something stopping your ride that isn't another car, truck or Telephone Pole. Run the Emergency Brake, it's just good Insurance.
As Mark H said it's a legal requirement over here,but I'm not sure where you are. It's an easy hook-up. Lokar do a kit specifically for AD trucks. (I ***ume it's your truck your talking about) If nothing else.....BE SAFE! Here's what you need http://www.lokar.com/product-descriptions/rearbrakecablekit-42-54chevytrks.htm
I never had one in a 57 Nomad I had. Have to say, it didn't make you feel real comfortable when you were hauling *** in a heavy tank of a car. I'd put them in.
When parked on a hill the only thing that holds the car in position is a little park pin in an auto transmission. Lots of pressure on such a little pin. In a standard trans it's just the gear you put it in when parked. I think I would hook up the emergency brake. They are not only for emergencies. Ever loose a master cylinder in town traffic? Not fun with out another means to stop 3000 pounds of forward thrust. Ask me how I know!
They're mandatory in PA. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't be without it. What's your situation? Is it a raw build where you have to engineer the whole mess? It's really not that big of a deal, either way.
Picture at 35 mph+ coming up to a major intersection in Reno in my 40 Ford coupe. You hit your brakes and nothing. Geared it down the best I could and just as I was entering the intersection I pulled a hard right just as a road grader was going by. Man those lug nuts are huge. So was the lump in my shorts!