Rear spot callipers

I do not have experience with that set up.
My general comment about parking brakes with ANY vehicle with 4 wheel disc brakes is they suck.

At best you will be marginally able to hold the car with full pads.

It also depends on the compound of the pads. Sometimes hard pads are better. Sometimes soft.

Generally speaking in my experience, foot operated control levers are better then the hand operated.

The Panteras system would rank along with the worst designed systems, not the best.

Ask Mario. He'll know the most about his system.

I use Willwood rear calipers and built a hydraulic handbrake assembly that uses the same lever as the stock system and is thru-plumbed to the rear brakes so it can be used as a parking brake. Technically speaking it is illegal to use any type of hydraulic parking brake or line lock as there is a chance of leakage and resultant de-activation of said parking brake. That being said the setup I have will stall the motor before allowing the car to move and I have come back to it days later and it is still as set as it was when I left it.

Blaine

This topic is of interest to me because my GT40 has no parking brake but really could use one. Blaine, is your system something a simpleton like me could follow, or will I need a Masters in engineering to do it? If so, I may be better off with the little spot calipers. I don't park on may hills, so maybe the PE ones would be OK for me.

If you can drop me a line with details, I'd be grateful.

Thanks!

Mark,
I cant say it was my idea. I saw a hydraulic handbrake assembly in a demon tweeks catalog. They use them for rally driving. I just adapted the system to use the stock handbrake lever so I would have the ratchet lock. I also rerouted my rear brake line through my drivers compartment to make the install easier. Its not neccessary though. The handbrake unit uses a small master cylinder in line with the rear brakes. All of the braking of the Main master cylinder goes through it. The secondary cylinder uses the fluid from the main reservoir. As soon as its activated it closes off the circuit to the main master and acts activates the rear brakes. The smaller the cylinder you use the more power to the parking brakes albeit with more travel in the handbrake lever. Here is a link to the unit. http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.as...=MSPORT&pcode=RIX650 I made mine to have a forward mounted cylinder so I could save some room. If you have some skill with making brake lines and building minor bracketry you should have no problem installing this. The only issue is that it requires some cutting of the center console for fitment. This turns off most people. There might be a way to do it without reversable modification but I am modifying my interior so didnt put a lot of though into it.

Blaine

Thanks for the information boys. I think I am expecting to much out of a spot calliper. We have a yearly safety test called the MOT. Hydraulic hand brakes will not pass this test.
There is however one company that has come up with a unique brake calliper that has a built-in hydraulic hand brake. According the manufactures, it will never release it's pressure.
It must be good because it will pass the MOT test and the SVA test. SVA is a stringent test that all kit cars have to pass in the UK just once, when the car is first registered.

They are expensive though at £250 each with tax (nearly $500)

http://www.hispecmotorsport.co.uk/calipers/handbrake_calipers.htm

Johnny

Here is what I came up with and I ordered. They are the smallest.

www.ipsco.org

I just got back from Summit racing researching the same thing as #9178 currently has no e-brake after the Wilwood brake install with vented rear rotors.

The Wilwood spot calipers (120-2280 & 120-2281)are $59.95 ea., another $89.95 for a cable and all I need to do is to make up a bracket ala ipsco.

Julian

quote:

The Wilwood spot calipers (120-2280 & 120-2281)are $59.95 ea., another $89.95 for a cable and all I need to do is to make up a bracket ala ipsco.

Julian ... summit sells the correct cable for the Pantera ??? or does the old cable work ??/

The brackets I can make also.

Ron

Ron,

Summit has a selection of universal/generic cables. I'm in the situation that I'm starting from scratch, I just acquired a handbrake handle, the rest will be fabbed.

The OEM cable is a single cable that equalizes side to side (that's the theory at least), most aftermarket cables are a dual system, individual tension adjustment each side. My understanding was that the OEM won't work with the IPSCO system, but I don't know why, whether that is in the cable ends (could modify easily) or due to the amount of lever movement on the spot calipers. I was hoping to use an aftermarket cable direct to the handbrake lever and not even bother with all that fulcrum/wheel underneath as I don't have it anyway.

Julian

Julian,

I did a rear disc brake conversion on the MGB using the Wilwood spot calipers:

http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/em/emn.htm

It doesn't take much hand brake I doubt you will have any trouble hooking it to the existing handle.

If you look at how I did it, it's ok but not ideal. The caliper has a groove in it. Since the caliper squezes from one side, the entire caliper needs to move a little. I used rubber to make up the difference. Works ok on the MGB. If I had it to do all over, that is really what the slot on top and bottom of the caliper is for. I think mose mount it so the caliper slides.

Gary

Julian,

I agree it cannot be too complicated to fab a cable end ..matter of fact I have a crimper and cable ends in my shop to make a loop.

Maybe I will gove it a whirl and go for the capliers and fab some brackets


Gary nice job .... I guess I could pay double and go IPS and save the time ..but thats why we do this right ??? its the fun of building it our selves ??



Ron

quote:

Originally posted by accobra:

Gary nice job .... I guess I could pay double and go IPS and save the time ..but thats why we do this right ??? its the fun of building it our selves ??



Ron

Yea but what I would give for a water jet some times!

A nice milwaukee hand held band saw does wonders .. water jet ?? just to pay for it it needs to be running 8 hours a day >> LOL