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Hydraulic handbrake


Anthony

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Quite simple really.

 

All you need is a line lock, some goodridge fittings and a length of hose.

 

remove the rear brake line from the master cyl , fit line lock in position of choice in cockpit and re pipe rear brake circuit through line lock and back into the original rear brake .

 

You can if you wish cut back original rear line and reflare solid line so that it is neater .

 

I think arniehas pictures of is fitment on his site

 

Beware though that this i not a road legal handbrake

 

Dave

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I spoke to my brake bits / Goodridge supplier and he recommened I did not do this. I wanted to do the mod to save weight. Even if you can sneak through an MOT with the aid of a friendly tester, if you crash and the insurance assessor clocks the illegal car, the claim will be thrown out. Not worth it in my opinion. Shame, think how much the handbrake lever, cables, etc. weigh.

 

 

AMMO

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Ant - I have just bought a line lock but am in 2 minds whether to use it for the reasons AMMO gives. Arnie says it is okay because there is some law which exempts cars with a front to rear split braking system rather than a conventionally split one but my MOT man hasn't heard of this because I checked with him the other day.

 

The weight of the handbrake lever, screws, clevis pins and all the hanbrake cables is just over 2 kilo's. The bloody line lock weighs nigh on a kilo (honestly) and needs a crap "clamp" mounting method since it has no mounting holes, so by the time you've made a nice job of it I think you'll only save a kilo.

 

Which is still a kilo, obviously, but I'm not doing it until someone shows me the relevant section in a DOT manual so that I am still insured when I mow down a bus queue.

 

! *eek*

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Anyone out there running races with MOT's and hydaulic brakes ?

 

Interestingly ( or not may be ) my father's J2 ( MG ) has a std handbrake which mechanically opperates the main brake system on all 4 wheels...and has an MOT. Appreciate this is a 1933 system by MOT boys are fine with it

 

Will ask my MOT chap as well - he is a keen autocrosser so we get on well - but always get a straight MOT !!!

 

 

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I think Arnie's assertion is purest fantasy. I had a very good look through the MOT manual and the only exceptions are for cars first used before a certain date (I think 1924 rings a bell), but certainly Lotus and Caterham Sevens are not eligible.

 

Statements require the service brake and parking brake to be separate mechanisms. The parking brake needs to be 16% efficient minimum (i.e. can provide 16% of the cars kerb weight in braking force). Ratcheting of the handbrake mechanism is also a testable item.

 

I also think that an insurance assessor trying to squirm out of a claim on the basis of a handbrake technicality is indicative of the shoddy state of the insurance industry. I cannot see the relevance if the absence of an MOT worthy handbrake was not a direct contributor to the accident.

 

I have greater concern regarding class eligibility for sprinting in roadgoing classes. You can get a dodgy handbrake arrangement past an MOT inspection, or fit and remove for the sake of a test. But for eligibility, it needs to be there and if it isn't and the competition is hot you might find yourself on the receiving end of a fellow competitor grassing you up to the scrutineer.

 

I am still looking for an adequate solution as I already have those luvverly vented discs with the big calipers. They work so well that I don't want to go back to evdiently compromised service brake arrangements.

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Put a small disk on the front diff/prop flange. Only needs to be 20mm bigger diameter than the flange itself.

 

Then use one of the willwood mechanical calipers, or a caliper from a moped or something, with a short lever straight out of the tunnel top.

 

Cheers,

 

Ed

 

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I would be satisfied that a brake that stopped the prop shaft rotating would be fine for parking my car on a hill as it is just the same as putting it in gear, which is what I do.

BUT what is the MOT individual wheel requirement for the brake?

I seem to remember that they test each side of the car, and I dont think that this is just for service brakes.

Now if you have a solid diff - fine

But how quickly does a plate diff lock up?

Would a torque biasing diff just behave like open diff?

If during the test one wheel is held still (or the roller that it is on is held still) and one is spun then I think that even an open diff would be sufficient, which would be great.

but if that were the case then everyone would pass their handbrake test by turning off the engine and putting the car in gear.

 

Nick

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They do this on landrovers. They have a huge drum brake on the rear of the gearbox. No problems with them at MOTS, so I guess its ok?

 

A lot of us bike-engined types have small ring-gears sandwhiched between props and flanges for electric reverses. It doesnt seem to give any adverse effects.

 

If I was building another car I'd certainly toy with the idea of making a combined electric reverse ring-gear/transmission brake disc.

 

Cheers,

 

Ed

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