Hydraulic handbrake on a road car ?

[jimihendrix]

Very early stages with my Escort project but was wondering if i could use a hydraulic handbrake ?, would it pass an MOT ?, do they ratchet ?, also how is the fluid fed to it ?, i'm using a Bias pedal box so would the pipe from the pot for the rear master cylinder on the pedal box be split for the handbrake master cylinder.

 

Would make life easier as it's an old rally car shell and i dont think it's ever had cables.

[Mk2Jo]

As far as I know, you must still have a normal handbrake on your car for MOT purposes

[Pipster007]

As far as I know, you must still have a normal handbrake on your car for MOT purposes

That's deffo what I've been told

[meXEco]

Depends how well you know your MOT man.

 

Just plumb the handbrake into the rear line from the bias box-no need to tee off just do it inline.

 

There's no ratchet as such-just a bar that locks down once fully engaged-you have to then lift the bar up by hand and release the handbrake-it will 'fly off' if you let it go-ideal for rally boys who just pull it on then let it go.

[jimihendrix]

As far as I know, you must still have a normal handbrake on your car for MOT purposes

 

Looks like i'll be fabricating brackets for cables then.

 

Confusing though as i've been looking through old mags, found quite a few Escorts with Hydraulic handbrakes and tax discs in the windscreen, also most rally cars need to have an MOT, never known a car to have two handbrakes

[jimihendrix]

Depends how well you know your MOT man.

 

Just plumb the handbrake into the rear line from the bias box-no need to tee off just do it inline.

 

There's no ratchet as such-just a bar that locks down once fully engaged-you have to then lift the bar up by hand and release the handbrake-it will 'fly off' if you let it go-ideal for rally boys who just pull it on then let it go.

 

Ah, right, posted my reply above before i read yours

 

The local MOT guy is pretty cool, i'll talk to him first before i buy one though

[popeye]

why do you want a hydraulic hand brake..

[gjh]

why do you want a hydraulic hand brake..

 

Better lock up for rapid u-turns (I'm guessing)

[rallyesport04]

you can have hyd handbrakes on the car for mot but you must have a manual one fitted also fit the hyd system an leave the cables loose/unadjusted it will fly throu the regs may have changed now as not all modern cars have a mechanical handbrake

[jimihendrix]

why do you want a hydraulic hand brake..

 

Just an idea really, seems like it'll be easier to fit a hydraulic handbrake than a cable one as i'm pretty sure that's what the car had (bought as a bare shell)

 

Cheers for the advice though guys

[bortaf]

why do you want a hydraulic hand brake..

 

Just an idea really, seems like it'll be easier to fit a hydraulic handbrake than a cable one as i'm pretty sure that's what the car had (bought as a bare shell)

 

Cheers for the advice though guys

 

just use sierra rear calipers? mechanical handbrake on em or are you using some exotic rear caliper set up?

the MOT requres a mechanical handbrake which even modern motors DO have, it just they are electricly controled, electricly is still mechanical you see so technicly they are leagal, crap and go wronge all the time but leagal

[RS2kSX]

Has the regs not changed now due to a few newer cars using electrically opperated parking brakes?

[jimihendrix]

Has the regs not changed now due to a few newer cars using electrically opperated parking brakes?

 

Hopefully , will ask the tester tomorrow when i'm passing, hoping he'll say can be hydraulic as long as it holds the car and locks the brakes on the rollers

[zetecmk2]

my car was left on it's hudraulic handbrake when it was in the car park at work, it leaked, rolled down the slope into a customers merc c320 door!!! fooked that good and proper!! now i leave it in gear with the wheels chocked!!!

they're great for locking the rear wheels....but can seep. mine used a brand new lockheed cylinder....and it only happened once! every other time, it's been fine!!

[over_head_cam]

Has the regs not changed now due to a few newer cars using electrically opperated parking brakes?

 

As far as I am aware they are elecrto-mechanical. Otherwise they would fail if the battery went flat!