Thread: Hot Rod Emergency Brake

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I’m not quite to that point yet, but I’ve been kicking around on what to do for an emergency brake setup on the 37. I’ll be running the factory cable setup on the Dana, and running the brake cables will not be a problem, the real question is what to do to activate them from the cab.

Cab room is kind of limited, and so far the only thing I can really come up with is a pull handle mounted under the dash pretty much like the 50’s style cars ran. I was just wondering what are some of the other options people have come up with.

Mike,
I used Lokar's floor mount hand operated unit in black between my seats, with their cable setup, etc and it worked slick.They also have under-dash foot operated or hand operated, too, and I'd bet they will be an easy install, too. Lokar - Emergency Brakes

IF you can find a Pinto in a salvage yard, their floor mount brake looks virtually identical to the Lokar and works exactly the same way. There is even one year that was chrome but most are black. I had one on my T-bucket - worked even better then the tranny mount Lokar I have on the '31. I paid $5 bucks for two of them once - cleaned them up and swap meet sold them for a reasonable profit. 20-20 hind sight says I should have used one of them

Thanks for the link Roger. Their under dash hand operated one looks interesting.

I should have mentioned that I'll be keeping the stock seat, and because of the limited amount of room between the side of the cab and brake pedal a foot operated one is not really feasable.

"......IF you can find a Pinto in a salvage yard......"

Dave as it happens there are at least 10 out at the yard I often go to (nice thing about being in the land of rust free sheetmetal). As it happens I have a couple of those handles sitting out in the shed.

The early 50's model GM's had a ratchet type hand e-brake under the dash, as I recall. My Dad used one on a homemade "go-cart" one time to slide a pillow block back and tighten belts - cheaper than a centrifigul clutch at the time.... Looked similar to that Lokar, but bulkier and a little curve to it. Mounted side to side maybe?

It think I remember those Roger....If I remember correctly, you squeezed the handle to release them. I think they may have been used in Chevrolet/GMC trucks maybe into the 60’s. I’ll have to do some looking next time I’m a the junk yard.

Originally Posted by Mike P

It think I remember those Roger....If I remember correctly, you squeezed the handle to release them. I think they may have been used in Chevrolet/GMC trucks maybe into the 60’s. I’ll have to do some looking next time I’m a the junk yard.

Yep, that's the one - about 18" to 20" long, as I recall, and the ratchet base is bulky.

Here's what I use.
Cheap and easy.

In a tight cab like that a floor mount could be intrusive as well. One way to do that and have it less apparent is to mount it partially under the seat, create a "tunnel" in the seat base, if you're using that, so that only the handle end and release button protrude.

Another one I've used a couple times that's fairly compact is the pull handle from an early '60s Dodge truck. To engage you pull up on it, it holds by going over center, releases the reverse. It has the added feature of the rounded knob on the end adjusts the cable tension, so if you don't have self adjusting rears, you can take up the wear from the driver seat. I usually mount to the left inner cowl structure up under the dash.

The only pic I have doesn't have all the hardware for the over center stuff, but this will give you an idea of what it looks like. In the stock application you pretty much only see the handle. Added plus? It's a Mopar piece!!

Because of space issues in my '32, I went with a foot operated under dash emergency brake from Lokar. You can see it here: Lokar: Under-the-Dash Foot Operated Emergency Brake

Found another pic of how we located it in the '32 3w. This one had the plastic handle and not the adjustment feature, so it was painted.

Another way to mount one of your Pinto handles would be across the front of the seat on the driver's side. That won't get in the way.