SSBC Handbrake question

[Dreadl0ck]

My 69 RR has a disc brake conversion from SSBC - the ones with built in parking brake.

I've failed inspection twice now because they say that car lacks stopping power when I apply the parking brake

So two questions

1) Can I adjust it anywhere else than on the adjustment bolt, just before the cable divides into left and right caliper
2) A good adjusted parking brake using these kind of new brakes - how much stopping power should they have? Put the car in drive and it can't crawl forward? Just wanted to know so I now how much to adjust.

 

[Dreadl0ck]

Alright - I tried to "re clock" the spring that sits on the backside of the caliper first one notch then two - and tightened up the adjuster bolt so the tires just could be moved by hand. Felt firm. Applied the parking brake - and I could not move the tires at all. Same on both sides. Car back on ground, started it up but same result - no stopping power at all...

Any ideas?

 

[Dreadl0ck]

New attempt - the theory is that the gap between the pads and the disc is too big, hence the mechanical lever can't push the pistons far enough in order to create the pressure on the disc needed. I'll remove the calipers and try to adjust it.

 

[Photon440]

I don't know how much it should have, but the factory rear discs I had on a Plymouth Laser would lock up and skid the wheels if you applied the parking brake when moving. Same thing with a Plymouth Arrow from the 70's.

The factory drums would lock up with parking brakes, I assume the inspection guys are looking for brake performance that hasn't been reduced from what was originally installed.

Why not shoot the problem over to SSBC and see if they have ideas? I know there isn't anything on their site regarding parking brake problems...

 

[Dreadl0ck]

I talked to their "engineers" who recommended to reclock the spring - which had absolutely no effect what so ever. Wheels are off the car now, and I'm working on removing the calipers so I can pump the lever in order to move the pads inwards. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Kern Dog]

I'm out here on the LEFT coast where we have NO annual inspections, but the purpose of the PARKING brake is to keep the car from rolling when the car is PARKED. The improper use of the phrase.."emergency brake" needs to stop.
I have a rear disc kit from Dr Diff. The car will still move with the parking brake engaged but it will smoke the brakes. At rest I cannot push the car with the Parking brake engaged. THAT should be the standard test for it.
Tell them I said so and report back....

- - - Updated - - -

Handbrake? Did you do a conversion from the foot operated pedal?

 

[Photon440]

Who mentioned 'Handbrake', or emergency?

Dreadl0ck, since the wheels are off would you mind posting a photo of the lever?

 

[Kern Dog]

Who mentioned 'Handbrake', or emergency?

Handbrake is in the title of this thread.

Emergency brake is a term that does not apply to the proper intention of the parking brake.
It annoys me that an inspector would expect a parking brake to hold a car still against the power of the engine. It defies the purpose and intention of the parking brake which is to hold the car still when it is not running.
Makes sense now, right?

- - - Updated - - -

Okay, I now see the OP is from Sweden where most cars probably have a hand operated parking brake. Different cultures at play here. I don't recall seeing a European car with a foot operated parking brake so maybe the OP is using the term "handbrake" out of habit. No biggie. Maybe the inspectors have tighter restrictions over there.

 

[Photon440]

The original post doesn't say that any inspector expected the parking brake to hold a car against the engine. It would help if the inspector had mentioned what qualified as acceptable parking brake holding power though. Obviously, it should hold the car still while parked on a steep hill, as that is a possibility.

Dreadl0ck, any pictures? How was the test performed anyway, were you watching?

 

[Dreadl0ck]

Alright, an update.

IT PASSED

I went back to the drawing board and thought about what was really going on and then it stuck me - I might have bad brakes in the rear over all. So I disconnected the front circuit and behold - brakes in the rear was decent at the best.

I removed the spring that holds the latch for the handbrake so the lever was free to move, and pumped that back and forward a couple of times without actually seeing any movement on the caliper. Removed the caliper - took it apart - lubed it up and installed it back in carefully watching the gap between the pad and disc. This time it was closer than before.

Reinstalled the spring for the handbrake, tightened up the cable and replaced the spring that goes along with the wire (the ones that makes the pedal "bounce" back up when release is pulled) and lowered the car back on the ground. Voila! Brakes working. Now the car actually holds about 15% throttle which they cannot fail even if they wanted to.

Went to the inspector and the test was conducted (driving about 30 mph and slam the parking brake) car locked up and stopped. Now it has its new Swedish registration number "MEEEP" and I couldn't be any happier because the first snow came today

Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[Kern Dog]

You keep using the term handbrake. No 69 Road Runner ever came with a hand operated brake from the factory. Are you referring to the FOOT operated parking brake mechanism that you press with your left foot just forward of the left door?
If not, was there some sort of conversion done from a foot mechanism to a hand operated setup ?

 

[Dreadl0ck]

Handbrake is just me poorly translating it from swedish where it is called handbrake regardless of if it's a foot engaged emergency brake or a handle you pull inside the car. Forgive my sloppy translation and I will use the term foot operated parking brake the next time I discuss the matter.

 

[AMX364]

Same as "I can not get the bonnet open" in some places. Same thing different term(hood).

For rear disc to work correctly the parking brake must be adjusted first.
For rear drum cars the brakes must be adjusted before adjusting parking brake cable.

 

[Kern Dog]

I was really hoping to see that there was a hand operated setup! It makes for interesting conversation to see how things are different from one place to the next.
For example, I've read that high beam headlights are not allowed in some countries, the HB light is amber in some cases too.

 

[Dreadl0ck]

Here amber is allowed both for high beam and low beam.
Parking lights cannot be orange, only yellow or white
Rear reflexes on the side of the car needs to be orange not red
Car has to have two squared red reflexes mounted not further than 15.7 inches from the side of the car
Front turn signals can be white or orange - rear turn signals must be orange if car is newer than 1975
No tint at any percentage is allowed on the front side windows
Car has to carry a warning triangle at all times
On cars older than 1975 there's no smog testing so you can have long tubes and flow master 40s - but you need to have a recirculating crank case ventilation
Parking brake must be able to hold the car at a 16 degree incline
The rear differential must be able to be open when no torque is applied
Hood pins are not allowed if they are pointy - only the flush ones are allowed (but this they often let go)

 

[Kern Dog]

INteresting .....I like hearing about this stuff. I've read about the different colors of the lighting. Good news regarding the emission exemption. Regarding the differential: Most of the tradional limited slip units still have equal tension at rest or low speeds. The only one that I know of that meets your requirements are known as "Gov-Lock" types. These increase grip as rpms increase. GM used them but they are not known for their strength.
Thanks for the update. These little differences are cool.

 

[Dreadl0ck]

Nah, I said that mine was tightened to 90% and promised to loosen it up. Need to fix it though since it eats tires with a 100% locked rear.

Dunno what's wrong with it - looking to buy something new since what's in there is undocumented. But it's a later problem

Oh and yes. The license plates arrived on friday. They're nothing even close to the size of the US plates. It's about 1.5" lower and 1" narrower. So no plate holders fits. BWAHHH

 

[Kern Dog]

My local axle guy has a test to determine the integrity of a Sure Grip limited slip differential. I'm sure the same test applies to other models:
He puts an axle shaft on one end and locks it so it cannot spin. On the other end he slips in a modified axle shaft and attaches a torque wrench on it. If he is able to run it up to 75 ft/lbs before the one axle starts to slip, the differential is still working within specs. If it slips below that number, it is on its way out. A GM Gov-Lock would show very little resistance before one axle would slip. Not a bad idea in theory if they were durable, but the Chevy design was not.

 

[DoctorDiff]

Sounds like the only legal 8.75" traction differential would be an Eaton True-Trac.

 

[Dreadl0ck]

Well, there has to be one that doesn't make my inner tire skip when I'm turning