I am tired with fighting with my parking brake, new shoes, new rotor/drum new cables, fixed actuator, reinspected shoes/drums, dozens of star wheel adjustments and it still won't hold the truck on a moderate hill, let alone with a trailer. Jack the truck up, apply brake and the wheels are locked solid. Go figure.

So...that works ok on flat ground and does keep the truck from rolling on slight inclines, but will work great one time, and not hold anything another. Fickle!

If my brakes on my little single axle camper will hold truck and trailer on a steep hill (manual slide & full gain) with no parking brake is it too much to ask the truck to hold itself?

Anyone put an electric line lock kit on to supplement the parking brake?

 

I dont think it would survive prolonged use

 

I dont think that would be street legal either.

 

A friend had one of these on his 64 chevy pickup many years ago, it worked great, not sure about for long term parking though.

Brake Locks | MICO, Inc.

 

Line locks are probably ok for short term use, but not for extended parking. I would retain your mechanical parking brake and consider adding the electric one. But, don't rely on the electric one holding for a great deal of time, since having your truck roll away is a bad thing.

 

My plan would be to keep the mechanical system as it is, use it, and use the line lock to hold the hydraulic brakes on the rear axle, piping looks easy on rear axle, just run wires to cab. This way would have the drum in hat and rear disks locked.

I'm not worried about legality is the mechanical system would be operational.

I would plan to only use for no more than a few minutes at a time, mainly hitching/unhitching trailer, or in the event I do have to get out with the engine running on a slope.

I would not plan on parking on a steep grade, truck is left in R or L when parked with engine off.

I do NOT want the truck rolling away....I am already fighting that now with the current parking brake set up.

I will check out the Mico setups.

 

One more reason manual transmission are not all that and a cup of tea....

Sent from my Telegraph using IB AutoGroup

 

Could your ebrake cable be stretched?

 

I think your best bet is to get your factory parking brake working right. Line locks are meant for short-term use by drag racers to warm up the rear tires. I've never heard of a set designed for parking use.

I think it's a bad idea that will only cause problems. You'd be splicing into your hydraulic lines adding more points that could fail. I'm not a parking brake expert, but when these things work as designed they do a fine job.

Fix your parking brake or hire someone to do it for you. You'll be better off and those around you will be a little bit safer.

 

I thought cables were the issue...so I replaced the cables with all new, I am getting full travel, well over an inch anyways on full application. Everything moves free.

 

Any other MT vehicle I've had the parking brake worked fine. I'd still take the 6-speed over the automatic any day but that's another thread :-)

 

Looks like this kit is for "supplemental parking use"




I've had two mechanics look at it, included Ford dealer. Drums are fine, shoes are not glazed or "oiled", everything moves properly. The brake does hold the truck and I am confident in it, just not on a decent slope or with trailer.

I either do not park on a slope, or shut engine off if I do not want to rely on stock set up.

 

Travel don't mean much if the shoes are not adjusted properly. Not adjusted right and you get wasted movement.

My ebrake has always held good but I recently replaced it since my backing plates rusted through. I went with a set of e brake pads with higher than stock holding power. Holds better now than it did when new. Will hold my truck and 6k lb trailer on a hill. I did "bed" in the e brake through by driving on a back road and cycleing the e brake over some miles. Adjusted if needed after.

My old truck which I still have is a manual and I trusted it ONCE in N depending on the ebrake to hold at the boat ramp. It started to drift but I stopped it. Never trusted it again. If I had to get out with the trailer on, on any type of tiny grade the truck got shut off in gear with the ebrake on. A negative for a manual trans truck without air brakes.

 

What did you use for shoes? Maybe mine are "junk" I've got mine adjusted on the starwheels to the point where one more notch and they drag. I will try and bed them in some more. I will say the brake held better this weekend then it ever did.

I would never leave truck and trailer unattended in N and rely on parking brake, my main problem is hitching/unhitching trailer i.e. campground where you are in and out of the cab a few times leveling and unhitching.

 

my 04 in my sig and then my dads 2000 F350 crew cab 4x4 with 7.3 diesel both have the original ebarke shoes , cables etc and they work beautiful. Mine holds at a ramp with my 22Ft KeyWest on her or my 10k dump trailer or 8k equipment trailer.....I do all my own work also