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As not to derail a separate thread, I was wondering what experience people had with upgrading the parking brake system in our trucks.
Living in the colder portion of the Midwest I leave my truck running when I go into places for a short time, and having a millennial anti-theft device, ZF6, I would rely on the parking brake quite frequently. My issue is that my parking brake system is shot and completely inoperable. I understand how Ford designed the system, and quite frankly it's a terrible design. I have thought about integrating a line lock system into the brake but would like to hear from you guys as to what options there are, and what luck you guys have had.
Leonard, interesting concept on the Micro lock device. Couple of questions...
1) I assume that be potentially applicable with any of our trucks, right?
2) Do you think it would suffice to do only one wheel, or somehow install it to address the entire rear axle?
3) What would the installation look like? - where, other components required?
4) What are the liabilities or risks of installing this kind of device?
Timely thread for me, and I hope the OP doesn't mind a slight tangent: Can the stock parking brake be made to function well? I'm getting ready to do rotors and pads all the way around, and will go to the trouble (e.g. rear seals, maybe bearings, both of which seem fine) if new shoes on new rotors will significantly improve the function.
Leonard, interesting concept on the Micro lock device. Couple of questions...
1) I assume that be potentially applicable with any of our trucks, right?
2) Do you think it would suffice to do only one wheel, or somehow install it to address the entire rear axle?
3) What would the installation look like? - where, other components required?
4) What are the liabilities or risks of installing this kind of device?
Yes it should be on just about any vehicle with hydraulic brakes.
Since our trucks uses a single hydraulic line to feed the rear axle adding the valve on the one line will engage both brakes on the rear axle.
Sorry, I have no clue. I think the second thread I linked to shows what he did for component positioning though.
Timely thread for me, and I hope the OP doesn't mind a slight tangent: Can the stock parking brake be made to function well? I'm getting ready to do rotors and pads all the way around, and will go to the trouble (e.g. rear seals, maybe bearings, both of which seem fine) if new shoes on new rotors will significantly improve the function.
Mark
We all have issues with the parking brake's effectiveness but I don't know how effective they were when the trucks were new. There are a couple of things that will prevent the parking brakes from functioning. 1) On the driver's side, in the rear wheel well, you can see where the cable rubs on the frame and can get rubbed through, letting water in and causing the cable to rust and freeze up. 2) On each wheel, there is a parking brake actuator, which has two or three pieces to it. They rust up and seize. That will prevent them from working at all. To get to those, you need to remove the rear drums and shoes, disconnect the cable and pull them out. Then either free them up or replace them.
Leonard, interesting concept on the Micro lock device. Couple of questions...
1) I assume that be potentially applicable with any of our trucks, right?
2) Do you think it would suffice to do only one wheel, or somehow install it to address the entire rear axle?
3) What would the installation look like? - where, other components required?
4) What are the liabilities or risks of installing this kind of device?
1, As mentioned it's simply a valve which interrupts the flow of fluid.
2. Easier to add to the rear brake line on the chassis before it splits into two at the axle.
3. The brake lines would need to be rerouted to the desired location for mounting the valve.
4. Forgetting to releae it, or accidentally moving it to the closed position would render the rear brakes inoperative. A friend used a similar device for burnouts, using it to stop the flow of fluid to the rear brakes it (he was doing RWYB drag racing) the car still stopped, just not quite as well as it should.....
I looked briefly at the links FTN posted, but didn't see Eric (ESwift) in there. So, I will tag him as I know he has a brake lock on his ZF6 truck and swears by it.
Hate to say it for fear of jinxing myself, but my "parking brake" holds my ZF6 truck fine. Somewhere around 8-9k pounds trailers point it won't hold them both on more than a very slight incline. "Flat" parking lots or fuel stations no problem. It'll hold just the truck on our old steep driveway all week as I accidently found out once
Besides the area near the driver's side rear tire, where the mechanical parking brake cables are routed and rub against the frame and rear leaf spring hangar (and forward overload spring stop, if equipped), there is another wear point on the mechanical parking brake cable that earlier Super Duties (1999 - 2001) might not have mitigation for.
As the parking brake cable is routed along the driver's side frame rail, there are body mount outriggers that the cable must either pass through, or over the top of, on the way to the rear axle.
In the case of my 2000 F-550 176" wb, the cable passes over the top of one such outrigger, and thus can slap and rub directly against the outrigger.
In subsequent years, Ford equipped the parking brake cable with a splined cushion to prevent abrading the parking brake cable to this area.
I added this cushion to my truck (way back in 2002, so I no longer remember how I did it, but I had access to a lot more Ford parts back then, and would often retrofit production improvements as soon as the parts were released).
Any type of rubber hose with a small internal diameter can accomplish the same purpose...
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Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
