I'm planning ahead for my 48 Ford F-1 rebuild. The cab should be bolted in place this week. We're thinking ahead to how best to operate the emergency brake on the '75 Camarro rear end that we used. We looked at the emergency brake pedal/release from the Camarro and it isn't going to work.
I'd prefer to use a pedal actuated emergency brake pedal/release rather than the original emergency brake handle/release which I remember as not ever working very well. I'd like the emergency brake up off the floor so a brake handle/release in the middle of the floor isn't a solution for me. I'd rather keep it off the floor - it's more out of the way up on the left.
I don't know where to go or what to use. Can anyone suggest something that worked well for them?
Thanks very much and you'll see the photo below what we did this past Saturday morning plus a shot of the way I found the pickup in 1998. It was my Dad's first farm truck. He bought it used after WWII. It was my first "car" in the 1960's (note the genuine original JC Whitney "porta-wall" wide white walls on the black farm truck tires - pretty cool, huh - !!)
I found the truck in a local junkyard and bought it fifteen years ago. After completing the chassis, engine and drive train in the late 90's, life got in the way. I resumed the project last year and would like to wrap it up in the next 4-6 months, money and time permitting. I guess these things take time.

 

Great job on the truck! That history is priceless too.

The stock e-brake handle if in decent condition works great! There's not much to it, normally just a possibility of the pawl return spring breaking. It's easy to adapt to any cable-operated e-brakes.

 

Great progress, and your cab is gorgeous. As far as the E brake I agree with Ross as far as them usually working well. Ill add that most of the components are available from most vendors, in case yours are worn. That said If you just want a foot activated E brake, go for it.

 

I was just going thru some catalogs and noticed that LOKAR makes a foot and a hand brake lever setup. If your interested I found them at Sacramento Vintage Ford, Parts #s 13494,13494-1,-2,ND -3 FOR THE FOOT ASSEMBLY AND PART #S 13494-18, AND 13494-18-1 for the hand set up. They are on line or at 1-888-FORD-100. Im sure you can also find them at other vendors as well.

 

I picked up a foot operated pedal out of a mid 70s Ford pickup. It was almost a perfect fit with a little modificatiion..

PARKING (EMERGENCY) BRAKES

later
john

 

Got up this morning and here are all the answers - ain't FTE great - !! Thanks to you all for the input and suggestions - I didn't realize that the hand operated lever and parts were available - appreciate the pointers and maybe I'll relent on my opposition to the original level - after all, I'm using the push button starter, why not the level if I can get it to work smoothly and sounds like that won't be a problem. Thanks again.

 

If you still want a pedal, I used one out of a jeep CJ5 in my 56. See my "making changes" gallery for pix of the install.

 

delete - FTE posted reply to wrong thread.