any ideas which manufacturer currently makes an electric hand brake mechanism, which should be a direct fit for sierra calipers?

i know one or two people have made their own, but i really need a direct fit.

Jaguar maybe? i know lots of their parts are the same as ford?

are electric brakes pretty straightforward to wire up?

or how easy would it be to fit the sierra ends on the jag cables?

basically i don't have anywhere to fit a handbrake lever

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Originally posted by blakep82
or how easy would it be to fit the sierra ends on the jag cables?

basically i don't have anywhere to fit a handbrake lever

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A few of the latest VWs have an electric "parking" brake. My Passat has one where you have to depress the brake pedal, press the button to engage the paarking brake and then release the brake pedal. In thru Haynes fashion, reverse the process to release.

On the plus side, no handbrake lever which leaves the centre tunnel area clear for nice big storage bins.

On the minus side it seems like technology for the sake of it really. For starters, you can't use the parking break to perform hill starts so VW have had to also build in an "Auto Hold" function (controlled by another button) that "holds" the car on a hill. It works after a fashion, but doesn't allow the level of control afforded by a normal handbrake lever. Hand brake turns are out of the question too (probably not the best idea in a Passat Estate anyway).

Also, being a "realist" what happens in 10-15 years time when you buy a 2nd hand one and it all goes wrong? BIG VW repair bill me thinks!

That doesn't really help you does it but I have been wanting to get it off my chest for a while now

My Cmax has an electric parking brake that has a 3 pos switch lever which returns to centre. Operation is in the style of a trad handbrake i.e. lift up to apply push down to release so hill starts are possible but as said above still not the degree of control of conventional handbrake.

I suspect it would be a nightmare to try and fit to kitcar not sure how it all works but theres definately an electric motor involved somewhere you can hear it whine when you apply it. On a good point it is impossible to forget to apply the handbrake when parking as it come on automatically when you take the keys out.

IIRC i read somewhere in the handbook that if doing less than 10 MPH and the switch lever is raised the handbrake is applied fully if travelling above 10 MPH the handbrake is applied for as long as the switch lever is raised.

Not sure how much this help tho

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Originally posted by Vindi_andy

IIRC i read somewhere in the handbook that if doing less than 10 MPH and the switch lever is raised the handbrake is applied fully if travelling above 10 MPH the handbrake is applied for as long as the switch lever is raised.

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Electric hand brakes have a motor built into the caliper. Power is applied to put the handbrake on. With the power removed the brake stays on. You have to power it again to remove the handbrake. Don't ever get a flat battery.

As has been said before. You don't get anthing like the same control, so hill starts can be interesting.

Sorry but don't see the point for 7's. Far too fiddly, complicated and something else to go wrong.

We have a new Laguna here at work thats done about 5K and already it drags the clutch a little bit before releasing.

As I wasn't impressed with the Sierra setup while building I used a Rover 200 handbrake lever and Freelander cables which were installed without and cutting of the cables and have a nice positive action.

Steve

one thing gets me about this electric handbrake thing

acording to the rules all braking systems must be fitted with a mechanical parking brake so how do manafactures get away wit electric parking brake

surly its the same theroy as to why were not tecnicaly supposed to run a hydrolic handbrake ect

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Originally posted by 24vseven
one thing gets me about this electric handbrake thing

acording to the rules all braking systems must be fitted with a mechanical parking brake so how do manafactures get away wit electric parking brake

surly its the same theroy as to why were not tecnicaly supposed to run a hydrolic handbrake ect

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if MK sell the ends i can attach to another cable that should work...

I've seen these... and, yes, def not locost if buying new (i think you're supposed to use 2 of them) buy surely there's a few of these in scrapped cars somewhere.

My car isn't a 7, and my chassis is an old race car, so built without the provision for a handbrake lever. the tunnel is made of sheet steel, less then 1mm thick i think, with just 2 steel loops in case the prop breaks, so it can't be mounted on there, and the tunnel is very wide, so the lever won't fit next to the seats. if it could though, the cables and stuff would have to go below the floor line making it very liable to damage. i really don't want to cut holes in the chassis or weld any new bits in in case i blow holes in it.

if those jag ones can be wired with a switch to tighten, and one to release, it should be easy enough, but it sounds maybe more complicated than that.

i think they usually work but the motor turning a grub screw on a conventional gear, so they shouldn't be able to work loose. i suppose its still mechanical. maybe thats why they're not a problem?

What about useing an umbrella type handbrake lever just a thought

^ whats one of them?

don't know if it's any help but Bob (BBwales) has an ingenious mechanical solution for a handbrake.

It's a small T handle just to the left of the trans tunnel under the dash and a twisting motion locks and unlocks the handbrake. It's small and unobtrusive and sounds a lot easier than an electric set up.

U2U him, he's extremely helpful and it might be the solution you're looking for. alternatively what about a Dax Rush solution where the handbrake is under the steering column?

Hope that helps
Nigel

[Edited on 29/10/08 by jabbahutt]