Evening all.

I have Wilwood handbrake calipers and have fitted the cables etc today. The handbrake function is less than wonderful. I don't have the space to fit a multipying lever as per AdiT.

Has anyone got through IVA using these without modification?

Cheers

If the car is light and the pads well bedded in I think it could just pass. Note that's COULD and JUST, not should/will.

Is there any way you could alter the hand lever to improve the mechanical advantage there? Shorten the length between the pivot/fulcrum and the cable attachment. Could you not fit an arrangement like mine only with the lever vertical instead of horizontal as I have it?

I'll have to get around for a nosey sometime.

Yes you will Adi, soon too before it's finished!

Thanks for your thoughts. I will have a good look tomorrow. I can I'm sure reduce the distance between fulcrum and cable attachment.

I've heard lots about these being useless as a handbrake and definitely struggling to pass IVA and MOTs, especially on normal cars. I've been trying to track down alternative calipers but it seems almost impossible without spending lots of spondoolies or having a second caliper. I hate it because I want 4 pots all round (relatively evenly balanced braking) and it looks like I'm stuck with single piston rears or making uprights with places for two calipers, and most of the spot calipers I see have bad reviews too

One of the eyes snapped off the cable yesterday.

The bolt that runs through the handbrake lever snapped the day I fitted it.

I hope the calipers are a better quality.

Yeah, the handbrake action doesn't seem great.
I made a reverse action for my handbrake lever which also increases the leaverage, but they're still not great. I'm just hoping it'll be ok if I can bed them in a bit.

A quick update

Rally design despatched a new cable to me in double quick time.

After some thought I decided it didn't really matter how I increased the leverage as long as I did.

I like AdiT's method but in my case there isn't the room. In the end I modified the Sierra handbrake, moving the attatchement point for the cables nearer the pivot. This did mean removing a bit of material (2-3mm) from the mounting portion of the hand brake where the bolt fouled it when the handbrake is applied. This has effectively doubled the leverage.

I now have a handbrake that appears to be much better. It feels like a handbrake now. The feeling of stretch is there when it's applied. The car is still on stands at the minute and I will test it properly soon.

I am going for the first engine start at the weekend! The first test drive should follow soon after. It will be very short down the drive but should reveal if the handbrake works. Fingers crossed!

I passed sva with them calipers with no modification and 3 subsequent mots since.

Just fitted this setup to our GTA, the wilwood supplied bar was pants, ended up getting another made 50% bigger in diameter, other than that the action feels ok and the 2 of us can't move the car with it on.