I have searched the forums and a number of members are having issues with ineffective parking / emergency brakes, as I do. There seem to be few answers to the problem, however.
I've converted my rear brakes to GM 'large style' calipers with integrated parking brakes. The rear brakes work with the brake pedal, so they're not out of adjustment. The parking brake lever pulls up all the way (nearly vertical, FWIW) and the brakes actuate, but they'll barely hold the car on level ground, and won't hold it on much, if any, slope. I'm not happy with that. It seems to me the lever needs to pull more cable so the brakes actuate with less pull of the lever.
I have a West Coast Cobra, and the Kellison build manual I have indicates the parking brake lever is a Chevrolet Vega lever (yes, seriously). I don't know for sure that is what's installed, but looking at the lever there's definitely a resemblance to the hand-drawn sketch in the Kellison build manual (volume 2, page 05.30-3). It's kind of an ugly lever and I'm inclined to replace it with a Lokar lever (EHB-7000F).
Do all parking / emergency brake levers have the same cable pull / ratio? If the Lokar lever (or another make / model) has a different ratio that pulls more cable for a given amount of lever movement, then that may solve my problem. If not, then I'll likely need to fabricate something to increase the cable pull, along the lines of this:
Emergency brake problem
I have not yet contacted Lokar, but may well do so - I just thought someone here may have the answer.
Thoughts?
Ineffective Parking / Emergency Brakes
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