C3 Parking Brake

[Roscobbc]

I mentioned some time ago on a previous post that the C3 parking break was a flawed design. The components are just not 'man' enough for the job and even complete renewal of components with stainless parts doesn't really answer the problems. Not only are the lining surfaces far too small for the job they are supposed to do the materials are just too flimsy. However if in good working order and adjusted correctly they will (kinda) work to a point.........but use the parking brake as it shoud be used and this happens...........

 

[Chuffer]

All part of the American Dream I guess . The WK model Jeep Grand Cherokee hand brake shoes have the same flawed design / construction . Sure they work really fine in good order but the linings are prone to shear off the rivets and then jam up inside the drum with dramatic consequences as I found out !

 

[Mad4slalom]

All part of the American Dream I guess . The WK model Jeep Grand Cherokee hand brake shoes have the same flawed design / construction . Sure they work really fine in good order but the linings are prone to shear off the rivets and then jam up inside the drum with dramatic consequences as I found out !

I mentioned some time ago on a previous post that the C3 parking break was a flawed design. The components are just not 'man' enough for the job and even complete renewal of components with stainless parts doesn't really answer the problems. Not only are the lining surfaces far too small for the job they are supposed to do the materials are just too flimsy. However if in good working order and adjusted correctly they will (kinda) work to a point.........but use the parking brake as it shoud be used and this happens...........
View attachment 19370

Pitiful that a company that built over 90,000 bombers during ww2 couldnt make a parking brake that actually worked

 

[sublimemike]

Maybe that's why so many of them don't work / seized as they never really did the job anyway.

 

[Roscobbc]

Its mainly on automatic Vettes they didn't work as the septics didn't use them, simply preferring to bang the shifter in to 'park' when stationary.

 

[Chuffer]

Pitiful that a company that built over 90,000 bombers during ww2 couldnt make a parking brake that actually worked

They didn`t need parking brakes on a bomber , they just put chocks under the wheels . Maybe we should do the same .

 

[Forrest Gump]

I mentioned some time ago on a previous post that the C3 parking break was a flawed design.

It’s surprising that GM didn’t make any attempt to improve the mechanism during the 14 years of production. It must have become a pain for the main dealers trying to keep their customers handbrakes functioning as the cars got older (and that will be mostly for the manual gearbox cars where we need it).
I‘ve never seen any aftermarket upgrades either which is also surprising, but would suggest it’s a tricky one to solve. A second mini floating calliper acting on the disc and mechanically operated would do it. Wont be cheap though.

 

[Roscobbc]

I noticed electrical activated parking brake calipers on Demon Tweaks website a few days ago......

 

[antijam]

When I first got my '71 I did wonder why the handbrake was so ineffective. My Daimler SP250 of 1963 was an early example of 4-wheel disc brakes and the handbrake on that works very well.
Basically an additional pair of lever operated pads that grab the disc when the handbrake is applied are incorporated into the rear calipers .


The handbrake operation is transmitted via cable to a balancing bellcrank on the rear axle and then by pullrods to the levers arrowed red. The C3 is a much heavier car and the independent rear poses different operation challenges, but a similar system could have been a better solution than Chevy came up with.

 

[Roscobbc]

140-15979-BK - Wilwood Rear Electronic Parking Brake Kit - 1.10" Width from Rally Design

Wilwood Rear Electronic Parking Brake Kit - 1.10" Width. Wilwood’s Electronic Parking Brake kits provides a complete parking brake solution for rear brake kits. The Black powder coat external electronic parking brake provides superior static holding powe…

www.rallydesign.co.uk

Wilwood MC4 Mechanical Parking Brake Caliper

The Wilwood MC4 Mechanical Parking Brake Caliper combines high output performance with a simplicity design and construction. This single piston caliper is a manually actuated parking brake which is operated by a cable. It is fitted with a cable return spring and the mechanical lever accepts .310

www.demon-tweeks.com

And if you want to use the mechanical unit - perhaps activate with a linear activator......http://www.hollinapplications.co.uk/Disability/Handbrake_Kit.html

 

[Mad4slalom]

They didn`t need parking brakes on a bomber , they just put chocks under the wheels . Maybe we should do the same .

“ Tally ho “ chuffs, see you up the blue end

 

[Chuffer]

“ Tally ho “ chuffs, see you up the blue end

Roger that , tally ho ! old chap.

 

[teamzr1]

Seems to me that Europe uses these differently than in the USA ?

We rarely even use them as when we park, put the tranny in gear and only use them when parked on a steep hill or some other issue.
Put in reverse if manual or in park gear with auto tranny

Where it seems in Europe they leave tranny in neutral and use the parking brake so putting a lot more force on those pads

We do not call them parking but emergency brakes

Only time I use them is when launching hard from a dead stop like at drag strip
Pushed the button in and hold while drilling a hole through case of handle and button
Now when needed I push the button in, place a small pin through case
Now can hold the handle up and hold, will not latch with pin in

Set RPMs to load up drive train, when launching simply drop the handle and great reaction times

 

[Roscobbc]

The parking/emergency brake thing is quite a big deal at the UK's annual MOT car safety tests......although it's been less so for a number of years with pre-40 years old classics as they are exempted from the test regime. The bottom (and official) line is the parking brake has to come up to a certain degree of retardation, as do the main brakes. This is all measured usually on rollers. The UK's definition of a handbrake/emergency brake is that it should be able to retard the progress of the car to a specific figure if the main braking system fails. A C2/3 parking brake is very marginal in this respect, even when correctly adjusted with good linings and pads. Any MOT test centre that has tested American cars (and specifically Vettes) wil be well aware of the limitations of the brake system and generally pass the car knowing the emergency brake is probably as good as it will ever get.....

 

[teamzr1]

Damn they are mean SOBs there

I moved to Texas early last year, and it was the first state in like 40 years that required a safety test to be able to renew license plates

And all they did for both my 1993 Caddy and 1999 Corvette is put the parking brake on while the car was parked, if the handle latched and
then unlatched, then car passed

For brakes had me drive like 120 feet in a parking lot and slam on brakes,
and they checked for brake lights to come on and off, that is it checking the turn signals, and headlights working
Test over in like 5 minutes
It is more to collect the fee charged for test then to assure vehicles are safe, cost $7 per vehicle

The Place I went to was some repair shop, a couple of wetback workers, they wanted to drive my Corvette,
but I told them in certain words, if they harmed it I would knock some teeth out, so they decided safer If I drove for brake test

 

[Chuffer]

Speaks volumes for the safe working condition of cars in the USA then don`t it ? In the UK an MOT test ( Ministry of Transport ) applies to all vehicles except 40 + year old classics as Rosscobc said which I think is a damned silly idea because a lot of classic car owners are not `spanner men ` with any mechanical nouse . The MOT test takes a minimum of 45 minutes because it automatically logged into a central computer system that will not print out a pass or failure certificate until all checks are complete and exhaust emissions tested and recorded and the 45 minutes is up . Cost on average is about £45 depending on where you go for test . However the cheap guys usually boost their income by finding faults that `don`t exist` and rip off unsuspecting motorists for big repair bills . Also all MOT testing stations get regular un announced inspections by government officials and if caught out for not testing to the correct standards the license to operate can be withdrawn .
As for parking autos , I always leave my daily driver and the Corvette in park and rarely use the emergency brake / park brake.

 

[antijam]

For those of you with only 2 pedals to worry about a non-functional handbrake/emergency brake is not a significant problem. For us stick-shifters hill starts means being adept at heel and toeing.

 

[teamzr1]

Speaks volumes for the safe working condition of cars in the USA then don`t it ? In the UK an MOT test ( Ministry of Transport ) applies to all vehicles except 40 + year old classics as Rosscobc said which I think is a damned silly idea because a lot of classic car owners are not `spanner men ` with any mechanical nouse . The MOT test takes a minimum of 45 minutes because it automatically logged into a central computer system that will not print out a pass or failure certificate until all checks are complete and exhaust emissions tested and recorded and the 45 minutes is up . Cost on average is about £45 depending on where you go for test . However the cheap guys usually boost their income by finding faults that `don`t exist` and rip off unsuspecting motorists for big repair bills . Also all MOT testing stations get regular un announced inspections by government officials and if caught out for not testing to the correct standards the license to operate can be withdrawn .
As for parking autos , I always leave my daily driver and the Corvette in park and rarely use the emergency brake / park brake.

Damn, that is really some nazi crap they force on their own people :-(
No wonder you're all not into high performance, doing mods or custom tunes, you're brainwashed by those commies holding office that a good vehicle has less than 150 HP and never going over 55 MPH,
that is boring, so I think all you hardcore Corvette owners here should move to the USA just to be able to haul ass and doing performance mods

As I mentioned here in the USA most counties do not require any safety inspections, most do not even require SMOG testing anymore
as been proven that American vehicles made in the last 20 years were designed for clean exhaust output

Even with all the mods on my 1999 C5, engine stroked, larger fuel injectors, custom CAM, etc and Cats ripped out with headers
passes the on-board smog tests and zero error codes trip, but of course I custom tuned the GM calibration in PCM to make it 500 HP,
30 MPG on highways and outputs clean exhaust


Some counties only require a SMOG test that all a shop does in plug in a OBD-II scanner and if the on-board smog tests are in a complete
state and the check engine light is not on, then vehicle passes

 

[Chuffer]

For those of you with only 2 pedals to worry about a non-functional handbrake/emergency brake is not a significant problem. For us stick-shifters hill starts means being adept at heel and toeing.

I also drive a car with three pedals and six cogs to stir around on the end of a stick so I can keep in touch with the realities of old school driving like I learned in the first place .

 

[antijam]

The Japanese 'Shaken' vehicle check must be made every two years and is one of the most comprehensive and expensive - upwards of $1000 - in the world. Because of the cost of the test and of any necessary remedial work to pass it many owners sell their car when the Shaken is due and buy new. The glut of relatively young low mileage Japanese cars find ready markets in Australia and the UK, since we and the Japanese have the steering wheel on the right - correct - side.