Hydraulic handbrake in a fender

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the_wolf

Well-Known Member
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Location
Stonehouse, Scotland
I bought some bonnet hooks from a kit and rally car company a while back and they've been sending me in their catalogue since then. I noticed in it this month that they have quite a few hydraulic handbrakes and at not too bad a price.

How easy would it be to fit one of these in place of the standard one and would it offer any better functionality? It's certainly cheaper than the disc brake conversion I've seen.

The pic I've attached is the cheapest one but there are others. Excuse the fact that its sideways, no idea why.
 

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AFAIK in the uk the handbrake has to be mechanical ie cables and/or linkages. hydraul;ic can be supplementary, but not a replacement.
 
Ah well, scrap that idea. What's the reasoning behind the requirement for a mechanical I.e cable operated handbrake?

I beleive originally it was so you have some braking in the event of total hydraulic failure, not sure these days though, cos these electric handbrakes won't engage whilst your rolling :confused:
 
Just looked up on hydraulic handbrakes and apparently they were used on older cars with just the single circuit. Obviously nowadays that's different, but if I need to stick with a cable handbrake then so be it but it would be interesting to know if someone's done a similar mod before
 
New Rangies have unreliable electric handbrakes.

you will find (this is the case on every other electric handbrake) that the electric bit operates a mechanincal mechanism, usually the electric bits holds the brake off (simialr to air in a truck) the electric bit releases and the spring applies the brake

Motor vehicle construction and use regulations 1978 - regulation 13 -say that a handbrake may not use an hydraulic or electric mechanism to operate it.
 
you will find (this is the case on every other electric handbrake) that the electric bit operates a mechanincal mechanism, usually the electric bits holds the brake off (simialr to air in a truck) the electric bit releases and the spring applies the brake

Motor vehicle construction and use regulations 1978 - regulation 13 -say that a handbrake may not use an hydraulic or electric mechanism to operate it.
Does not alter the fact that they are an overcomplicated unreliable unnecessary waste of time.
 
If people are becoming so idle and brainless that they need the car to take the handbrake off for them, what chance checking tyre pressure etc? Perhaps one day car makers will develop a car seat that takes itself out of the car and puts itself in front of the telly, so people do not need to walk or think at all.
 
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