Parking Brake

[mud99]

So, i've been having trouble with my parking brake all season, it sticks when I use it and doesn't hold the sled from rolling, even though I have the cable pretty tight.

The hydraulic brake works well though - i'm thinking of taking off the whole assembly, and just carrying around a bungee cord to hold it closed when I need to, I only use it for getting on the trailer (my trailer doesn't tip forward correctly when I drive onto it, so I need to set the brake and lift the back of the sled)

Anyone else done this? Is there something more elegant than a bungee? Some sort of trick brake lever?

Mark

 

[The Artist]

there is 2 adjustments for the parking brake one for the cable and one for the brake pads ckeck both

 

[aceltx09]

Have you ever left on by mistake and drove for awhile? If the pad is worn it won't hold, also check the pad adjustment, it should lock the rotor tight you definately have a problem,you can make the adjustment with an adjustable wrench

 

[spddmon]

mpi makes a mechanical park break elimination kit it uses the hydraulic breaks instead

 

[mud99]

That's exactly what i'm looking for - $129 though...ouch.

Mark

 

[Beech]

You say it sticks when you use it then suspect the cable on release. I had that problem. You may have driven it with the parking brake on and wore the parking brake pad and overheated the cable which causes it to stick on release.

Replace pads and cable.

 

[grumpysanta]

fix your trailer , slide the wheels so that the trailer will fall back down after you drive on.

 

[sobfrogg]

I have the MPI kit on both sleds. Works real nice

 

[kinger]

I installed new brake pads on my e brake at $25 for the pair, what a joke they dont hold at all.

On my RX1 I removed the brake and used a small bolt to pin the brake lever shut and it worked fantastic.

Some on here will defend the cable brake saying that hydraulic will leak over time and fail but I left mine on all summer once by accident and it was just as firm. Then they will say you need the cable one to slow you down in the event of a main brake failure so I tried that at 60 mph I let off teh gas and applied the parking brake and it did nothing I stopped in teh same distance as you do by letting off the gas and letting the engine brake work.

I tried adjusting all different ways it did nothing.

I seen someone use velcro zip ties:

http://www.buycableties.com/product/120 ... s_100_ties

They just hook and hold the brake shut then unhook, etc. I find the bolt or the velcro zip tie works fine. I will be removing my parking brake this year and selling with a new pad assembly in there!

MPI kit looks slick or get a artic cat brake with built in parking brake assembly is another trick I may do.

 

[mud99]

Any links to this "bolt" trick? Not sure how it works.

Who cares if it fails over time....it's just there to get it on the trailer.

The apex slows down so quickly without the brake on I would never have time to use the parking brake.

I'm thinking the velcro is the way to go...

 

[kinger]

Just squeeze the brake and look behind the lever and you'll see where the lever travels from. When you release it goes out till it its a stop, squeeze it and it forms a gap, just put a bolt, pen, anything in there that is big enough so that when you relase the brake it hits the bolt then the stop and its held closed basically. You'll see what I mean when you look at the brake lever.