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Does the stock e-brake have a spring loaded retraction mechanism built into it?
I’m asking because when I pull handle out to engage the e-brake and then turn to release it, it hangs up and the cable gets jacked up if I try to force it back in.
If it's anything like what was on my old Chevy Sonic, when I did the rear drum to disc coversion, man that spring and cable was a BEYATCH to reattach to the new caliper!
After fiddling around with it for an hour I determined I had not pulled enough of the slack of the wilwood cable.
Below is how I routed it and cycled it several time as well as adjusted the e-brake shoes.
On my 67 the original cables they had a long spring around the cable for the last two feet. These springs compressed when the ebrake is engaged and when the ebrake is released the springs expanded in effect returning the ebrake cable in the foot well back to the home position.
However, with wilwood universal kit the only springs are located inside the drum when expanding the two brake shoes. I determined there is ~2” of cable travel to fully engage the ebrake shoes. So, I pulled the cables on both sides so I had started to move the engagement arm ~0.3 - 0.4” at the rear brake assy. Once I dide this I was then able to use the internal shoe springs to retract the stock ebrake cable/arm assy back to the home position.
That being said I do believe a secondary spring like the one shown above would make the system operation even better. So in the coming weeks I will fab up a custom return spring setup.
Last edited by PotteryPal; Feb 28, 2018 at 06:59 PM.
You should be able to buy an extension spring , with U shaped hooks on each end, at an auto parts store, that will go from the hole in the arm to the hole in the floor. A good one will have an assortment of springs. If not try McMaster Car. https://www.mcmaster.com/#extension-springs/=1bsnb26
Where you able to get the parking brake handle from inside the car to activate wilwood parking brakes? Im stuck in a similar situation. Could i email you some info to illustrate?
Stock E-Brake question
