switching from a pedal parking brake to a handle?

[rez624]

anybody ever messed around with the idea of converting to a hand parking brake? i plan on taking out the bench seat i have in my 97 ranger and putting in two bucket seats. i feel like moving the parking brake to the center would gibe the inside of a truck a really good/unique look. so anybody every try this? what would i have to do to make this work and look as clean as possible? thanks for the help

 

[AlaskanRider]

I'm hoping to do this sometime over the winter. It would be really cool to control the left and right individually also.

A friend of mine was really into VW bugs, and he cut out the fenders, put on bigger tires and offroad them. He had engineered the parking brake so he had control over left and right individually, and would use them to navigate ruts and mudholes like a tractor. He could do alot with his open diff RWD.

When I do mine I probably will give up the ratcheting action.

 

[rez624]

I would only do a single lever cuz I'm not going off road. I want it for appearance and because it'll be something to set my truck apart from others

 

[racing83x]

so jack one out of a car and bolt it in. cut the factory cable mount off the frame and relocate it.

 

[doorgunner]

thanks for reminding me.......I need to go in the garage & find the one I ordered from a streetrod website....it's chrome.....they sell black ones too...you can order them in different lenghts to fit the space that you have...

about all I see that needs to be modded after a notch is put in the floorboard/lever is mounted in place.....is......the longest cable from the rear wheels will have to be shortened to match the length of the other cable because the E brake lever will be centered between the seats....

 

[AllanD]

anybody ever messed around with the idea of converting to a hand parking brake? i plan on taking out the bench seat i have in my 97 ranger and putting in two bucket seats. i feel like moving the parking brake to the center would gibe the inside of a truck a really good/unique look. so anybody every try this? what would i have to do to make this work and look as clean as possible? thanks for the help

Doing it "for looks"? no...

IF you have a rational reason for function do it.

Frankly I could have done it on my truck, but I thought a console
with an armrest was a much more useful modification

AD

 

[doorgunner]

A console would have been nice......but

My '36 cab with Ford van bucket seats doesnt have room for a console...has about 4" of space.....just enuff for a lever brake handle....(and I installed the hidden windshield wiper motor where the pedal-type E-brake normally goes.)

 

[marauderx]

Early Porsche 914's had folding parking brake handles so you could get in and out of the door easier, they were pretty cool! The changed them because people forgot they were engaged...