Lokar handbrake..

[Kyle.malone]

I have just sent an email to Lokar about the handbrake. I bought the whole handbrake kit and everytime I pull the handle it pulls the cables, but will not lock up the rear brakes. I undo the handbrake and the cables end up getting slack in them.

Has anyone installed their handbrake kit and had any problems with them working or am I shooting in the dark on this one.

 

[gearida]

I'm sure you have adjusted brake shoes. Do you have a disc conversion? You maybe out of luck getting a disc conversion locked up if you have a system that uses the pads as an E brake, rather than a shoe set on the inside of the rotor. Check with the brake manufacture about proper adjustment. Or, if it is a factory drum set up, then check shoes for proper adjustment of the lever and shoes on the inside of the drum.

 

[Scrapper_MV]

I'm having this exact same problem! I just installed their hand brake and their cable to my explorer discs. The handle comes up about 2" before pulling tight and the parking brake is then barely engaged. If I pull really hard and get another click or two out of it then it barely holds my bronco in the driveway. But then its almost impossible to release the brake when its pulled that hard. I called them and asked what I could do to increase the holding power of the brake and they said to adjust it. Well its as adjusted as good as I can get it and it still doesn't hold very well. I will not be able to trust this brake on a steep off road type of hill! And Lokar isn't interested in helping. At this point I'm considering going to the junk yard and getting a hand brake out of some import. And don't get me going about the boot for the hand brake, how am I supposed to put the sheet metal screws right where the mounting bolts are?!

 

[Kyle.malone]

Sorry.. I do have the disc conversion from Toms.

 

[Kyle.malone]

And don't get me going about the boot for the hand brake, how am I supposed to put the sheet metal screws right where the mounting bolts are?!

I completely understand and was wondering the same thing myself. Might have to fab up a little riser all the way around.
I will call toms today and see if there is a way to adjust for the e brake.. But I thought that was one of the reasons for going to disc was to not have to worry about adjusting.

 

[Kyle.malone]

Ft. disc brakes are not adjustable.
Rear disc brakes are. Pull the parking brake out as far as possible and pump the brake pedal. Hold the brake pedal down while releasing the park brake. That should adjust the rear brakes.
If the rear brakes are drum brakes, most of them have an adjuster inside the backing plate. Remove the rubber grommet and use an adjusting tool to adjust the assembly. Do this with the wheel off the ground, turning the wheel as you adjust it until you feel a slight pressure on the wheel. After they are adjusted properly, the wheel should stop a 1/2 revolution when spun.


I just pulled this off another forum.. How true is this and if it is true, then I guess I need to get my brakes bled (no fluid since I started my frame off over a year ago).

 

[broncnaz]

Its pretty much on point Some brakes require different types of adjustment all depends on the design. The biggest issue is that disc brake setups with emergency brakes rarely work that great especailly if they only use the disc brakes to apply pressure the ones with small drum type shoes tend to work a little better also. If you really think about it most vehicles with hand operated parking brakes take quite a bit to actually apply the brakes.
If it takes more force than you think it should then its probably just handle related as it may not have the leverage needed to apply the correct pressure to apply you brakes. Figure most lockar stuff is geared for the car crowd and is designed to work in a wide range of vehicles so it may not be suited for every one.
As for the 2in of movement before it starts to apply I agree its a adjustment issue and its probably in the cable itself not the brakes but it depends on the system.

 

[gearida]

It's probably not the handles fault, disc brakes rarely make it easy to adjust the parking brake portion of the system. That is why car manufactures went to a drum E brake inside the rotor.

 

[Scrapper_MV]

I have the explorer rear discs with the little drum in the center. I agree that the hand mechanism does not give enough leverage over that little drum brake. A longer handle would help alot.