wilwood brakes advice

[gearheadgarage]

I have great success w/ Wilwood e-brake holding power. We almost always use the factory intermediate cable to pull the Wilwood cables as if they were stock- this seems to be stronger & work better. Also, it is important that you ajust the e-brake shoes/drums correctly to endure proper grab- I can't stress how important this step is (but often overlooked).

[wmhjr]

Originally Posted by gearheadgarage

I have great success w/ Wilwood e-brake holding power. We almost always use the factory intermediate cable to pull the Wilwood cables as if they were stock- this seems to be stronger & work better. Also, it is important that you ajust the e-brake shoes/drums correctly to endure proper grab- I can't stress how important this step is (but often overlooked).

You're using the factory e-brake pedal? One thing that seems constant is that if you're using a "hand operated" brake lever, I have yet to meet somebody who has had good luck in that regard. BTW, I've already spent time trying to adjust the parking brake on the inside of the rear units. Not much fun and frankly not very successful thus far.

[Wilwood Tech]

There are several factors that can erode parking brake performance. One of the most critical procedures during installation is the the routing of the parking brake cables. To ensure maximum performance from your parking brake system, the cables must be routed as straight as possible. Bends in the cable can significantly reduce efficiency and thus reduce pull force at the brake. Tight bends must be avoided with a minimum recommended bend radius of 6" to 8".
Cables should be properly restrained to prevent "straightening" of bends when tension is applied. Restrain movement of cable by affixing the cable sheath to body or chassis by fitting cable clamps at various points over the length of cable or by using original equipment cable attachments points. The clamping method chosen will require that cable sheath be held tightly without movement, crushing or causing interference to the internal cable.
Cables must be initially pre-stretched by multiple applications of the brake handle, then re-adjusted to correct tension.
Finally, if you inadvertantly drive with your parking brake on, you can glaze your shoes, which will affect their ability to hold. I hope this information is helpful.

Ken H

[GregWeld]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Fantastically helpful! Thanks for posting all those great tips and instructions!

Guess I have some work to do... cause I know for sure I didn't clamp the outer cable as it should be now that I know!