mowermech wrote:
" This has very limited stopping power at high was speed and could put the vehicle into a spin."
What do you think will happen if the service brakes are locked up with no one on board to control the steering?
I certainly wish some independent testing agency would hook up a toad with explosive bolts, with these braking systems installed, and cut it loose at 70 MPH to see what would happen. I do believe the results would be informative and educational! Sometimes it appears that many folks believe the rig will come to a nice, straight-line stop. I don't think so. It may very well be a disaster.
Again, some testing to verify the results would be a very good thing, IMO.
I haven't had a vehicle with a separate parking brake for years, IIRC. I think the last one was a 1951 Plymouth convertible. I believe all the rest have actuated the rear service brakes. I could be wrong, it happens frequently. The older I get, the more frequently it happens.
Mowermech,
Well Sir, we did just that on the FD. We tested the stopping power of the "EMERGENCY BRAKES" on our fire trucks. We tested them at multiple speeds. Well, contrary to some belief on this particular thread, IT DOES WORK! Now, obviously it's not going to be as efficient as applying all four wheel service brakes but, it did work.
It was done in controlled situations. In short, the apparatus was brought to various speeds then, the engine/trans was disengaged (neutral) and the emergency/parking brakes were engaged. Yep, it took a bit for the rig to stop but, there was no "Mr Toads Wild Ride" effect. Yep, we did burn up some brakes on these tests but, the point is, EMERGENCY BRAKES are, emergency brakes, period. All anyone has to do is look in any dictionary on this planet and, they all say the same thing, "a separate braking system to be used in the event of the standard brake failure".
By law, emergency/parking brakes cannot be applied to the front wheels, only the rear. And, they must be applied by a mechanical means.
To the OP, sorry for getting off track here on your thread. Just wanted to clarify something. And, if you do utilize you e-brake as a break-a-way, as you already know, it will only be applying the rear brakes. Where as, many "break-a-way" units are setup to apply the brakes on all four corners. Now, your main concern is at least TRYING to bring your toad to a stop in the event of a break-a-way.
Good luck.
Scott
