ELECTRIC HANDBRAKE

[woody]

CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS INVOLVED TO FIT AN ELECTRIC HANDBRAKE. I AM NOW FINDING THAT THIS ADAPTION IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED, AS I CAN ONLY USE MY LEFT ARM, WHICH IS NOW GIVING ME PROBLEMS. ALSO I HAVE SWIVEL FRONT SEATS AND FIND THE HANDBRAKE LEVER GETS IN THE WAY WHEN TURNING ROUND.

I HAVE HAD QUOTES FROM £500 - £650 TO FIT AN ELECTRIC HANDBRAKE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS INVOLVED IN FITTING ONE BUT THIS SOUNDS
EXTORTIONATE TO ME.

HAS ANYONE GOT ONE FITTED? THANK YOU

[dachre]

Hi Woody...... this is a common conversion but it is expensive when you buy the kit new.

You can get the kit new from companys like Brig-Ayd Controls Ltd... Heres a link to their elec hand brake kit.... they also list a the company's who can fit it nationwide.

http://www.brig-aydcontrols.co.uk/handb ... dbrake.php


Im sure that dangeeeeerousss did one on his van....... heres a link to his thread, but i have to warn you im not too sure where it talks about it in his thread and it has nearly 80 pages to look through... ...but it is a fab read, one of the best id say.... ....

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=7599


Perhaps another member knows a bit more about dangeeeeerousss hand brake conversion.... ...

good luck with everything.....

[woody]

MANY THANKS DACHRE, I THINK THE COMPANY IN YOUR LINK IS ONE I HAD A QUOTE FROM. IT WAS ONE OF THEIR INSTALLERS ACE MOBILITY I THINK IT WAS AROUND £600.

I WILL SEE IF I CAN FIND THE PAGE YOU MENTIONED, ON ELECTRIC HANDBRAKE.

THANKS AGAIN

[andykay]

There are a number of options to make it easier if you can manage them cheap and easy to fit.



Both my vans have electric brakes and they are expensive to buy and have fitted but they need to be done right Also there are two types one that fits on your handbrake lever which is a pain in the @rse as you catch your feet on it all the time and another which does away with the lever and mounts under the van so you have a clear path to the seat but as I said expensive. Also there are several places that will do the adaption but most are within a few quid of each other price wise.

Andy.

[woody]

THANKS ANDY, THE OPTION I AM REALLY LOOKING FOR IS THE ONE YOU MENTIONED WHERE YOU DO AWAY WITH THE HANDBRAKE LEVER ALTOGETHER.

AS I HAVE SWIVEL SEATS IN THE FRONT, THE HANDBRAKE GETS IN THE WAY WHEN TURNING THE SEATS ROUND. I TRANSFER MY WIFE FROM HER WHEELCHAIR IN TO THE FRONT SEAT, WHICH I AM NOW FINDING MORE DIFFICULT.

SO THERE ARE TWO REASONS I WOULD LIKE TO DO AWAY WITH THE HANDBRAKE
1. I THEN WON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE WITH THE HANDBRAKE
2. WILL MAKE LIFE ALOT EASIER WHEN TURNING THE SEAT ROUND.

MANY THANKS

[dachre]

Hi Woody,

I am building a camper and for what its worth i had the same sort of problem with my swivel seat getting in the way of the handbake so i just took the transit handbrake out and replaced it with another type of mechanical handbrake off another vehicle that fits in the dash so it is now out of the way.

Other transit camper builders simple move the handbrake from the left side of the drivers seat to the right side next to the door. Again, so it is out of the way.

But i think the elec route is the way forward. A lot of new vehicles like some mpv's, Land Rover Discovery's and Renaults have elec hand brakes but they are linked into the normal ecu braking systems and may be difficult to seperate.

So i guess its a second hand elec brake system of a mobility car would be the best way forward.

There are some fitters near you that may point you towards some second hand parts.

here are some.


Ace Car Conversions
64 Tuliptree Close
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 2SJ

Tel: 01732 362026




Bespoke Accessible Vehicles
Malden
Ash Road
Ash
Kent
TN15 7HL

Tel: 01474 709357
Fax: 01474 704086




Kent Auto Panels Ltd.
Shorncliffe Motor Park
Ross Way
Folkstone
Kent
CT20 3UJ

Tel: 01303 249656
Fax: 01303 220075
Web: www.kap.uk.com

[andykay]

Take a look here the list covers a lot of the main suppliers and gives prices. Also have you tried to get a grant to pay for the work

http://www.motability.co.uk/main.cfm?Type=CAPI

Andy.

[woody]

DACHRE, MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP AND ADVICE.
ONE ON THE OPTIONS YOU MENTIONED, I DID CONSIDER WHICH WAS PUTTING SOME SORT OF RACHET HANDBRAKE SIMILAR TO ONES THEY HAVE IN FORD ECONOLINES, THEY ALSO HAD THEM IN VAUXHALL CRESTAS AND FORD ZODIACS MANY YEARS AGO.

THE OPTION OF MOVING IT OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS OUT, AS I HAVE NOT GOT A RIGHT ARM.

A COUPLE OF THE COMPANIES YOU HAVE MENTIONED, I HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED AND THEY HAVE ONLY BEEN INTERESTED IN SUPPLY AND FIT ONLY AGAIN PRICES VARIED BETWEEN £500- £650

MOST COMPANIES I HAVE TRIED TO SEE IF THEY SUPPLY THE KIT ONLY, WILL NOT
SELL IT AS THEY SAY THEY MUST BE INSTALLED BY AN AUTHORISED INSTALLER.

ONE THAT I COULD USE WITH MY FOOT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA, BUT HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE.

ANYWAY I WILL KEEP ON WITH MY QUEST.
MANY THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP

[woody]

ANDY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE LINK, PRICES ARE WHAT I HAVE BEEN QUOTED. THEY ALL SEEM TO BE AROUND THE SAME PRICE WITHIN A £100 OR SO.
I THINK JIM DOREN COMES OUT THE DEAREST AT £750 AND HE IS IN COVENTRY.

MANY THANKS AGAIN

[dachre]

Hey Woody,

The type of hand brake that you use with with your foot is the type ive put in my transit. Mine came from an American import p150 pick-up truck.

These are some pics from my build thread. The first pic shows four foot pedals with the release mech in the dash. You can also see that the seats swivel no probs now.









Its very similar to the type fitted in Mercedes vehicles.

You can find a basic drawing and explanation of one here.

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/69738 ... ption.html

[woody]

HI DACHRE, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT, JUST THE JOB. I THINK MY SEARCH WILL NOW BE FOR A SECOND HAND YANKEE ONE.

DID YOU HAVE MUCH TROUBLE FITTING IT?

YOUR VAN SEEMS TO BE COMING ON NICELY, LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE PUT A LOT OF WORK IN TO IT. WHAT WERE YOUR SEATS OUT OF?

MY SEATS ARE A LOT WIDER, AS THEY ARE REALLY FOR YANKEE VANS, BOUGHT THEM FROM THE VAN SHOP IN SITTINGBOURNE KENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP ALSO SHOWING THE PICTURES OF YOUR BRAKE ALSO FOR THE LINK.

[dachre]

Hey woody,

The seats came from a MK1 Galaxy, the MK2 ones are better but a bit more expensive second hand. There were no real troubles fitting them as i made my own seat base. They need a new base because the Galaxy ones were a bit too low to the floor. The good thing is that the Transit seat belt fits the Galaxy seat belt buckle that is fixed to the seat as standard.

The park brake pedal was a heck of a lot of work to fit because originaly it would of bolted to the lower kick panel of the left door post on a car which would of been left hand drive so i had to recreate that assy on a right hand drive van. I did that by welding a bracket where the side of the Transit heating matrix sits and i had to move the matrix a few inches to the left.... Nightmare....

It didnt cost me a lot to make, i think i paid £60 for the foot brake assy... but it was an awful lot of work.

If i was doing it again id try and pick up a second hand elec brake assy if possible. They would be a lot easier to fit.


Good luck with everything Woody...

[dangeeeeerousss]

hi woody
i made my own kit for the redvan and it cost me about £40 to do it

[woody]

HI DANGEEEEEROUSS, COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT PARTS YOU BOUGHT AND ALSO COULD YOU SHOW SOME PICTURES OF HOW IT IS INSTALLED. ALSO WIRING DIAGRAM IF POSSIBLE PLEASE.

MANY THANKS

[dangeeeeerousss]

hi woody
sorry for the late reply.we had a death in the family

i used a linear actuator easily found on ebay mainly in the satellite section
a micro switch and a rocker switch the wiring is very basic just 2 lives and an earth
ill have a look for the pics
i think i did do a thread about it before








these are the only pics i can find at the min