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I'm using Miata rear calipers and see no reasonable way to utilize the emergency brake arrangement. First, the fixed bracket for the cable support will hit the frame and even if it did not hit, the cable layout is just not suitable due to the location of the caliper. I'm looking for some alternative way to add an E-brake. Wilwood makes a manual E-brake caliper but I do not think there is a way to mount it along with the stock caliper. Flying Miata has a great kit for the rear that includes an integrated E-brake but the 4 caliper kit runs over $1k. Rear kit alone runs over $700. I can solve all this with $1 worth of wooden wheel chocks but I want something a little more fancy. I could probably butcher up the frame to allow clearance but surely there is a better option. Any ideas out there would be appreciated.

Would swapping calipers (and uprights?) side-to-side help?

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Warren
Isuzu Pickup/SR20DE, +401 COLD frame
Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11601

Seems to me, that's what Kieth Tanner did on his car.

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Mike - Read my story at http://twinlakesseven.blogspot.com/

I used RX7 donor and had the same problem. I went thru the process of changing the cable bracketry AND the caliper internals for the eccentric actuator. This allowed me to use the control arms I already had made (Different than the Miata design) Way ,way, WAY too much work. Really, I second "swap the L & R uprights" and be done.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

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Or how about a driveline brake instead. A small rotor and caliper on the diff input would work if you have room. It wouldn't have to be very big, because the torque it would have to hold would be divided by your rear end ratio.
Kristian

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V6 in a book frame build. Now registered.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=7587
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18172

How about a strap brake around the driveshaft? It hangs loose until you pull the lever. Pretty simple and worked just fine on early cars.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I'm not sure if it was flipped left to right I bought these from Bob M.
I put quite a bit more bend to the bracket that holds the cable to get the clearance.
Right side of the picture is forward reference to the car.

I made an aerodynamic plate on the lower control arm to get a smooth belly pan and fastened it with plastic and countersunk screws from the bottom.

Has anyone used a hydraulic parking brake. These are very common on drift cars and many have locking devices to maintain the pressure for use as a parking brake. The Miata rear uprights are not symmetrical so switching L to R would create too many issues for my build. Plus, I'm still not sure that would work as my frame is +4 and I am using stock Miata rear suspension geometry and that places the cable bracket right against the frame. Even bending the bracket will not work as the cable enters from the wrong end anyway. So, I am consider using the Miata parking brake handle mechanicals and design a bracket to hold the master cylinder.

Looks to me like you're nearly clear. Perhaps shorten the bracket enough to move the cable outboard of the frame? Another thought is a bell-crank mounted on the bracket anchor bolts with a short link to the caliper to reverse the cable's pull direction.

Hydraulic "parking brakes" are a short term use only. They will bleed down over time and are not safe to rely on for more than a few minutes. There is a reason that hyd dump beds have a solid strut to lock the bed up when a human has to get in there to do anything. If a few minutes is all that you need and you don't have a State inspection requirement to meet (hyd p-brakes almost never meet those req'ts) then look into a Mico-lock or Jamar's "parkloc". The latter can usually be found online at U.S. sand rail suppliers. Kartek & McKenzies may also carry them. The former is much more expensive, used by tow trucks when winching a car back up from off the side of the road or similar, and is best looked for used.

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Cross-threaded is tighter than Lock-tite.