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E-STOPP parking brake/anti-theft

jtrux

jtrux

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Shop | E-Stopp Corporation

Purchase your E-Stopp from one of our trusted partners, or shop direct.
www.estopp.com www.estopp.com

I've known about this product for a while but only recently starting considering it for my burb. I'm mainly interested in it as an anti-theft device but since I converted to manual, I wouldn't mind a more solidly actuating parking brake either.

Anyone have any experience with one?
 
I have put 2 in hot rods. Works as advertised. As long as the brake system will hold the car. The keyed unitsmwere used with id hidden in the glove box for security reasons.
My 48 4x4 suburban will get one.
 
Let me ask you this since you brought it up. Can the key be left in it and still used like an emergency brake? I like the idea of the keyed one for obvious reasons but kinda takes away from the emergency brake function unless you have the key in it and it's somewhat accessible to the driver.
 
jtrux said:

Shop | E-Stopp Corporation

Purchase your E-Stopp from one of our trusted partners, or shop direct.
www.estopp.com www.estopp.com

I've known about this product for a while but only recently starting considering it for my burb. I'm mainly interested in it as an anti-theft device but since I converted to manual, I wouldn't mind a more solidly actuating parking brake either.

Anyone have any experience with one?
Click to expand...

Any reason I wouldn't just cut the ebrake cable?

In my case the tweakers cut the old style e-brake cable hangers which removed tension, but anything that could cut cable easily will defeat an e-brake.

Hidden kill switch seems more better for that purpose.

I am curious how well it would apply the e-brakes compared to pedal pressure however. Mine don't hold well depending on angle and direction the truck is facing. As my crushed finger attests to.

I wonder if these brakes even from the factory held manual trucks in place on steep slopes.
 
They call them an e-brake, because they are electronic, not because they are for emergency use. Never tried to actuate one while moving. The key can be removed in either position. We only used them as parking brakes. These were both in non inspection states. So if you need to deal with that, I have no answer.

I don't think I know many people who would think to hit the parking brake in an emergency. If both front and rear brake systems fail, more maintenance should have been done.
 
If they want your ride bad enough they will take it. All they got to do is lift from the rear with a stinger and drive off. Park brake be damned.
 
always said rollback or wrecker with dolleys ...... no one will second guess it going past even with the alarm going off ...

lug locks / car alarms / auto set e-brakes / kill switches are all useless agains a tow truck OPERATOR .... not a driver . as the driver just hold the wheel and drives . a operator know how to load and go .
 
If the worry is someone breaking into your ride and driving off with it I think a hidden kill switch is an easier thing to do. Even if they pop the lock in the column (which is really easy on these btw) they can turn the switch but it won’t start.

They are looking to pop the lock and drive off in seconds. If they don’t start right away they cut bait and run.

Plus the OP mentioned his was recently swapped to a manual trans. That’s another anti-theft device in its own right as kids these days don’t know how to drive a stick.
 
sweetk30 said:
always said rollback or wrecker with dolleys ...... no one will second guess it going past even with the alarm going off ...

lug locks / car alarms / auto set e-brakes / kill switches are all useless agains a tow truck OPERATOR .... not a driver . as the driver just hold the wheel and drives . a operator know how to load and go .
Click to expand...

I used to drive a tow truck and you're absolutely right. If all 4 tires are locked up, the winch will drag it onto the bed without issue and you're gone.
 
ZooMad75 said:
If the worry is someone breaking into your ride and driving off with it I think a hidden kill switch is an easier thing to do. Even if they pop the lock in the column (which is really easy on these btw) they can turn the switch but it won’t start.

They are looking to pop the lock and drive off in seconds. If they don’t start right away they cut bait and run.

Plus the OP mentioned his was recently swapped to a manual trans. That’s another anti-theft device in its own right as kids these days don’t know how to drive a stick.
Click to expand...
I really want a better parking brake option versus the worn out factory one. From what I've seen and heard, this applies pretty firmly. The worst is trying to hook a trailer up and having to kill it in gear every time I hop out to take a look to see where I'm at. My parking brake will pop out if I set it firmly so I'm stuck with a really light parking brake that rolls on just about any incline.
 
jtrux said:
I used to drive a tow truck and you're absolutely right. If all 4 tires are locked up, the winch will drag it onto the bed without issue and you're gone.
Click to expand...
That’s why I park my K5 in the driveway and put my new dually behind it in the street.
 
jtrux said:
I really want a better parking brake option versus the worn out factory one. From what I've seen and heard, this applies pretty firmly. The worst is trying to hook a trailer up and having to kill it in gear every time I hop out to take a look to see where I'm at. My parking brake will pop out if I set it firmly so I'm stuck with a really light parking brake that rolls on just about any incline.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with that. Keep in mind that unit is still pulling on the cables going to the wheels. If the shoes are worn or out of adjustment it don’t matter if you have a stock pedal or a electric device pulling it, If the brakes are out of adjustment it’s still not going to hold.

I’d invest some time on making sure the brakes are right and if you had to replace the the pedal mechanism it would be a whole lot easier than adapting one of the electric units.
 
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I've investigated all of that. Just that damn ratcheting mechanism under the dash.
 
jtrux said:
I've investigated all of that. Just that damn ratcheting mechanism under the dash.
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You should be able to find a good used one. There are so many automatic transmission equipped trucks that never used the park brake.
I have seen a few times that the release linkage was so dry that they wouldn't pop into the teeth properly to latch. Damage or wear can cause the same problem as well.
 
My truck lived it's life as an auto for the first 30 years of its life and I know the previous owner (he owned it for 20 of those years) never used it so that's entirely possible.
 
like anything else these days, layers of security is ideal. I like the idea of visual deterants that show crack heads it's not going to be a quick smash & grab, also works for when you're out hunting and you're away from your ride. Things like column guards and clubs (clubs won't slown down those that know how to end run them), but again visual theft detetents combined with hidden kill switches, and some kind of alarm with a PA in the cab & under the hood, a real obnoxious audible deterant. You can't defeat the hook and book tow driver but you can gps your ride and when your cell phone goes off saying your ride is moving without you; calling 911 and giving em the real time sat tracking login info will ensure the likelyhood of a speedy recovery. There's a monthly data plan associated with the gps (think lo-jack) but for when it can't locked in a garage it's probably your best chance at getting it back unmolested and putting the happy hooker out of business and it has it's own failover battery in case some yahoo cuts the battery cable.

Having GPS Recovery will also lower your insurance rate.

Removing & hiding your driveshafts is also a good deterrant when you're off the grid away from your rig.
 
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