Line Lock as parking brake??

[trailblazr81]

Has anyone used a Line Lock as a parking brake??? Can it be a safe replacement for parking brake after a lift and bigger tires. My parking cable is now too short on my 73 K20. Right now I just avoid parking on hills unless theres a good curb to stop the tire. I also keep a brick in the bed just in case. Could also be used for cool big mudder burn outs!!!

 

[RootBreaker]

I thought about that.. however... I hear they work off of power.. thus drains your battery... dunno bout trusting that...

 

[jhellwig]

It probaly cant be good for the hoses and other seals to have presure on them for a long period of time. Plus I would say that it has a much bigger chance of failing that a mechanical one. Now if you could rig up air brakes then you would have it a little easier.

 

[89GMCSuburban]

How much lift do you have? 4" and mine have plenty of slack. Just put it in park, crank your wheels (according to drivers manual) and put some blocks behind the tires.

 

[senatorwoodhouse]

http://www.motorsportsdigest.com/install-ll.htm

"A Line Lock is an electronic solonoid that controls a valve which is in line with the front brakes. Normally, the valve is open and allows fluid to pass through to the front brakes as usual. However, while the front brakes are applied and the solonoid is activated, the valve closes to trap the fluid in the front brakes keeping them applied until the control is released. "

good idea but I dont think i would trust it.

I cant think of the term for it but what about an e-brake on your drive shaft?

 

[dyeager535]

No, they aren't acceptable. Line locks will eventually bleed off.

 

[trailblazr81]

I was just thinking of a Line Lock cuz you can get 'em for around $50. The rear is about 6" higher with the new springs. I dunno if it being a long bed makes a difference. About 5 years ago I lifted a 81 K5 and had to ditch the parking brake cables because they were too short. Its no biggie, I dont drive it much, just for fun or when going to dump or other hauling/towing. My cousin lives on a hill and if I drive it too his house I can park at bottom of hill and walk the two houses up.

 

[Big Truck]

I saw a cool line lock at www.spidertrax.com its called "jamar" it's a manual line lock you have to mount it inside the cab. push the brake down and depress the switch.

 

[Burt4x4]

I use a MICO Lever-Lok in my 72 K5. Not for a parking brake but for a thirdfoot wheelin, like hill climbs and such. As people have said a line lock traps the pressure to the calipers. This pressure in time will fade. It does take a looong time for it to fade off. As a test I used my Lever-Lok over night parked on a slight hill/driveway. In the am the calipers were still holding my rig inplace (I removed the blocks, incase of fadeing, and the rig did not roll).
Now this doesn't mean it is safe to ASSume the line-lock will replace a parking break. In time caliper seals will fail pre-maturly and hoses will begin to leak and such if used for long periods of time all the time.
www.mico.com

Hope this helps
Burt

 

[6.2Blazer]

I have electric line locks plumbed into both the front and rear brakes on my K5. It has rear discs and no other parking brake so that's why I chose to go that route. My intention was not really long-term parking, but just for holding the truck on hills on the trail or to lock up the wheels while winching (mine is an automatic so it's always in park as a backup). They do draw power and simply are not designed to stay on for overnight or multi-day parking uses. With that said I've had them on for over 30 minutes at time while winching and they did not seem to lose any pressure or get hot. They also draw a very, very small amount of power. I've never really tried to keep them on longer as half hour has always been more than enough time to get out to use the winch or just see what's going on.

Even though when in 4wd the front and rear tires are locked together and you would really only need a line lock on one axle, I went with one on both axles just for a safety backup incase one would ever fail.

 

[beater74]

IMLAO this is the best one on the market. it it a mechanical type lock so there is no electrical draw. they are expensive but well worth it. it's made by MICO

http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/finditem.cfm?itemid=8737

 

[fortcollinsram]

by using a line lock as a parking brake frequently, I am sure you will blow out you caliper piston seals in short order...As a temporary thing on the trail, I say go for it but not every day and night to hold your truck on a steep driveway...

Chris

 

[Drey]

The elevator I work for bought out another smaller fertilizer company in the same town. Their 3 tender trucks(two Chevy C70s and a Ford F700)were so badly rusted in the cab that the hand parking brakes wouldnt move. They all had line locks for parking brakes. NOT SAFE!!!! One of the trucks actaully rolled out of the door of their shop one day and took out the scale house at the bottom of the hill, luckily no one was in it. After that I carryed a cinder block in the cab to put behind the wheel, when parked anywhere. I wouldnt trust them, just my opinion.

 

[BurbLover]

No, they aren't acceptable. Line locks will eventually bleed off.

Yup, what he said.

 

[fatbob]

But you would still need an EMERGENCY brake. If you stretched a brakeline or lost brake fluid for any reason, the line lock would be usless. That's why a mechanical brake system is required by many states as a backup on street driven vehicles. It makes sense for us too, because of the way we get these trucks to articulate, and rub up against rocks. I would just get a longer cable made.

 

[tch777]

Emergency Brake

Fatbob is right vehicles have EMERGENCY BRAKES that can be used as a parking brake. If your brakes fail in traffic without an E-brake and you nail some one you will be liable for everything that includes some one's death. Line locks electric or manual will not work if your main brakes go out.

If you have a trailer queen trail rig that is another deal all together but if you have a street driven vehicle you must have an E brake especially if there was one from the factory.

Tim

 

[diesel4me]

wont pass for inspection here..

In Mass,an emergency brake HAS to be MECHANICAL--completely independent of the hydraulic system for the brakes,in order to be road legal and get an inspection sticker--at least thats whatI have been told by the guy I get my stickers from...probably the same in many other states too.. --no cheating or "easy way out" allowed..

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

You should never trust ANY secondary braking system. If it is life or death or you have a chance of losing your rig, don't trust any of them (or any combination of them). Line locks work awesome for temporarily holding a vehicle in place, but don't leave them set for weeks at a time (again, they will drain your battery, bleed off pressure, and put excess strain on brake system components). If you need something as a safety device on the trail/short term parking brake, line locks are probably the best way to go. As far as the safety of running without a "mechanical" secondary brake, the master cylinder is divided into 2 partitions to ensure that at least one set of brakes is working. Legal or not, between downshifting and having at least one working set of brakes, I'm not worried about missing out on an emergency brake (they don't really have any braking force anyway).

 

[dyeager535]

Legal or not, between downshifting and having at least one working set of brakes, I'm not worried about missing out on an emergency brake (they don't really have any braking force anyway).

Ever had a master cylinder fail sitting at a stop light? Appreciated my ebrake there!

Of course, in an auto you can always throw it in park or reverse, but ouch if you are rolling.