Parking brake

[77Travco]

When I first bought my Travco I tried out the parking brake a few times and it really didn't work. I crawled under there and adjusted the shoes tighter and it worked better... sorta. Then I started getting a weird shudder from the driveshaft when I would take off from a stop.\n I have since backed the drum shoes all the way in so as to disable the park brake and I now use chock blocks if I park on a hill.

[RobC]

Aces: Looks like yours is the exterior shoe constricting type. Mine is the interior shoe expanding type which based on the mechanism size/mechanical advantage, probably even less effective than the exterior type.\n\nI got down in there and confirmed that the shoes are pulled back from the drum and it is rotating freely. Taking all the advice from you folks I am basically abandoning the brake in place.\n\nStill trying to figure out a way to retrofit the rear drum brakes with an e-brake cable system...... \n\nBought some new chocks too......\n\nRob

[badbillybiker]

Hi... As you seem tto be on a mission like I like to call them... Consider a mechanical brake locking system, not a electrical one. Failure of power leads to events not wanted to be previewed at this time. I have found them on line but at the moment I am more concerned with a fully functional brake system and using wheel chocks.(More than one)\nFWIW (A large brick tied to a rope will work equally as well as the drum brake) I wrapped my e-brake handle with red plastic as a warning for ANYONE not to pull it or cause immediate massive injuries to themselves caused by a very PO'd me!\nBBB

[RobC]

I am on mission bbb or headed down a rabbit hole!\n\nwheel chocks are fine for parking I have no issue with that. what I am after is an actual mechanical emergency brake system that will pull, via a cable the rear shoes against the drum in case of a brake failure while. It is one thing running a 4 ton modern car off the road but a 7 ton beast with basically no safety design whatsoever is another situation.\n\nMaybe one of those emergency ejection pods like the President has on Air Force 1.....

[badbillybiker]

This e-brake thing is like being in an endless love/hate affair, going on an endless mission or trying to teach stevie wonder how to play tennis... As far as I can observe/see there is NO room for a mechanical lever to set the brake shoes against the drum at the rear. Only recourse is thru the hydraulic system which comes back to either a mechanical unit applying pressure to the system or electrically thru a blocking type solenoid... IMO, As far as I am concerned, the driveshaft way would twist itself to destruction trying to stop the Travco in a panic situation, not even thinking about the tiny clamps holding the u-joints in place. Ever see a dropped driveshaft resulting from drag racing? and that is on a car...HTH\nPS: "That" Travco safety design IS the driveshaft brake... \n 7 tons=14,000 lbs or 224,000 ounces... a lot to stop... BTW the driveshaft is hollow.\nFeedback?

[Acesneights]

I see no easy solution. You would have to machine and custom fabricate a larger drum and brake shoes for the driveshaft brake however I think the driveshaft can take more than you think. As someone who has driven dump trucks and trailers for many years almost always overloaded I have stopped many trucks using the engine which relies on the driveshaft . Whether a Travco driveshaft is strong enough I am not sure. Never really looked at it very closely. I don't see any easy way to use cables on the rear brakes as they have dual wheel cylinders hence the driveshaft brake. If it were a Travco 220 I'd say you could using Dana 70 backing plates off a 1 ton pickup but not on a dual cyl Travco 270.\nA Cummins swap with an exhaust brake might be more practical.\nBottom line...Keep on top of your brakes.

[RobC]

Watched a new show on Discovery called "Cuban Chrome" About these bad-ass Cuban mechanics that basically have to fabricate everything for the 1950's fleet of vintage American cars.\n\nThe last one dealt with fixing the e-brake (Driveshaft mounted) on a 55 Chrysler. The old crusty master mechanic was complaining that they never worked and generally sucked.\n\nThey tried for a rear drum retrofit but no room. They then went with a retro disc-brake on the tranny. The mechanic said it was still dangerous but at least would work.\n\nThe owner of the car wanted to turn it into a tourist taxi and it had to pass inspection.\n\nPretty cool show, I recommend tuning in. Thinking on the disc brake swap for my driveline drum.....