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Lokar floor mounted hand brake handle...

tklockwood

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I have installed the U.S.Body Source subframe connectors on my 'Cuda and plan to run a hand brake instead of the factory style pedal type parking brake. This is partly because I don't want to screw around getting the cable to run through the subframe connector and partly because I just prefer a hand brake.

I have purchased a Lokar floor mounted hand brake handle and plan to mount this behind the 4 speed hump on the driver's side of the transmission tunnel. The car is all apart and up on a rotisserie so it is very difficult to make sure I don't mount this handle in a way that will interfere with the drive shaft. I was looking for some input on what sort of clearance there normally is between the drive shaft and the tunnel.

I am planning to open up the floor and pull the side of the tunnel up to an essentially flat position and then make new "sides" to support this plate and close in the hole. I believe that doing it that way I can make the cable clevis that pulls on the cable be essentially right where the side of the tunnel is now. Maybe just a little in to provide additional clearance between the cable and the floor.

From there they provide a bracket and 2 cables to go to the rear axle. I have been looking on the web for what other people have done and found some where these cables and their bracket are located at the top of the driveshaft tunnel (on the bottom side of the floor of course) and the cables follow the tunnel and then split before getting to the rear axle. I would like to do something very similar but I can't tell how close the driveshaft will come to the floor (tunnel floor really) so I don't know if this is a good plan. This configuration would be the best solution for getting the required cable to the passenger side of the rear axle...

So... Question. Is anyone in a position to tell me about how tight this clearance is between the driveshaft and floor? Particularly under suspension compression. My car is very close to factory ride height so I don't expect additional issues from lowering the car. It looks like the bracket extends from the surface it is mounted to by no more than an inch. Maybe less. I don't have the cables/bracket in hand so I am not sure of the exact measurement. I will order the cables soon.

Sorry for the long ramble and lack of pictures. I haven't cut into it yet so pictures would show a stock 'Cuda floor... I think we have all seen one of those.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Adam

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I like Lokar stuff, but I think it would be easier to run the cable through the connector than modifying the floor pan. Also, wouldn't the floor mount be too far back for practical use? You might want to throw a seat in there and see...
 

tklockwood

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I ended up not using a big hole in the floor and suspending the brake assembly down through it. Instead I mounted the brake handle on a home made bracket on the side of the transmission tunnel, above the floor. I made a small angled exit for the cable to go through the floor and out to the underside of the tunnel. I will be using an intermediate cable to connect up with the Lokar setup below the car. There is an explanation and pics at:

My 70/72 'Cuda (re) build.
 
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