Hand Brake
 

CBS they still dragging their feet on this deal?

Re: Hand Brake
 

Mickey,look at the post in the other .90 category about a driver who has a broken back from brake failure. This is crazy..if you go to Z-Max national maybe you can speak to someone in power.I have tried with e-mail to Glendora ,no response....see you at Silver Dollar...."Geezer"

Re: Hand Brake
 

Yes they are.....I didn't get a response from the last letter.....Maybe our resident magazine editor can write a pointed article so we can put this issue in a bigger light.....

I fail to see the logic in the handbrake being illegal...is there data that shows a handbrake causing a crash? I have heard many have had the handbrake save them from a crash.....

Rock

Re: Hand Brake
 

" fail to see the logic in the handbrake being illegal...is there data that shows a handbrake causing a crash? I have heard many have had the handbrake save them from a crash....."

Amen

Re: Hand Brake
 

TF,TFF ans Alky cars have em outlaw those to...the ole goose and gander thing

Re: Hand Brake
 

It's ok to have one right now but it has to be mechanically tied to the foot pedal....

Rock

Re: Hand Brake
 

That would tend to lock up the rear wheels faster in my opinoin with 4 calipers working at the same time? Just saying

Re: Hand Brake
 

X 2 What Mickey said !!!

Re: Hand Brake
 

We have double brake systems (dual master, dual lines, four calipers), and haven't locked up the brakes yet...

Re: Hand Brake
 

Let me drive it one time and ill take the virgin out of it, will put two equal flat spots on your rubber, and two nice long black streaks!

Re: Hand Brake
 

I don't think I said that one COULDN'T, I said we hadn't. :)

It's no where near as touchy as people keep implying.

Re: Hand Brake
 

I always had 4 on my dragsters.....wouldn't have it any other way.....

But Mickey knows how to use the brakes......for sure.....lol

Re: Hand Brake
 

He does sound like a man of experience!

Re: Hand Brake
 

Rock et al,

as I rocketed thru the top end at Maple Grove a couple of years back at the Dutch, on my quickest, fastest (and last) single-stage NOS pass on my old Top Dragster (6.71 @ 203mph), I sure wished I had a second set of brakes to fall back on... a caliper mounting bracket bolt had sheared off, the caliper spun around and tore off the brake lines to my single system. Threw both chutes, but had no brakes at all. I was fortunate enough to walk away, but the car was a write-off. Not sure I understand the all the downsides of a double system and/or a handbrake, but I can certainly speak to what happens when you don't have 'em in a dragster...

See you tomorrow in Columbus

srm

Re: Hand Brake
 

I have been told of incidents like yours many times.....They (Actually one person) Has heartburn with the handbrake....I will try again to get it in front of the right people....for review....to everyone I've talked to...its been a no brainer....but the NHRA can't seem to see our point of view....But if we stay after them maybe we can get them to change it....

Rock

Re: Hand Brake
 

I have attached this thread to my latest note....(of course I cut out Mickey's comments...lol)
so lets see if we get a response.....

Rock...

Re: Hand Brake
 

If they don't want you using the secondary hand brake down track, they could put a breakable link on the hand brake. Then they could monitor if you used it or not, and you could have a secondary brake system if you need it for emergency situations. example: if your link is broken, your primary brake system better be broke as well or your out for the year. If you needed to stop the car with the hand brake, you pull off the track at the far end, and request an offical to investigate/confirm/document the incident to avoid any suspension. BUT DON'T DISCONNECT THE BRAKES!

Wade Mahaffey

Re: Hand Brake
 

I know you guys want your hand brake. If you put in a third pedal like a clutch pedal and used the clutch pedal to operate a secondary brake system, would this be legal? Do top fuelers have a foot brake? Or do they just have a hand brake? Are they going to make this mandatory that all cars have to have a secondary brake system? Seems like the thing to do, that all cars need to have a backup brake system, in case of the unexpected. Just wondering.;)

Re: Hand Brake
 

Can you have two systems if both are foot operated ? I am building a dragster and definately will have two brake systems. I realize room for two pedels would be tight but just think how you could stop with two feet Mickey !

Re: Hand Brake
 

yaba daba dooooooooooooooooooo

Re: Hand Brake
 

Billy if you were install two more calipers with and independent lines with a dual master cylinder then you would have some redundancy and only one brake pedal.

Re: Hand Brake
 

These are all somewhat workable ideas,but the fact is that the hand brake/foot brake system is the proven one. If the NHRA feels the system is misused it's the driver not the system at fault.I was made to take the handle out of my car,the result is a less safe race car,I feel it's like having one side of my shoulder straps clicked.This is a bad rule no matter how you look at it....police the violaters,not the brake systems.

Re: Hand Brake
 

I had a hand brake on my car SS?STK for 34 yrs.
Maybe because I had only one leg NO one said anything about it.
Think I order it from J.C. Whitney in 1971 ..........
Just made it fit each car i ran, wasn't hard to do.
Can post a picture if you like.Tom

Re: Hand Brake
 

Tom, as you still racing? Will you be at Columbus this weekend? I see you are from Toledo, and if you are there, look me up.:)

Re: Hand Brake
 

Unfortunately that plan hasn't worked well...and possibly negatively....I got a response today that it will be discussed again by the rules committee

Rock

Re: Hand Brake
 

Every Top Alky car has a button on the steering wheel with a pressure regulator also..for the brakes. The rule isn't that you only have one set of calipers just no hand brake which I think is dumb but so is the SG cage gusset rule when faster Comp cars don't have to have them. Ask a Alky guy how it works ,put it on and let em figure it out. If you have to take those off then they have to come off the alky cars to.

Re: Hand Brake
 

If the reason that everyone wants a hand brake is to have a secondary braking system in case of failer with their primary braking system, and NHRA is thinking that it will be used for use at the top end, why can't the hand brake be tied into the chute? That way if the hand brake is used the chute will deploy. NHRA would then be able to look at the car and see if the primary brakes had failed. It looks to me that if the whole argument is about saftey, then no one should have a problem with their chute deploying. If someone doesn't want it tied into the chute, my question would be why.
Chuck

Re: Hand Brake
 

Meverick , No we had to quit after 03 , race in 1960 to 63 ,then from 1972 to 2003 with one leg.
here is the picture of my hand control on our 79 Road runner SS/Na car

Re: Hand Brake
 

Well, Tom I glad you got to race when you did, and I am at Columbus. I think the chute to the hand brake sounds ok to me, but I am sure it won't happen. I did watch Super Gas at Columbus for the completion of the Divisional race. And it is pretty obvious that the faster car is on the brakes hard when they can't catch a slower car. And the hi MPH cars would be pulling on the slower cars like crazy till the end and the MPH would only be a few MPH higher than the slower car. If two high MPH cars run, it looks like they are just trying to run the number and it is all out at the end, with high MPH. I definetly think and believe that the high MPH cars have the advantage, and I definitely enjoyed watching the Super Stockers more, going 9 seconds and all out. But the Super Gassers where good to watch, but a few of them got bit by the track not being able to handle the power when they come off the stop. I know what my plan is and hope to stick with it, for Sunday. Of course you can guess I am not a high MPH car. Let them have the brake, if they feel safer that is fine.;)