transfer case parking brake

cmyoung2 · Jul 29, 2018

Not sure if this is the correct place, but. 1999 F250 4x4 V10 5speed. Would like to put a parking brake on the driveline just behind the transfer case. Rotor bolted between the output flange and the driveshaft. I see two options for the caliper, either a bracket off the transfer case or mounted on a frame crossmember. Crossmember will be easy, but I'm not sure how much flex there is between the frame and the end of the transfer case. Bracket off the transfer case will be a challenge. Any ideas??
I'm looking for a parking brake that will actually work, the original inside the rotor brake has never worked, will not spend any more $ on trying to get them to hold. For now the parking brake is low range 1st gear, engine off. 1st gear 2 wheel dr on a hill will not hold, and all we have is hills.
Thanks

Rustyiron · Jul 29, 2018

Check into these, Brake Locks | MICO, Inc.
It's what tow trucks use, plumbs into your regular brake system and holds pressure. I think it would be a little easier than all that driveshaft & fab work and prolly work better.

countrybumpkin · Jul 29, 2018

Check out pirate4x4 , should be able to find what you need. Several places have kits available for adding driveline brakes.

cmyoung2 · Jul 30, 2018

I really need a mechanical brake for parking, have a line lock that failed. Already have the rotor and caliper, just need to figure out how to mount the caliper.

TMGT · Jul 30, 2018

Can you make a bracket that mounts off the bolts for the tailshaft housing on the transfer case? Use some standoffs and a rotor that recesses over the tail housing some so you don't have to push the bracket out as far.

crashz · Jul 30, 2018

The tail shaft of the t-case will be the tough part. Most are a slip yoke design on an alloy (some are magnesium) housing. Could you put it on the rear axle? Some Ford models have a U-Joint yoke that bolts to a flange connected to the pinion gear. Maybe you could have a machine shop drill the rotor and sandwich it between the pinion flange and yoke? Then you'd need to make a caliper bracket for the axle.

cmyoung2 · Jul 30, 2018

The tailshaft for the transfer case is the flange joint, I can/have bolted the rotor there. I thought of the diff, but way to much issue with ground clearance and movement. I'm just not sure how much movement there is between the frame and the tailshaft. If none, I can bolt a crossmember from frame to frame and be good. If there is movement there, I'll need to bolt to the case.

TMGT · Jul 30, 2018

There will be too much movement between the transfer case and frame/crossmember.

Are you using a mechanical spot caliper?

Tractorable · Jul 30, 2018

I’m sure this isn’t helpful, but my old Toyota Land Cruiser has a cable operated drive shaft mounted drum brake and its the worst design ever. I’ve rebuilt it and replaced the tail shaft seals but oil still gets into it and it can’t hold the truck from moving. I just don’t park on hills.

cmyoung2 · Jul 31, 2018

Tractorable said:
I’m sure this isn’t helpful, but my old Toyota Land Cruiser has a cable operated drive shaft mounted drum brake and its the worst design ever. I’ve rebuilt it and replaced the tail shaft seals but oil still gets into it and it can’t hold the truck from moving. I just don’t park on hills.

DOn't think oil will be an issue, the two are not connected. And I agree, no more drums, that is what is in the rear rotors now that have never worked. Have no choice on the hills, just would like to be able to get out with the truck stopped and running to hitch trailers and open gates.

cmyoung2 · Jul 31, 2018

TMGT said:
There will be too much movement between the transfer case and frame/crossmember.

Are you using a mechanical spot caliper?

Yes. Mechanical spot caliper.

QRTRHRS · Aug 3, 2018

The Ford 04' E450 box truck that I used to own had an emergency brake on the drive shaft just behind the transmission. Too bad I sold it or I could take some pics. No idea on what other applications Ford may have used a drive line brake. You might find something in a bone yard to learn or scavenge from?

You do have me wondering though. I have a Ford E350 passenger van out in the driveway now. Guess I need to crawl under it and see how that one is made?

ruffdog · Aug 3, 2018

Old medium duty trucks had the parking brake at the back of the transmission too. The thing is, unless you have posi....real posi (spool), once one wheel breaks free, there is nothing holding your vehicle. There is a reason they don't do some things any more.

some zilch · Aug 4, 2018

my f450 has a driveline mounted parking brake. it works very well

skipmarcy · Aug 5, 2018

My old '81 Ford LN600 dump truck had the drum brake behind the trans and it would hold a 10 ton load of gravel in the bed on a hill. The shoes were ridiculously expensive though.

TMGT · Aug 6, 2018

Only problem I've seen with the driveline brake is when you break an axle in the truck. Happened to a friend's rollback, broke an axle trying to take off up a hill loaded.
Had to wait for someone to come with wheel chocks before he could get out of the truck.

Other the the pain of maintenance I kinda like the system I've seen on some older trucks that uses a separate actuator on the brake backing plate for parking. Forgot the name of the system buy older ford F600-700 etc. seemed to use them alot.

cmyoung2 · Aug 6, 2018

OP I'll look for the driveline brake off of a 350/450. We have plenty of old ambulances around, maybe I can get one that way. Looking for the mounting plate, not interested in the drum brake. I understand about issues of the driveline brake, but any brake is better than none, and like I said, the current parking brake is 4wheel low in first gear.
Thanks for the interesting replies.

TMGT · Aug 7, 2018

cmyoung2 said:
OP I'll look for the driveline brake off of a 350/450. We have plenty of old ambulances around, maybe I can get one that way. Looking for the mounting plate, not interested in the drum brake. I understand about issues of the driveline brake, but any brake is better than none, and like I said, the current parking brake is 4wheel low in first gear.
Thanks for the interesting replies.

I don't think I've ever seen a 350 with a driveline brake and rarely see 450's with them. Even my 2000 F550 used wheel mounted parking brakes.

I just looked at the new F450/550 ambulances we have at work and they have what looks like a hyd. wheel mounted parking brake.

I will admit the Ford parking brakes on the 99 and up trucks can be temprimental but work well if setup right and used regularly.

I use to park my F550 with a loaded 3 car trailer and the brake held fine.

QRTRHRS · Aug 7, 2018

TMGT said:
I don't think I've ever seen a 350 with a driveline brake and rarely see 450's with them. Even my 2000 F550 used wheel mounted parking brakes.

I just looked at the new F450/550 ambulances we have at work and they have what looks like a hyd. wheel mounted parking brake.

I will admit the Ford parking brakes on the 99 and up trucks can be temprimental but work well if setup right and used regularly.

I use to park my F550 with a loaded 3 car trailer and the brake held fine.

As I stated, my 04 Ford E450 box truck did indeed have one. The truck was manufactured as a cab/chassey then upfited with a 16 foot box. I only put about a dozen k miles on it in the six years that I had it. The rotors and disks on the four wheel disk brake system were looking pretty rough but I never had reason to work on the e-brake which held fine even though the open reared truck would get stuck on "snot".

Way back when, I did drive a number of vehicles with driveline brakes that may have indeed suffered from a lack of maintenance and they were pretty much not to be trusted.

TMGT · Aug 9, 2018

QRTRHRS said:
As I stated, my 04 Ford E450 box truck did indeed have one. The truck was manufactured as a cab/chassey then upfited with a 16 foot box. I only put about a dozen k miles on it in the six years that I had it. The rotors and disks on the four wheel disk brake system were looking pretty rough but I never had reason to work on the e-brake which held fine even though the open reared truck would get stuck on "snot".

Way back when, I did drive a number of vehicles with driveline brakes that may have indeed suffered from a lack of maintenance and they were pretty much not to be trusted.

I didn't mean to imply yours didn't, just wanted to let the OP know it wasn't standard equipment on all the trucks.

They were an option on the F450 and F550 although I rarely saw them on the trucks that came through the shop. I never saw the option for the F350 CC.