Fiddle brakes

Starts at the flywheel, ends at the hubs, any problems along them lines, ask your questions here.
User avatar
timwilks13
SCUK Website Padawan
SCUK Website Padawan
Posts: 1248
Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:55 am
Location: Scarborough, soon to be Poland

Fiddle brakes

Post by timwilks13 » Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:23 am

Anyone ever fitted/currently using fiddle brakes? Lad i know has some old fiddle brake levers that he may be throwing this way, just if they're not worth the hassle, or dont do anything i wont bother!?
1986 SJ410 - Furry dice, new window winder.

10 kinds of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who dont.

if you can read this you're too close to the monitor, sit back and save your eyes!!
My build, formally Trotters build.

User avatar
twiss
SCUK Computer Wizard
SCUK Computer Wizard
Posts: 6110
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:28 pm
Location: Birkirkara, Malta
Contact:

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by twiss » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:47 am

It might be rather complicated to fit it to a 410... as you will probably have a single cable transfer box hand brake

If you had a samurai where the handbrake is in the individual rear brake drums you could run one brake lever to each drum... but then I don't think it would pass an MOT
Twiss

'93 Suzuki Samurai Sport 1.6 16v SU. Virtual lift, spring under, 31s
'93 Maruti Gypsy MG410

"If brute force doesn't fix your problem, you aren't using enough of it."

User avatar
turbo-tom
I spend far too much time on here
I spend far too much time on here
Posts: 4478
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by turbo-tom » Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:50 am

Fiddle brakes are not road legal.
Tom :)

Ford Fiesta ST :D

User avatar
Jordi
Bow down before me
Bow down before me
Posts: 7535
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:35 pm
Location: Darlington, Co. Durham

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by Jordi » Thu Jun 06, 2013 1:21 pm

As above. Not road legal. Bit of a waste of time.

Usually used for trialling to get round tight turns.
1988 Samurai - Truck Cab & Tray Back - 1.6 8v & HIF44 - Snorkel - Stack Exhaust - PAS, YJs & 33s - Trussed, Gusseted & Pumpkin Capped Axles - 4.3 R&Ps - 4.16 T/Box - Rear Air Locker - Full Float Back Axle & Discs - RCV Front Shafts - X-Eng Handbrake - Custom Fuel Tank

User avatar
twiss
SCUK Computer Wizard
SCUK Computer Wizard
Posts: 6110
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:28 pm
Location: Birkirkara, Malta
Contact:

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by twiss » Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:49 pm

Now the question is, are they illegal to have on there? Or just illegal to use as a handbrake type thing?
Maybe fiddle brakes on rear axle and 410 prop brake for the handbrake would work...
Twiss

'93 Suzuki Samurai Sport 1.6 16v SU. Virtual lift, spring under, 31s
'93 Maruti Gypsy MG410

"If brute force doesn't fix your problem, you aren't using enough of it."

User avatar
Jordi
Bow down before me
Bow down before me
Posts: 7535
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:35 pm
Location: Darlington, Co. Durham

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by Jordi » Thu Jun 06, 2013 2:52 pm

Illegal full stop to the best of my knowledge.
1988 Samurai - Truck Cab & Tray Back - 1.6 8v & HIF44 - Snorkel - Stack Exhaust - PAS, YJs & 33s - Trussed, Gusseted & Pumpkin Capped Axles - 4.3 R&Ps - 4.16 T/Box - Rear Air Locker - Full Float Back Axle & Discs - RCV Front Shafts - X-Eng Handbrake - Custom Fuel Tank

User avatar
twiss
SCUK Computer Wizard
SCUK Computer Wizard
Posts: 6110
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:28 pm
Location: Birkirkara, Malta
Contact:

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by twiss » Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:19 pm

Right, been looking into this...

It isn't illegal to have fiddle brakes. The problem is that most people reckon a cable handbrake isn't powerful enough to operate fiddles properly, and therefore go with hydraulic fiddle brakes.
Now these are definitely illegal. The requirement for the actual handbrake is that it is a mechanical system, independently operated from the regular brakes, and it must stop both of the wheels at the same time.

This means that fiddle brakes ARE legal, if they are cable operated, and you have a separate handbrake as well which stops the car using one lever. So you could have 1 handbrake and 2 fiddles, BUT they probably wouldn't be very good
Twiss

'93 Suzuki Samurai Sport 1.6 16v SU. Virtual lift, spring under, 31s
'93 Maruti Gypsy MG410

"If brute force doesn't fix your problem, you aren't using enough of it."

User avatar
Jordi
Bow down before me
Bow down before me
Posts: 7535
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:35 pm
Location: Darlington, Co. Durham

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by Jordi » Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:27 pm

Again, i did some googling and the results were all LR based but.....

Most don't use cables and fit a completely independant second hydraulic system with a 2nd set of caliper.
1988 Samurai - Truck Cab & Tray Back - 1.6 8v & HIF44 - Snorkel - Stack Exhaust - PAS, YJs & 33s - Trussed, Gusseted & Pumpkin Capped Axles - 4.3 R&Ps - 4.16 T/Box - Rear Air Locker - Full Float Back Axle & Discs - RCV Front Shafts - X-Eng Handbrake - Custom Fuel Tank

User avatar
turbo-tom
I spend far too much time on here
I spend far too much time on here
Posts: 4478
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 9:29 pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by turbo-tom » Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:27 pm

Id personally have hydrualic over cable. As you can get more hydraulic force then cable ie the brake will lock better etc. One thing with cable is that they will stretch over time etc so hydraulic ftw
Tom :)

Ford Fiesta ST :D

User avatar
twiss
SCUK Computer Wizard
SCUK Computer Wizard
Posts: 6110
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 2:28 pm
Location: Birkirkara, Malta
Contact:

Re: Fiddle brakes

Post by twiss » Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:33 pm

Apart from the fact that you can't have it on a road goer :P
So cable ftw haha
I reckon a landy would struggle stopping on cables due to weight... whereas an SJ is nice and light...
Ive just redone my rear brakes and can now lock the back wheels at 30mph using the handbrake... think that should be good enough!!! ;)
Twiss

'93 Suzuki Samurai Sport 1.6 16v SU. Virtual lift, spring under, 31s
'93 Maruti Gypsy MG410

"If brute force doesn't fix your problem, you aren't using enough of it."

Post Reply