Due to a mod I want to do to the dashboard area, I will need to move the stock parking brake. The only thing I can do (other than not have parking brakes at all), is to take a hand release style parking brake unit from a different vehicle and mount it next to the transfer case shifter.

I know I will be getting a lot of "why would you want to do that", so let me give you an idea of what I am doing with the attached photo. I am making a dashboard for the vehicle, so there is no concerns of working around the original plastic one.

So, my question is this, is this a realistic possibility; if so, any suggestions in what type of vehicle to rip one out of?

 

i think its kinda neat. i honestly hate the foot pedal brakes. the older vw bug's have a very simplistic e-brake set up. its just going to be kinda tricky re routing your cables from the driverside to the middle with the transmission and everything right there. in a situation like this i would just go walk the junkyards and see what you can find that looks like it would be easy to use.

i never use parking brakes, none of my trucks have ever had them. my 1990 daily driver actually had one that worked when i tested it like 2 years ago but havent since, im afraid it will get stuck

 

I have been looking at one out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee and think it might work as well but i will start checking out the VW units. I guess the new question is this....should I bother putting one in?? It is an automatic transmission, and this is why I wonder if it is really needed on this build.

For the cost of a used one off ebay (to include shipping costs), I can order one from Lokar.

Lokar: Floor Mount Emergency Hand Brake

 

thats up to you. like ive said ive only owned one vehicle with a working e-brake. even owned two cars with manual transmissions and even those the ebrake didnt work. i just made sure to never park on steep hills and just left it in gear all the time

 

I'm wondering why modifying the dash leads to moving the parking brake pedal. The parking brake isn't attached to the dash, it is attached to the lower quarter kick panel. Yes, the release for the brake runs through the dash but that is easy to modify. I would think that the current mounting location for the pedal assembly is about as out of the way as you could ask for.

 

I will take some photos when I get home so you have a visual of what I am working with. To sum it up, I need both kick panels unobstructed.

 

Here are some photos I found on line that will show why I need that area open so I can duplicate the humvee rifle holder.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/6885/img3569v.jpg

http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/8798/22607853.jpg

 

will that fully be obstructing the parking brake? would it be possible to weld some kinda handle maybe extending it upwards to the side of the rifle so you can just leave all the factory stuff alone?

 

Yes, the exact location of the parking brake bracket is exactly the area I need open. There is no way of getting around the brake in the factory location. I am going to do a little more research on Jeep Cherokee parking brakes and see what I can come up with.

The next fun part will be fitting in the handle. I am going with this instead of the column shifter: