In a baja, turning brakes are not as essential but they do help on surfaces with decreased traction. You'll most likely fall in love with how well they help and use them all the time anyway!
Aside from the help in high speed cornering, turning brakes can also act as a limited-slip differential. By locking up the wheel that is spinning, the one with traction can pull you through. This is also benificial if one wheel is off the ground completely.
Types
There are hydraulic and mechanical. The mechanical varity is simply two levers
that opperate the emergency brake cables individually. The problem with these is that
they only opperate one brake shoe, thus, that shoe wears out faster than the other. I have never
seen these, i assume that they would have to be fabricated. But if you can visualize how to do it then
go for it because this is deffinatly the cheapest way to go.
Hydraulic turning brakes plumb into the existing brake system, opperating both shoes at each wheel,
providing more brakeing power and offer better control (ever tried to limp home with just the E-brake?)
The drawback here is the cost. They are under $100, though.
Problems
The problem with turning brakes is that they can be very hard on the differential. I know someone who has
broken TWO stock i.r.s. type 1 trannies because of turning brake usage (he now has a bus tranny and no more problems).
Take heed.
Installation
I'm installing an angled single handle hydraulic C.N.C. unit. The dual handle one's take out the guesswork but they also didn't fit between my seats.
Installing these in a baja requires fabricating a bracket to mount them and replumbing the rear brake lines.
Plumbing
The turn brake unit has one fitting for a line going into it and two fittings for lines going out to the rear brake wheel cylinders.
If your brake line that runs from the master cylinder to the rear is in good shape then it is perfect for the input line. Just disconnect it from the T-fitting
on the drivers side next to the tranny, carefully pull it back into the inside of the car and CAREFULLY bend it back around so it will go into the turn brake unit.
Shape it so that it will protrude from the pannel below the rear seat.
Now the fun part. You need to find some lines to connect from the unit to the wheel cylinders. The "brake line" kit from J.C. Whitney has exactly what you need.
It claims that the long line from the master to the rear is in two pieces and you connect then with a fitting. These two lines happen the be the perfect length.
Shape these lines so they will go through the holes in the body and connect them to the 2-way fittings mentioned below. Route them so the drivers side one goes
through where the original line went. The passenger side one can go through the hole that the big wire for the starter goes through. Route both lines under the pannel below
the rear seat, just like the input line, so they wont interfer with the rear seat if you still have it in. Shape all the lines so the fit as close to the frame tunnel as possible so they
are out of the way of any passengers that you might have.
Another fun part. Take the wheels off and get the car up really high on jack stands.
The drivers side has a 3-way T-fitting. The long line from the master goes in and two lines for the wheels cylinders go out.
On the passenger side there is a 2-way fitting that connects the line from the drivers side to the flexible hose. You want to go to
a junk yard that will sell brake parts (some don't) and get another one of these 2-way fittings for use on the drivers side. The turn brake unit is now where the lines
split. Using a passenger side fitting on the drivers side means that all the lines will be secured properly and not rattle around and possibly be damaged.
All in all, replumbing is not difficult. The biggest hassel is finding the proper parts. With the JCW brake lines you can also replace all the other aging brake lines in your car, except for the long
one.
Mounting
I kind of jury rigged the mounting. I just used a stout piece of sheet metal, bent it into a U shape, bolted the unit onto it and bolted it all to the frame tunnel between the seats using the bolts that hold the seat belts on.
Not the best way by any means but it will do for now.
Hydraulic turning brakes plumb into the existing brake system, opperating both shoes at each wheel, providing more brakeing power and offer better control (ever tried to limp home with just the E-brake?) The drawback here is the cost. They are under $100, though.
Problems
The problem with turning brakes is that they can be very hard on the differential. I know someone who has
broken TWO stock i.r.s. type 1 trannies because of turning brake usage (he now has a bus tranny and no more problems).
Take heed.
Installation
I'm installing an angled single handle hydraulic C.N.C. unit. The dual handle one's take out the guesswork but they also didn't fit between my seats.
Installing these in a baja requires fabricating a bracket to mount them and replumbing the rear brake lines.
Plumbing
The turn brake unit has one fitting for a line going into it and two fittings for lines going out to the rear brake wheel cylinders.
If your brake line that runs from the master cylinder to the rear is in good shape then it is perfect for the input line. Just disconnect it from the T-fitting
on the drivers side next to the tranny, carefully pull it back into the inside of the car and CAREFULLY bend it back around so it will go into the turn brake unit.
Shape it so that it will protrude from the pannel below the rear seat.
Now the fun part. You need to find some lines to connect from the unit to the wheel cylinders. The "brake line" kit from J.C. Whitney has exactly what you need.
It claims that the long line from the master to the rear is in two pieces and you connect then with a fitting. These two lines happen the be the perfect length.
Shape these lines so they will go through the holes in the body and connect them to the 2-way fittings mentioned below. Route them so the drivers side one goes
through where the original line went. The passenger side one can go through the hole that the big wire for the starter goes through. Route both lines under the pannel below
the rear seat, just like the input line, so they wont interfer with the rear seat if you still have it in. Shape all the lines so the fit as close to the frame tunnel as possible so they
are out of the way of any passengers that you might have.
Another fun part. Take the wheels off and get the car up really high on jack stands.
The drivers side has a 3-way T-fitting. The long line from the master goes in and two lines for the wheels cylinders go out.
On the passenger side there is a 2-way fitting that connects the line from the drivers side to the flexible hose. You want to go to
a junk yard that will sell brake parts (some don't) and get another one of these 2-way fittings for use on the drivers side. The turn brake unit is now where the lines
split. Using a passenger side fitting on the drivers side means that all the lines will be secured properly and not rattle around and possibly be damaged.
All in all, replumbing is not difficult. The biggest hassel is finding the proper parts. With the JCW brake lines you can also replace all the other aging brake lines in your car, except for the long
one.
Mounting
I kind of jury rigged the mounting. I just used a stout piece of sheet metal, bent it into a U shape, bolted the unit onto it and bolted it all to the frame tunnel between the seats using the bolts that hold the seat belts on.
Not the best way by any means but it will do for now.
Take heed.
Installation
I'm installing an angled single handle hydraulic C.N.C. unit. The dual handle one's take out the guesswork but they also didn't fit between my seats.
Installing these in a baja requires fabricating a bracket to mount them and replumbing the rear brake lines.
Plumbing
The turn brake unit has one fitting for a line going into it and two fittings for lines going out to the rear brake wheel cylinders.
If your brake line that runs from the master cylinder to the rear is in good shape then it is perfect for the input line. Just disconnect it from the T-fitting
on the drivers side next to the tranny, carefully pull it back into the inside of the car and CAREFULLY bend it back around so it will go into the turn brake unit.
Shape it so that it will protrude from the pannel below the rear seat.
Now the fun part. You need to find some lines to connect from the unit to the wheel cylinders. The "brake line" kit from J.C. Whitney has exactly what you need.
It claims that the long line from the master to the rear is in two pieces and you connect then with a fitting. These two lines happen the be the perfect length.
Shape these lines so they will go through the holes in the body and connect them to the 2-way fittings mentioned below. Route them so the drivers side one goes
through where the original line went. The passenger side one can go through the hole that the big wire for the starter goes through. Route both lines under the pannel below
the rear seat, just like the input line, so they wont interfer with the rear seat if you still have it in. Shape all the lines so the fit as close to the frame tunnel as possible so they
are out of the way of any passengers that you might have.
Another fun part. Take the wheels off and get the car up really high on jack stands.
The drivers side has a 3-way T-fitting. The long line from the master goes in and two lines for the wheels cylinders go out.
On the passenger side there is a 2-way fitting that connects the line from the drivers side to the flexible hose. You want to go to
a junk yard that will sell brake parts (some don't) and get another one of these 2-way fittings for use on the drivers side. The turn brake unit is now where the lines
split. Using a passenger side fitting on the drivers side means that all the lines will be secured properly and not rattle around and possibly be damaged.
All in all, replumbing is not difficult. The biggest hassel is finding the proper parts. With the JCW brake lines you can also replace all the other aging brake lines in your car, except for the long
one.
Mounting
I kind of jury rigged the mounting. I just used a stout piece of sheet metal, bent it into a U shape, bolted the unit onto it and bolted it all to the frame tunnel between the seats using the bolts that hold the seat belts on.
Not the best way by any means but it will do for now.
Plumbing
The turn brake unit has one fitting for a line going into it and two fittings for lines going out to the rear brake wheel cylinders. If your brake line that runs from the master cylinder to the rear is in good shape then it is perfect for the input line. Just disconnect it from the T-fitting on the drivers side next to the tranny, carefully pull it back into the inside of the car and CAREFULLY bend it back around so it will go into the turn brake unit. Shape it so that it will protrude from the pannel below the rear seat.
Now the fun part. You need to find some lines to connect from the unit to the wheel cylinders. The "brake line" kit from J.C. Whitney has exactly what you need. It claims that the long line from the master to the rear is in two pieces and you connect then with a fitting. These two lines happen the be the perfect length. Shape these lines so they will go through the holes in the body and connect them to the 2-way fittings mentioned below. Route them so the drivers side one goes through where the original line went. The passenger side one can go through the hole that the big wire for the starter goes through. Route both lines under the pannel below the rear seat, just like the input line, so they wont interfer with the rear seat if you still have it in. Shape all the lines so the fit as close to the frame tunnel as possible so they are out of the way of any passengers that you might have.
Another fun part. Take the wheels off and get the car up really high on jack stands. The drivers side has a 3-way T-fitting. The long line from the master goes in and two lines for the wheels cylinders go out. On the passenger side there is a 2-way fitting that connects the line from the drivers side to the flexible hose. You want to go to a junk yard that will sell brake parts (some don't) and get another one of these 2-way fittings for use on the drivers side. The turn brake unit is now where the lines split. Using a passenger side fitting on the drivers side means that all the lines will be secured properly and not rattle around and possibly be damaged.
All in all, replumbing is not difficult. The biggest hassel is finding the proper parts. With the JCW brake lines you can also replace all the other aging brake lines in your car, except for the long one.
Mounting
I kind of jury rigged the mounting. I just used a stout piece of sheet metal, bent it into a U shape, bolted the unit onto it and bolted it all to the frame tunnel between the seats using the bolts that hold the seat belts on. Not the best way by any means but it will do for now.