Race Brake

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by ZAPPER68

I made one a few years ago for my '55 Chev Gasser using a combination of old shifter parts and some good old ingenuity. The trickiest part was getting the angle correct between the handle and the rod/sleeve attached to the brake pedal.

Once I had that worked out the brake worked perfectly... I live in British Columbia, where using the brake at an uphill/downhill traffic light came in handy. The curved Hurst shifter handle (installed vertically & backwards) in conjunction with the shape of the dash was a perfect fit.

I used adjustable shifter rods at each end of the fulcrum which enabled 'fine tuning' of the rod/sleeve. A light spring is required to ensure the handle is kept in the 'ready' position. :-)

What's the process for launching a car with this device? Or does it just help to get staged properly? How does it help take the slack out of the driveline?

Does it toggle overcenter, and hold the brake? Or does the driver hold the lever to apply the brake?

The reason I ask: in my stick shift car, once the car is "staged" the foot brake is no longer needed. The car sort of settles into the slicks (wrinklewalls) and does not move.

Set the launch rpm, sidestep the clutch when you see the last yellow, and away you go!

K