Adding a hydraulic or electric retarder to a 5-ton

[gimpyrobb]

Guessing that the folks you've talked to are running pinion brakes on mud boggers or rock crawling vehicles? Their setup is designed differently, meant to serve as the service brakes so it uses hydraulic calipers (usually 80's era chevy 1/2 ton pickup calipers) which maintain contact with the rotor even when the brakes are not applied. Pinion brakes that are meant to be used for parking or as a emergency brake will run with either a cable or air actuated brake caliper which pulls the pads away from the rotor completely.

You are correct, thanks for the insight.

 

[wcuhillbilly]

Not really relevant here since we are talking about large trucks, but for what its worth, IF anyone decides to do the older GM caliper parking brake conversion, or the dump the drums for disc rear conversion. Particularly on the CUCCV platform. beware that there are two versions of the older GM calipers, first there was a size difference--- metric, and 7"... the 7" is the one you want for the disc conversions,-same as the front caliper on the 3/4 ton Dana 44s. Second difference was that they offered a "Parking brake caliper" that was on the old Cadillac's. This was a 7" caliper with a parking brake arm for cable activation. This caliper has been used extensively in the hot rod and street rod sector as offering 4 wheel disc brake and a parking brake. Warning, they have a ratcheting mechanism internally that will in a lot of cases continue to ratchet until they are applying undo pressure, or will fail to hold/seize up.... they are very expensive and a maintenance nitemare.... I only say this as I have seen them used in Pinion parking brake applications.....