Tornado GT40 Handbrake Wilwood MC4 Calipers

Currently I have Wilwood Powerlite rear calipers with a handbrake actuator inbuilt on my Tornado rear brakes. As many have found and commented, the handbrake is useless with this set up and doesn't pass MOT standards. I am looking at a separate handbrake caliper system and the Wilwood MC4 has come up. Has anyone fitted these and can confirm that they will fit behind 15" Halibrands, and of course whether they work.

I have 20mm rear discs so the calipers shouldn't need spacing. It's just whether they will fit behind the wheels and make the grade, before I splash out and buy a pair.

Thnx
 
You can even look at the HiSpec parking brakes. (not the electronic ones). They are very very compact, and have very high clamping force with high-friction pads specifically for e-brake.
I've ordered a pair to replace my horrible parking brakes on my CAV. Probably require me to make a new bracket on each side, but well worth it I think.
 

Andrew

Supporter
Keeping an eye on this thread with interest as my Wilwood calipers / handbrake are next to useless!
 
Have a chat with Mick at Southern GT, he does a separate handbrake system using Brembo calipers purely just for the handbrake, will pass the MOT
 

Rune

Supporter
Yes absolutely an option although a bit more expensive than the MC4s. How did you mount yours - fabricated bracket or something else? Do you have 15" or 17" wheels? Any photos would be very helpful. Thanks Craig
Here are some pictures from my innstallation, the bracket in the making and so on. It was a bit tricky to fit the bracket had to be build piece for piece and lot of grinding in the end but it work fine now
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I have done an extensive analysis on the Tornado braking system and have had to remove the rear caliper with integrated mechanical parking brake and replace it with a larger diameter caliper for the main brake and added an independent mechanical caliper for parking . I then had to change the front master cylinder. I further had to change the pads.

I'm super busy right now. Let me prepare a full report in the next week and you will better understand the problems and the solutions.

-Bob Woods
Tornado GT40 in Texas
 
Here are some pictures from my innstallation, the bracket in the making and so on. It was a bit tricky to fit the bracket had to be build piece for piece and lot of grinding in the end but it work fine now

Hi @bune
I have the same handbrake calipers but still not mounted. I have printed some mock-brackets (the real will be thicker).
You have the mounting brackets on the other side than I have on the picture below.
How have you reasoned about that?

1598455241735.png
 

Rune

Supporter
I saw it as a good way to do it . no other reason it was practical for me. you might get the bracket thicker your way. I do not know if it is needed.
 
Working on getting an original GT40 road legal in Switzerland. It needs to have a mechanical parking brake to pass the inspection. We are good for getting a second set of calipers on the rear discs, but are at a loss for a lever, position, and cable routing to the cockpit. Does anybody make a setup that we can install? Any ideas, any contacts?
I read the posts of Morten, Joacim, Bob Woods - what happens forward of the brakes? Any new info from Bob Woods or Southern GT?
Thanks for any help or leads!
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Hi Bill
perhaps a modern cable pull system that runs from a winch type device with an illuminated on and off switch.
something like
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electron...699247?hash=item2ae9c614ef:g:oSAAAOSwH9tfmQXg

or

Ian
 

Bill Kearley

Supporter
I believe it's the MC 4 by Willwood I used. It works very well it was easy to fabricate brackets and run cables. The pics aren't a real close up but I think you will see that there is lots of room. The profile is smaller than that of the main caliper.
 

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Sorry for the delay. I have completed my full analysis of the Tornado braking system. It is attached as a pdf. I had to reduce the front master cylinder diameter, increase the piston diameter in the rear, and change the pads to get the basic braking system to my satisfaction. The brakes work fine now.

When I replaced the rear calipers, they didn't have the integral parking brake. So I installed the Wilwood MC4 parking brake that Bill also used.

You can see my full report in the attached. I will be happy to provide further information or drawings if you like.

Note: when you click on the pdf, it appears at the lower left corner of the page and you have to click it again.

-Bob Woods
Tornado GT40 in Texas
 

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Bill Kearley

Supporter
Jasper, that's a nice item. I am building a Cobra at the moment and will take a look at one of these. Due to a lack of room around the rear uprights I am planning a system to incorporate a disc and an MC4 into the input flange/yoke on the diff.
 
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