Parking brake - HAND

Curious....
Just got my new 2002 X. Love it, except for the minor problems you all seem to complain about... one espesially that has me annoyed is the parking brake. Anyone play around with converting the foot parking brake to a hand parking brake? Coolerman?? I know you do electrix, but any help would be appreciated... you could put together a kit and I'd be the first to buy it!

Seriously, though, the release lever seems to be in the same place the <2002's have their handbrake. I wonder how difficult it would be. Having a foot brake is about as useful as having a broom in an dessert...

Also, anyone with a 2002 notice a nasty squeaking noise from the dash about / around the radio? It's very annoying.

Thanks,
Art

Yup. Maybe call Nissan Customer service and ask them what the hell they were thinking. :D Basically it was a response to Soccer Moms not liking the "truck-like" hand brake. They outnumber offroaders 50-1 so we're basically screwed. :mad:

I hope you're not tall like I am. I drove a 2002 recently and had to open the door in order to get my foot far enough back and up to reach the brake! What a total lack of descent engineering! As if the dash mounted one weren't already bad enough! I'm waiting for a center console mounted brake! Someone has to do it...please! :)

Hmmm wasn't aware they had went to the foot brake :) Yet another reason to keep my Pathfinder, it has the center console hand brake :D But as a side note it ALSO has the location for the under dash hand brake!
Sorry but making that kind of kit is out of my realm of expertise! It would take some serious re-engineering to move the brake to the center console. All the air bag controls would have to be relocated.
It should be possible to obtain the controls from a 2001 and retro fit them. Auto makers rarely completly remove anything so the brackets and such should still be there. Take a close look at your vehicle and compare it to a 2001.

Basically it was a response to Soccer Moms not liking the "truck-like" hand brake

Exactly. I talked to a Nissan rep who was at my dealer one day about this, and he was adamant that "this is what Xterra drivers want". Where's that sniper when you need him? :rolleyes:

I recently obtained an 04 Xterra and would like to install a hand brake. Normally, I do not use the e-brake but with a standard transmission...
Someone said something about airbags and wiring. Is there more electric work to this than the brake light sensor?

I am a big advocate of fiberglass speaker pods in the side corners of the floor boards, like this.
http://www.diycarstereo.com/images/kickpanel/kick22.jpg
Having this stupid brake on the floor drastically reduces my options for a decent sound system. Sure you could put a component set in the factory locations, but where am I going to put my 6.5” kicker subs? I tried creating a double enclosure for 2 6.5” speakers that would go along the bottom of the door.
http://www.diycarstereo.com/images/xterra/DSCF3852.jpg
http://www.diycarstereo.com/images/xterra/DSCF3888.jpg
This proved to be too much loss in valuable floor space. As you can see, they would stick out a little too far. I could cut into the door, but then that would: 1.mess up your door 2.you would be sharing the air space for both a sub and a midrange...not such a good idea.

Anyway, if someone has perhaps in the last couple of years seen a kit or something that would work for this, I would be eternally grateful.

Hmm.....Stereo...kicker pods.....Xterra........

You know I noticed that they are kinda angled in constuction. I bet that if ya get stuck in mud over ur rockers, that a pair of em might just make decent enough of a wheel-chock to get ya out.

-grins-


J/K, anywho, I havent seen any mod kits to take the foot brake to a hand brake but in my 03 i had the slot and side panel attached to the center console where I think it would have gone. Me thinks that it might just be a matter of getting a hand-job *chuckles* from an older model. Guess ud need any clamps or mounts that ran along the way as well.
Look in the parts section if ur even still browsing this thread after 6 months........

....And thank god the 05 has a hand brake WOOT!