My e-brake doesn't work (ok to remove completely???)

[mayhem143]

My 1997 Honda Civic (which I bought from ebay) has an emergeny brake handle but the handle is really loose fitting and as soon as I raise it it slips down. I stripped all the plastic moldings covering it and the fiiting to the handle is loose. Also the button slides in and comes all the way out, in which the lever it is connected to slides around freely in the base of the lever. I checked to see if the back brakes work when I raised the lever and they do cause I can hear them tighten down when the lever is raised. I don't know if the owner before me was Drift Racing in it but the car had a motor swapped into it with only 45,000 miles on it (strange?){I bet he had some sort of "B" in it cause he has an ACT Stage 2 clutch in it., It has full suspension with neuspeed springs and Tokico gas shocks. Overall the car has been well set-up. I'm just doing some restoration in the mean time. I'm asking if it is ok to completely take out the parking brake (ALL OF IT, INSIDE AND OUT) for safety reasons (since old models cars never had an E-brake). And will my car pass inspection when it comes registration time (I live in Kansas). Thanks for all your help and ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alacard]

Originally Posted by mayhem143

My 1997 Honda Civic (which I bought from ebay) has an emergeny brake handle but the handle is really loose fitting and as soon as I raise it it slips down. I stripped all the plastic moldings covering it and the fiiting to the handle is loose. Also the button slides in and comes all the way out, in which the lever it is connected to slides around freely in the base of the lever. I checked to see if the back brakes work when I raised the lever and they do cause I can hear them tighten down when the lever is raised. I don't know if the owner before me was Drift Racing in it but the car had a motor swapped into it with only 45,000 miles on it (strange?){I bet he had some sort of "B" in it cause he has an ACT Stage 2 clutch in it., It has full suspension with neuspeed springs and Tokico gas shocks. Overall the car has been well set-up. I'm just doing some restoration in the mean time. I'm asking if it is ok to completely take out the parking brake (ALL OF IT, INSIDE AND OUT) for safety reasons (since old models cars never had an E-brake). And will my car pass inspection when it comes registration time (I live in Kansas). Thanks for all your help and ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i dont know too much about cars....but i dont think its a good idea to remove the whole ebrake...why dont you try and find a way to fix it instead?...it couldnt be too hard

[Geeko]

sounds like the previous owner either disabled the ratcheting on the e-brake handle, or misused it enough that it broke.
this should only take you a quick trip to the junkyard and a few minutes to fix- just remove the entire in-car assembly from your current car, and swap in one from a junkyard car. if the brakes and lines for the e-brake still work, that is basically all you should have to do.
you WANT to have that emergency brake working, so you can leave it in neutral with the car running and not have it 'walk off', and so you can park on hills with a little bit larger feeling of security that it's not going to wander off.

if you have a manual you'll want it, because on steep hills the engine compression alone will not be enough to keep the car from rolling when parked. if you have an auto, it can still pop out of gear, into neutral, and THEN roll.

besides, it's more fun on snow in the winter if you have that :P