so just how important is a handbrake?

[doktor b]

i've built my car for the street and grip more so than drift. but i feel like i'm an alignment and some practice away from it being a decently capable drift hog.

Thad (tptrsn) raves about how much fun he has compared to other disciplines of motorsport and he's got me wondering if i'm missing out. MDU and Drift Indy are pretty active in my area (greater Indy metro). i feel like it wouldn't be too hard to get out to some practice events and tear some isht up.

but here's the thing.
my car is wildly allergic to weight.
i have spent a decent amount of money and time removing weight from my car. i'm extremely hesitant to go shoving 10, 20, or more lbs back in so i can pull a handbrake like K. Bluss or J. Deane. i'm not likely to become a die-hard drifter. and i'm not prepared to make my car totally un-street-able. my parking brake works fine. it was refreshed ~10,000 miles ago and it's depressingly flat in this part of the country. so my parking brake is hardly worn. i've seen the extensions and even dudes out there yanking TF out of the stock parking brake. my worry there is the likelihood that it'd stay engaged...like it's supposed to. lol. i'm sure you clever devils have worked a way around that. but i'll be damned if i know what/how you do.

so enlighten me, if you please. do i need a hand brake? or will my LS and aggressive clutch be sufficient to drift?

[Mikestokman]

Having a working handbrake makes a huge difference if you want to be cool. 10lbs would be one heavy brake, the only real weight it would add would be the handle, there's nothing really significant to the bracket, and a cylinder is a cylinder. The weight is being added in the middle of the car, so it's not going to affect anything (in my mind anyways) but, lots of guys work with a factory cable setup and have no issues. I just got tired of having to mess with tightening the cable

[Piner]

For starting out I would say you don't NEED a handbrake. It is a tool and a very useful one at that. Is it a necessity? Not really unless your doing some more advanced drifting. Most likely for a while you will be doing solo runs and you probably won't be entering in slow corners fast anyway.

That being said having one that works well is very nice to have the option of using it if needed. I have a full dual caliper setup on my car and I mostly only use it when following in tandem. I usually use Angle to scrub speed in lead position. Its a preference thing.

[protomor]

Is it necessary? No. Is it useful? Yes. There are some tracks that I simply can't complete without a handbrake. But if you don't tandem and your average track is just a parking lot, you'll hardly ever touch it.

With that said, if your car reacts to 10lbs, you did something wrong to setup your car. Regardless, your stock hand brake can be modified easily. Press the button in, drill a hole through the handle and the button, and put a pin in there whenever you want it to not "stick". Then slide an extension over top of it or something to get extra leverage. Pull it off when you're ready to go home. Tada!

Although factory hand brakes on our cars suck. I recommend full dual calipers that don't sacrifice the factory hand brake. The weight is at the wheel so unsprung weight HELLO! There's lots of options. But the short answer is, do it if you want to be good at drifting. Not just alright.

[cmj317]

Do not worry about a handbrake. You are also incorrect about not becoming infatuated with drifting. You will be hooked and it will ruin you. <3

[beat328i]

Having a working handbrake makes a huge difference if you want to be cool. 10lbs would be one heavy brake, the only real weight it would add would be the handle, there's nothing really significant to the bracket, and a cylinder is a cylinder. The weight is being added in the middle of the car, so it's not going to affect anything (in my mind anyways) but, lots of guys work with a factory cable setup and have no issues. I just got tired of having to mess with tightening the cable

I can definitely see how you could add 10-20 pounds when going with a dual caliper setup.

[doktor b]

My proposed weight penalty is for a complete standalone handbrake. So handle, bracket, cylinder, lines, and calipers.
I'd also end up replacing my stock calipers with wilwoods to help offset the unsprung weight. Hoping two wilwoods weigh about the same as one stock iron boy.
I'm more interested in having fun and increasing my level of car control than being competitive.
i may just try to do a 'back to basics' event like it is and go from there.
thanks for the input!

[blake261]

I ran without a handbrake for a couple years, Clutch kicking my way around the courses.

After getting good enough to see the benefit and adding the asd inline set up, My speed drastically increased, my car position relative to the corner is better, and those "oh shit" moments are easily controlled.

if weight is all your worried about, add it. You have a lot more grunt than the stock M50 guys with one. Start eating healthier to make up for it at least. lol

As soon as you start drifting, you'll be hooked, and wonder why you didn't add one in the first place.

[doktor b]

I ran without a handbrake for a couple years, Clutch kicking my way around the courses.

After getting good enough to see the benefit and adding the asd inline set up, My speed drastically increased, my car position relative to the corner is better, and those "oh shit" moments are easily controlled.

if weight is all your worried about, add it. You have a lot more grunt than the stock M50 guys with one. Start eating healthier to make up for it at least. lol

As soon as you start drifting, you'll be hooked, and wonder why you didn't add one in the first place.

i need to start eating better anyway. Lol. I don't have the metabolism of you young guys anymore.
but if fun can be had just clutch kicking the hell out of it, I'll try that. I'm told it's better to learn drifting progressively and I already have a car much more capable than I am.

[Novablue454]

a good handbrake really helps with tandem. I have an inline hydro in my car and use it all the time now. A lot of it is driving style as well, Jeepster rarely touches his.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I barely used mine last year either, you'll have plenty of fun clutch kicking

[doktor b]

a good handbrake really helps with tandem. I have an inline hydro in my car and use it all the time now. A lot of it is driving style as well, Jeepster rarely touches his.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I barely used mine last year either, you'll have plenty of fun clutch kicking

Awesome.
also, I can't tandem as I don't have a proper cage. Just a bolted in half-cage. Although I'm considering welding it in.

[DjTyfighter]

stock ebrake is more then enough to have fun as long as it functions well

[protomor]

Back in my day, we didn't have hand brakes. We used the foot pedal parking brake. And we liked it that way.

[doktor b]

Back in my day, we didn't have hand brakes. We used the foot pedal parking brake. And we liked it that way.

I've been in a mid 90s grand am (Pontiac, not GA cup car) going 60 sideways with the foot parking brake deployed.
i can't imagine drifting being more exciting than that.

[Mikestokman]

Put in an dual caliper setup and swap to an aluminum block ls and you'll loose more weight then you'd gain by installing the brake #science

[doktor b]

Put in an dual caliper setup and swap to an aluminum block ls and you'll loose more weight then you'd gain by installing the brake #science

Already have an aluminum LS.
#gotchabitch

[Mikestokman]

Goddamn brain thinking lm4 was iron block like the lm7

[doktor b]

Goddamn brain thinking lm4 was iron block like the lm7

Happens to the best of us.
flattered you remembered I'm running an LM4 tho.

[doktor b]

What do you guys think about this?
http://nerptech.bigcartel.com/product/e-brake-extension
im ok with $50 and it can come out if I don't love it.

[Press22]

What do you guys think about this?
http://nerptech.bigcartel.com/product/e-brake-extension
im ok with $50 and it can come out if I don't love it.

I basically made my own version of that with $10 and a trip to home depot. It works well too.
But nah I don't think you need it to have fun. You will probably get addicted and want it to have more fun though.

[tptrsn]

I say the most important thing is to get out to an event. Bonus points if you actually pin your e-brake release button in first. You're going to have a blast no matter what.

[Press22]

As for the button, uncrew it, take out the spring, push in and it stays in, pull button out for when you need to park and it will lock.

[Mikestokman]

Definitely make it so you can pin the button down. I drove a friends 240 where it wasn't pinned and having the brake stick is sketchy

[RandomHero27]

get out to an event and see if you need it. i have yet to use the ebrake at any of the local events. however, im just basically a stock 328is running on a drift track thats normally a pit area for the local drag strip. 60mph entries on a wide sweeper dont really need an ebrake.