Race boxster, are you keeping the parking brake?

[Paseb]

hi guys,

i can't answer this question myself

for a race boxster and DE boxster only, are you keeping the parking brake?

or you just remove it completly?

can i do that?

thanks

[thstone]

I am having my Spec Boxster built without it. Don't see any need.

[Jittsl]

Hand brake = extra useless weight in in a race car (unless you're rallying in the off season :-).

[Brad Roberts]

Lose it like a bad habit


and Lauri, I just signed up on a Rally site

[joe shmoo]

i kept mind. i use the handbrake when trailering the car and leave it in neutral.
you guys have any concerns trailering the car while in gear? what gear do you put it on?

[Brad Roberts]

Neutral.

The number one reason people have issues trailering cars?

The ratchet straps work on friction.

What happens when you pull it tight and try to ratchet the strap?

You end up with NO strap friction at the wind up device.

Leave the straps semi loose on the car and make sure you get 3-4 turns on the ratcheting device. You *need* a nice wrap for the friction to work properly.

I have had NASCAR Sprint Cup cars come loose in the top of an 18wheeler because a newbie thought it was a good idea to pull the strap as tight as possible and try to ratchet the strap

NASCAR wreck IN the transporter!! It bounced off the car in front of it!!!

[joe shmoo]

yeah that's pretty much how i ratchet. wound up about 3+ turns. i'm strapped thru-the-wheels. the setup loosens up a bit (not much really) especially coming home from the track when car loaded up on hot tires. once tires cool down, pressure drops, end up too much slack. so the car rocks back-n-forth couple inch or so at stop/go traffic. i'd stop then retighten it. the handbrake is for added security.

[Brad Roberts]

Do you pay for your alignments?

Why would *anyone* strap through the wheels? (don't take that wrong)

Porsche uses hooks to grab the tub when in transit on the boats.

Two hooks grab the frame rails just behind front axle centerline, the rear two hooks go into the rear outer jacking points.

Pulling the wheels has a tendency to knock the TOE out!! The tighter you make the straps? the more it is flexing the suspension (when grabbing the wheels)

If I didn't check my customer cars prior to (and sometimes during events) I would not have seen this 20+ years ago

Bottom line: it's OK if you check the alignment like we do in the Pro's (between every session) Not OK if you are paying someone to align the car once a year (don't laugh) I get people *proudly* telling me "I haven't had my car aligned in 2 years!!" (That is why you are 4seconds behind my customer cars) lol

[joe shmoo]

hahaha i hear ya on that. i pay TC to align my gt3 once a year. hehe
i have the rennline mounts but never got around putting them on.

[Brad Roberts]

NO need for Rennline mounts.. none.. the factory put everything in place that you need~!!

Just buy the $7 a piece hooks that go on the end of your ratchet straps!!

I ran two GT3's in IMSA challenge.. Same toe link design!! After every session of bouncing them off the berms.. toe knocked out.

I was told by another Porsche tech how to help keep it from being knocked out. It involves replacing the jam nuts with a nut that has more threads which equals a higher torque can be used.

The nuts come from the 993's

[Jittsl]

The only reason I prefer the Rennline mounts is because they enable you to use latching hooks that, no matter how loose the staps become, can't fall off. I once had my GT3 (hand brake off, car in neutral) roll of the back of my trailer simply because I wasn't using latching hooks and the car had developed enough forward/back movement to simply drop the straps off. I think I'm right in saying that if you take Brad's approach you can't lock the hooks on. Correct? If so, I'ld go with the safe over sorry.

[Brad Roberts]

You cannot lock the hooks to the tub, but Porsche manages to ship 10's of thousands of cars this way to the US every year with no issue

I'd have to test it, but I don't believe the hooks can come out of the front frame rails unless you rotate them 90deg to the frame rail. Easy to hook them, semi difficult to unlatch!!

[joe shmoo]

holy crap laurie did you say your gt3 rolled off the trailer?

[trygve]

I got the "J-hooks" as Brad suggested for the front straps. They work really well because the hooks are fairly long and sturdy, and the holes in the underside of the (frame rail?) are not too much bigger than the hooks. So I am much happier with those than when I was using the "T-hook" in the jacking point hole, which was not as positive a grab due to larger hole size and shorter hook arm. I'm still using the T-hooks in the back (cross-strapped) because I don't yet know of a similar hole in the back for J-hooks.

I still have my parking brake but need to get rid of it for weight. But I do like having it as a little extra peace of mind on the trailer, to avoid Laurie's nightmare situation occurring on the road!

[Jittsl]

Originally Posted by joe shmoo

holy crap laurie did you say your gt3 rolled off the trailer?

It gets worse. The extra weight on the rear of the trailer then caused the cheapy trailer hitch on my then trailer to disconnect and at highway speed I had my GT3 dragging it arse on the ground while my trailer did its best to demolish the back of my Cayenne while attached by safety chains. The only saving grace was the fact that the rear straps somehow caught up the back of the GT3 and so it didn't actually leave the trailer completely and the damage was limited a rear bumper and an exhaust system from being dragged on the ground and a new bumper and tailgate on the Cayenne. It was bad but it could have been a disaster. On returning I got rid of the trailer and bought one with a proper bulldog hitch and never used unlatched straps again.

[paul996]

I used Brad's method of securing my SPB when I picked it up from him and proceeded to tow it to the East Coast from Calif. Of course I checked the straps every time I refueled. At the first fuel stop the straps had stretched (they were brand new) after that we never needed to adjust them the rest of the trip.

The J hook with proper friction rap on the ratchet is definitely the way to go. This is the way the cars are shipped over the pond.

[bravosd6]

I converted the stock mech into a rally/drift style handle and relocated it in front of the shift mech.

[joe shmoo]

Originally Posted by Jittsl

It gets worse. The extra weight on the rear of the trailer then caused the cheapy trailer hitch on my then trailer to disconnect and at highway speed I had my GT3 dragging it arse on the ground while my trailer did its best to demolish the back of my Cayenne while attached by safety chains. The only saving grace was the fact that the rear straps somehow caught up the back of the GT3 and so it didn't actually leave the trailer completely and the damage was limited a rear bumper and an exhaust system from being dragged on the ground and a new bumper and tailgate on the Cayenne. It was bad but it could have been a disaster. On returning I got rid of the trailer and bought one with a proper bulldog hitch and never used unlatched straps again.

sounds horrible. but you're right it could have been a lot worse. same reasoning for me, the handbrake is just piece of mind while trailering.

how much weight is saved by removing the entire handbrake system anyways. anyone know?

[Jittsl]

Originally Posted by bravosd6

I converted the stock mech into a rally/drift style handle and relocated it in front of the shift mech.

Do you have a photo? That sounds cool. No use on a race car but cool anyway.

[Jittsl]

Originally Posted by joe shmoo

how much weight is saved by removing the entire handbrake system anyways. anyone know?

I would guess 6 or 7 pounds including everything.