62 K10 mico brake lock question

[trapperjack]

I noticed no parking brake lever when I picked it up. then noticed on the dash to the right of the steering column a switch. Has instructions for use. Question is, was this a factory option, are they reliable, and what are the chances it still works?

[Captainfab]

That is not a factory option to my knowledge. I've seen those on heavy trucks and equipment and they seem to work fairly well. Of course that all depends on the condition of your brakes. Be aware that in some states this is not legal for a e-brake/parking brake. Those states require a mechanical e-brake/parking brake. There's only one way to know if it works or not.......

[trapperjack]

I just fired it up for the first time last night. No telling how many years it's been. The brakes do stop it though. Guess I better start looking for e-brake components.
If it wasn't required in 62, it shouldn't be required here. I haven't even looked for seat belts yet.
Thanks.

[padresag]

actually seat belts are not required in your truck as far as the law is concerned as it is prior to it being mandated. it is a personal thing if you want them and they could save your skin
ron

[Captainfab]

Here in Idaho, seatbelts are required no matter what year your vehicle is.

Originally Posted by padresag

actually seat belts are not required in your truck as far as the law is concerned as it is prior to it being mandated. it is a personal thing if you want them and they could save your skin
ron

[knuckledragger]

According to the state inspection guidelines here in Texas,you are required to have seatbelts regarless of the year.I just went and pulled the book and verified this.It is also a state law to wear them.I am putting 3 point in my 65.I did not see anything about the type of e brake.Just you must have one.The micro lock should be ok.
Dan

[trapperjack]

Thanks all. I'm going to try to get by with the mico brake lock for e-brake, and I have some nice seat belts from a 69 I'll use.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Here in Idaho, seatbelts are required no matter what year your vehicle is.

just curious. so if you had a Model "A" and drove it on your streets, you would have to be wearing seat belts in it
here(canada) seat belts were mandatory to be installed after dec.31, 1963. it wasn't legislated until years later that it was mandatory to wear them
If your vehicle was manufactured prior to that date, they were not required.
different places may have different laws
ron

[trapperjack]

Yep, different places have different laws. In some places, even older vehicles are required to have a smog test (don't get me started on all that). In Texas, it's a .....I think 25 yr cutoff. 24 yr old vehicle has lot's of stuff tested...25 or older, it's honk the horn, check the blinkers and headlights, make sure brakes work, you're good to go. It's a safety inspection for, I think 13-15 bucks.
I absolutely HATE our seat belt law here, I think it's nobody's business if I wear one or not. That said, I will be putting them in this and any other vehicle I have for safety's sake. I want me and my family safe, just not mandated.
Spoken like a true Texan, huh?

[markeb01]

I had never heard of this device before, but interesting to note they are still currently produced. Based on the pricing it should work well, but their advertising states it is to supplement the mechanical parking brake:

http://www.mico.com/store/brake_locks

[Captainfab]

Yep that's right. Here in Idaho if you drive your vehicle on the roads, you must wear seat belts, no matter the year of the vehicle.....but you don't have to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle

Originally Posted by padresag

just curious. so if you had a Model "A" and drove it on your streets, you would have to be wearing seat belts in it
here(canada) seat belts were mandatory to be installed after dec.31, 1963. it wasn't legislated until years later that it was mandatory to wear them
If your vehicle was manufactured prior to that date, they were not required.
different places may have different laws
ron

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Those mico-brakes were popular in the 60's as an aftermarket item. I've had lots of experience with them. I have a 65 K-10 that has one.
I drove a 1965 c-30 wrecker back in 1968 (yup, I'm an old fart) that had one on it. In fact all the wreckers in the company had them. I assume they all work the same way, you apply however much pressure you want to the brake pedal, then while holding the pedal down, switch on the mico brake. The ones we used had mechanical levers, but yours looks electrical. With single master cylinders they lock all 4 brakes, but for dual master cylinders, just the rears. We used them a lot on the wreckers while winching. They held a lot better than a parking brake. But, don't use them for parking on a hill and leaving the truck. They "could" leak down over time. And of course, they're not a true "emergency" brake, basically just a line-lock.

[maxwoof]

My 62 K-20 has one of those. It is mounted into the brake line on the frame rail, so it only locks the rears. Since it is an electrically operated item, my concern would be that it would drain the battery and possibly release the brakes over time. Something to think about. I like to have the stock parking brake set up present because it will work in the event you have a hydraulic failure. My feeling is that my PO installed the mico lock because the cables broke and he couldn't find replacements. The K-20 cables are hard to come by. You can get K-10 cables from inline tube. My problem is that my PO also threw away the brake levers and bars in the drums at some point. I am having a hard time finding those.

[trapperjack]

I have no lever under the dash, no cables, and I'd bet money the rear axle is from a 2wd, my guess is same as yours. Hoping I don't have to find/install all that. I better start hunting some threads with photos and find all the goodies for it, just in case.