I do use mine, yes. But there is something about the Landcruiser hand brake set up that I can't fathom. It's the same on the 90s and 120 that I have owned. If you set it up, properly, it's a good handbrake. But the minute that you do any major articulation, like being off road, it just disappears. We really could use some sort of hand brake mod or redesign. Wear is a factor, that's true and having some stainless, bushed bell cranks would be a good start. Any slop at all in the mechanism is magnified several fold in terms of play in the cable. A steel crank on a steel pin in an area exposed to crud etc is not a good recipe. Anyone got the facilities to make these OR take the old ones and set a bush into them mated snugly to a new stainless pin? If yours are worn into a slot then they can be welded up and re drilled pretty easily or you can buy some new ones I suppose. I don't like the design in that it directly pulls one side then slaves the other. Whilst I have managed to set mine up very successfully on all my Cruisers, there has always been a minor difference side to side.
I wonder if stronger return springs would be of benefit in the shoes?
Anyone got any other ideas / clues as to the hand brake phenomenon?
Chris