Need Help With Retrofitting Electronic Parking Brake Caliper

[font=sans-serif]Hi, I have been looking through the site but I am not 100% sure what exactly I need. Hopefully you guys can help.

I have a project car that does not have a parking brake. I have 2 Tesla electric parking brake calipers that have a worm gear type motor that pushes out the piston to clamp the brake disc. They are 12v and close when I apply 12v across the motor and when I reverse polarity they release. When closing the caliper piston squeezes the brake disc and as the pressure builds the current through the motor spikes from 1amp to about 30. At which point I need the motor to turn off. Same deal on the release. When it is completely retracted the current spikes. So at theses limits I need the motors to turn off.

Ideally I would like to have something like 1 button to push to close the brakes and maybe another or the same button to press again to release and have the power cut when the current spikes.

Is there any product that could simplify this for me? Its been years since I have done any motor control or electronics work and I may be in over my head here haha.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Phil[/font][font=sans-serif][/font]

To confirm, the motor spikes to 30A and doesn’t stop on its own. However, if it’s stopped, it retains the position because of the worm gear? If you want something automatic, consider two (of many) options:

  1. Re-settable fuse which trips automatically. Considerations include how reliable it is and how many times the manufacturer indicates it can be reset. Might not be the best option.
  2. Current sensor and microcontroller - have the microcontroller read the value from the current sensor and stop the motor. Note that you’ll need a motor controller as well.

Feel free to brainstorm.

Hi, I was wondering if you were able to get this to work and what your method was. I am also trying to come up with a parking brake and would like to find some information before I purchase the calipers. I can fab anervthing up to mount them to my axle I just need some assistance with the electronics side. I’m pretty capable as long as I can get a general idea of the direction I need to go.