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Bob Anderson
join:2001-05-05
Ottawa, ON

Bob Anderson

Member

It is not an emergency brake

Fool pulls his parking brake on at 70 kilometers an hour.

»www.timescolonist.com/ne ··· .1696811

The brake, sometimes called a handbrake or sometimes a parking brake is definitely not meant to be used when the car is rolling. It will lock up the rear wheels making the car go out of control.

-Bob

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

Lurch77

Premium Member

Another young person with a lack of common sense and basic understanding of anything mechanical. It's an unfortunate trend.
fixrman
From a broken heart to a hole in the sky
Premium Member
join:2003-02-10
Hatboro, PA
·Verizon FiOS

fixrman to Bob Anderson

Premium Member

to Bob Anderson
Thanks, Bob. Another one of my pet peeves.

The big pedal, the one usually rectangular, mounted to a lever in a horizontal fashion, is called in the Field the Service Brake. The other pedal (or lever, Johnson bar), smaller, usually squarish - is called the Parking Brake.

When one uses the Park Brake in an emergency, one has created one: An emergency. The head becomes an ass at frank speed.
H_T_R_N (banned)
join:2011-12-06
Valencia, PA

1 recommendation

H_T_R_N (banned) to Bob Anderson

Member

to Bob Anderson
said by Bob Anderson:

The brake, sometimes called a handbrake or sometimes a parking brake is definitely not meant to be used when the car is rolling.

Unless of course it becomes necessary because of hydraulic failure in the main system. Then it becomes the emergency brake, and not used only for parking.

OK for Games
@24.239.45.x

OK for Games to Bob Anderson

Anon

to Bob Anderson
The hand brake is often used for road racing of rear wheel drive cars, on closed tracks, at much slower speeds, to fish tail around tight curves. I use it in racing computer GAMES, such as the need for speed series, on a regular basis.

A Mazda RX8 (which I believe is the car in the picture) is rear wheel drive car that is used on closed tracks for such racing. I do not race myself as it is an expensive dangerous hobby.

Racing on public streets is reprehensible. The driver has probably seen to many "Fast and Furious" movies.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

7 recommendations

Lurch77

Premium Member

I use it in large snow covered parking lots.

mackey
Premium Member
join:2007-08-20

mackey to Bob Anderson

Premium Member

to Bob Anderson
said by Bob Anderson:

It will lock up the rear wheels making the car go out of control.

Only if used by a complete and absolute moron who has no business behind a wheel.
said by Bob Anderson:

The brake, sometimes called a handbrake or sometimes a parking brake is definitely not meant to be used when the car is rolling.

Actually, it IS supposed to be used when a car is rolling and you have a failure of the primary braking system. That's actually one of if not the main reason it's there. To say "it is not an emergency brake" is just wrong. People have gotten into accidents before when their main brakes went out and they coasted into whatever was in front of them because they didn't use the emergency brake as they thought it was only for parking.

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

Hall to Bob Anderson

MVM

to Bob Anderson
My Dad taught me that it's a "parking brake". My parents are both from Northern Ireland and automatics were almost non-existent to them. When you park the car, you put it in neutral and apply that brake (I was also taught to use it on inclines when pulling away from a stop - that's part of the license test over there). I don't know who came up with the idea of putting a manual in 1st or reverse gear when parked.... More than once, I've picked up my car from a repair shop, oil change, etc, started the car, and it lunges forward ! Luckily, there was never anything close in front that I would have hit.

That said, I've used that brake to "help" turn sharply in snow-covered parking lots. My experience though, and I don't think that every car I've owned has been broken, the parking brake it pretty much full-on or off. It seems like there's a whole lot of travel where no brake is applied (or if so, it's so minimal it's not felt) and then it's fully on. I know it could cause the rear to slide if used and if I ever had to, I would know to try and use it very cautiously.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to Bob Anderson

Premium Member

to Bob Anderson
They made out a lot better than these three. »www.mcall.com/news/break ··· ory.html

Pulling the emergency brake while driving has made a comeback with todays youth.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

1 recommendation

Lurch77 to mackey

Premium Member

to mackey
I have to wonder if one of its primary purposes was as an auxiliary brake, why would the pedal version have automatic latching that won't let it back off unless you bend down and pull the release? I have used the hand lever design, while holding the release with my thumb, so that I can feather the brake to maintain control. But the pedal version, you're all in, like it or not.

hortnut
Huh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro

hortnut to Bob Anderson

Member

to Bob Anderson
Maybe I learned how to drive in a different era. I learned how to use the emergency brake when the main brakes failed and how to use the manual transmission to slow down. This was on a berry farm of some size with a variety of trucks, tractors and buses. Only a couple of these, were licensed for highway use, except the buses used to pickup up berry pickers.

Twice I lost brakes on one of my vehicles. 1st time I had to use the emergency brake as I was going down a very steep hill. A brake hose feeding the front brakes had ruptured. Even though it was one of the 'clicking' type and foot operated, I kept my hand on the brake so I could control the pressure used and not lock it up. I also was towing a empty 16 foot trailer, that weighed around 2200 pounds and was able to use its electric brakes, while I was adjusting the amount of power that was delivered to those too. I was able to drive to my mechanic for 12 miles to get all fixed.

About a month later, the same brake line in front burst. I was getting propagation sand and was 25 miles from home. I went ahead and got my 3 yards. of sand and since all driving was freeway, except about 1 mile with few stops, I used the trailer brakes all the way home as I cruised at 55-60mph.
fixrman
From a broken heart to a hole in the sky
Premium Member
join:2003-02-10
Hatboro, PA
·Verizon FiOS

fixrman

Premium Member

said by hortnut:

I learned how to drive in a different era. I learned how to use the emergency brake

What emergency brake?
fixrman

fixrman to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:

I have to wonder if one of its primary purposes was as an auxiliary brake

I think you answered your own question.

Incidentally, even the self-latching lever type has a release (GM at least), but it isn't very easy to reach when sat in the driver seat.

Lurch77
Premium Member
join:2001-11-22
Green Bay, WI

1 edit

Lurch77

Premium Member

That's what I mean. If it was intended to be used on a moving vehicle, they would make it so that it could be feathered to maintain control. With the pedal you press in, if you lock up the tires you cannot back off unless you bend down and pull the release. And the end result is the same as we see in the article in the OP. It doesn't seem real safe, so I have a hard time believing the engineers ever meant it to stop a moving vehicle.

I think you and I are on the same page. For once. It's a parking brake, not an emergency brake. It can be used to stop the vehicle, but it wasn't designed with that in mind.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG

Premium Member

said by Lurch77:

It's a parking brake, not an emergency brake. It can be used to stop the vehicle, but it wasn't designed with that in mind.

I tend to agree. The way they are designed in many vehicles does not lend itself well to using it to slow the vehicle while it is moving.

Especially the push-on push-off pedal type, you really don't have much control over that.

The best is probably the traditional hand lever type, as you can keep the latch button pushed in with your thumb and easily control the braking force that way.

In any case, using the parking brake while the vehicle is in motion should be done only when the main brakes have failed and with extreme caution, applying it smoothly and gradually to avoid locking the rear wheels.
NefCanuck
join:2007-06-26
Mississauga, ON

NefCanuck

Member

Using the parking brake in an emergency situation is going to be harder to do with the advent (or some would say return to) the single button electronic parking brake that I see popping up on more and more cars.

No lever to tug, just push the button to set the "on/off" type parking brake.

NefCanuck

hortnut
Huh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro

hortnut to fixrman

Member

to fixrman
said by fixrman:

What emergency brake?

Alrighty, they now call it a Parking Brake per my F150 manual. But they also say it can be used in an emergency, later in the description.

I have used it many times in an emergency in my 46 years of driving. First Farm I worked on, had a 1938 IH 2 Ton Truck that was just one we used to drive berry's into town. Had to use a combo trick to get it to stop. Usually had a payload of 16,000+, not counting the truck weight. Our Irrigation Truck had no brakes.

CylonRed
MVM
join:2000-07-06
Bloom County
·Metronet

CylonRed to Hall

MVM

to Hall
quote:
I don't know who came up with the idea of putting a manual in 1st or reverse gear when parked.... More than once, I've picked up my car from a repair shop, oil change, etc, started the car, and it lunges forward ! Luckily, there was never anything close in front that I would have hit.
Makes it VERY hard to move the car when the gear is so low - if the brakes and or emergency break failed. Very good piece of mind. It works so well that a lot of folks use it instead of the parking brake.

I use 1st gear at the house over the weekend as my parking brake sometimes sticks over several days of not driving it. At work - I use both. IMHO - you should always use first or reverse with a manual. Since the early 2000 you have to have the clutch in anyhow...

Jim Gurd
Premium Member
join:2000-07-08
Livonia, MI

3 recommendations

Jim Gurd to Hall

Premium Member

to Hall
said by Hall:

I don't know who came up with the idea of putting a manual in 1st or reverse gear when parked.... More than once, I've picked up my car from a repair shop, oil change, etc, started the car, and it lunges forward !

Then you clearly have something wrong with your vehicle. There is a clutch start switch which is supposed to prevent that by requiring you to fully depress the clutch before the engine will start.

As for putting it in 1st or reverse, I do that along with using the handbrake. No reason not to.
fixrman
From a broken heart to a hole in the sky
Premium Member
join:2003-02-10
Hatboro, PA
·Verizon FiOS

fixrman to Lurch77

Premium Member

to Lurch77
said by Lurch77:

I think you and I are on the same page. For once.

Keep throwing enough stuff at a wall, something is bound to stick. ;-p
fixrman

fixrman to NefCanuck

Premium Member

to NefCanuck
Those won't even engage over a certain speed I'd wager. Probably locked out except in Park or Neutral.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

Anonymous_ to hortnut

Premium Member

to hortnut
said by hortnut:

said by fixrman:

What emergency brake?

Alrighty, they now call it a Parking Brake per my F150 manual. But they also say it can be used in an emergency, later in the description.

I have used it many times in an emergency in my 46 years of driving. First Farm I worked on, had a 1938 IH 2 Ton Truck that was just one we used to drive berry's into town. Had to use a combo trick to get it to stop. Usually had a payload of 16,000+, not counting the truck weight. Our Irrigation Truck had no brakes.

it's best to FIRST down shift or shift into neutral.

then use the e-brake once 10mph or so

other wise you risk losing control above that speed on a normal car

hortnut
Huh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro

2 recommendations

hortnut

Member

said by Anonymous_:

it's best to FIRST down shift or shift into neutral.

then use the e-brake once 10mph or so

other wise you risk losing control above that speed on a normal car

I am not going to lose the advantage gears can give me by going into neutral. Even with an automatic. Nor in all my years have I had a problem with using a parking brake above 10mph, as long as it is adjusted properly. It is all about knowing your skills and limitations. Most important how your vehicle is going to handle at different speeds with the parking brake applied. Remember, I have disabled the clicks or locking it into place, but am using it as a lever to control the rear brakes by its cables and wires, without the hydraulic. I try to know my vehicle and how it may act in certain situations.

And anyone who steps on the parking brake all the way to the floor and leaves it locked place, will have troubles.

This whole discussion reminds me, of those, when the engine dies, they think that nothing works and panic and may have an accident. One can still steer, brake, open doors, etc. It may require more strength, but it can be done.
TheMG
Premium Member
join:2007-09-04
Canada
MikroTik RB450G
Cisco DPC3008
Cisco SPA112

TheMG

Premium Member

said by hortnut:

This whole discussion reminds me, of those, when the engine dies, they think that nothing works and panic and may have an accident. One can still steer, brake, open doors, etc. It may require more strength, but it can be done.

Reminds me of someone I knew that was pulling out of her driveway when the engine stalled. The vehicle rolled down the steep driveway, across the road (thankfully no traffic) and over the curb on the other side.

She then claimed her brakes and steering stopped working when the engine stalled...

Hall
MVM
join:2000-04-28
Germantown, OH

Hall to Jim Gurd

MVM

to Jim Gurd
said by Jim Gurd:

Then you clearly have something wrong with your vehicle. There is a clutch start switch which is supposed to prevent that by requiring you to fully depress the clutch before the engine will start.

Show me the specs for an '84 Toyota Supra or '88 Honda Prelude Si for this switch.
Hall

Hall to CylonRed

MVM

to CylonRed
said by CylonRed:

Makes it VERY hard to move the car when the gear is so low

If I'm not mistaken, one can rock a car back and forth and pop it out of gear.
rjgogo
join:2003-10-22

rjgogo to Bob Anderson

Member

to Bob Anderson
That was my favorite way to do 180 turns in an old camaro.

Cho Baka
MVM
join:2000-11-23
there

Cho Baka to Hall

MVM

to Hall
said by Hall:

Show me the specs for an '84 Toyota Supra or '88 Honda Prelude Si for this switch.

Those predate many users here, and thanks to road salt, basically haven't been seen in nearly a decade.

Anonymous_
Anonymous
Premium Member
join:2004-06-21
127.0.0.1

1 edit

Anonymous_ to hortnut

Premium Member

to hortnut
my parking brake is screwed up ( it has dual rear parking brake)

but the driver side has more Power then the passenger side

it needs some adjustment i don't really care or park on a hill so it's not a big deal or no rush to get it done I all ready Know what to do to stop the car if I need to

it takes about 10 feet to catch

that is why i don't park on hills

also the down side to stright up using the e-brake is excessive wear on the tires

hortnut
Huh?
join:2005-09-25
PDX Metro

hortnut

Member

said by Anonymous_:

my parking brake is screwed up ( it has dual rear parking brake)

but the driver side has more Power then the passenger side

it needs some adjustment i don't really care or park on a hill so it's not a big deal or no rush to get it done I all ready Know what to do to stop the car if I need to

it takes about 10 feet to catch

that is why i don't park on hills

also the down side to stright up using the e-brake is excessive wear on the tires

.
Brakes and all of their systems is a #1 priority fix/maintenance issue for me. And that includes tires. #2 is anything having to do with shocks, swaybars, alignment, ball joints, and anything undercarriage that can affect stability, loaded and unloaded.