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Posted: 12/30/2002 10:47:52 AM EDT
Is it necessary?  I have always used mine so that the vehicle is not leaning on the tranny.  Is this necessary?  I seem to be the only one who always uses the parking brake.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 10:49:36 AM EDT
[#1]
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 10:54:02 AM EDT
[#2]
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 10:54:54 AM EDT
[#3]
About the only time I use mine is when parked on a steep hill. My car has an auto tranny.

I use it every time when exiting a vehicle with a manual transmission.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 10:57:10 AM EDT
[#4]
Honestly, I only use it when I think about it. I have a 92 Wrangler, manual transmission, and so far had no rolling incidents.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:06:15 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
Also, some vehicles, particularly those with drum rear brakes, rely on the parking/emergency brake's periodic use to adjust the drum brakes.
Occasional use also keeps the brake mechanism from rusting solid.
Remember, it's also called the [b]emergency[/b] brake.
View Quote


That's why I use it.  Sometimes.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:08:15 AM EDT
[#6]
I only use it when I'm parking on a hill, otherwise I just leave it in gear.

Here's a short story: A buddy of mine went to Lowe's early one morning to get some building supplies. When he came out his car was gone. There were hardly any cars in the parking lot and he stood there for a minute in disbelief that someone had actually stole his car.

He was turning to walk back inside and call the police and he glanced in the K-Mart parking lot across the street and there was his car. He had forgot his emergency brake and didn't put his car in gear and it had rolled down a hill, all the way across the Lowe's parking lot, across the street and halfway across the K-Mart parking lot before it stopped, not hitting a thing. [:)]
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:09:14 AM EDT
[#7]
I use mine for pulling 180s to get away from the cops.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:14:35 AM EDT
[#8]
Some friends of mine had a Saab (manual trans), and they didn't set the parking brake. One day they went to the store and left their dog in the car.  The dog walked between the bucket seats and knocked the shifter into neutral.  The car began to roll, rolled out of the parking lot, and hit a station wagon tooling down the road.  The folks in the station wagon got out to see who hit them only to find a dog looking at them from the car.  There were no injuries.

I am in the habit of setting my parking brake.

DrMark
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:14:51 AM EDT
[#9]
I always drove a 5-speed, and when I parked I put it in 1st gear and used the parking brake.  I have an auto transmission now and I still use the parking brake.  I put the brake on before I put the transmission in [b]P[/b].  Once it's in park, I let off the normal brake.  This way, I know that the truck is resting on the parking brake, not the transmission.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:21:13 AM EDT
[#10]
Why wouldn't you use the e-brake?

Too lazy? Assume the tranny makes a better brake?

Old rule: brakes are cheaper to replace than trannies.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:29:50 AM EDT
[#11]
IMHO, for an auto trans, it isn't really necessary, but its good insurance when on a steep hill.

I drive a manual now, and I usually just set the parking brake (they seem to call it that in manual cars). But the parking lot in my apartment is steeply inclined, so I put it in reverse too, just to make sure. The car will roll back if the parking brake isn't set good and hard.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:31:16 AM EDT
[#12]
When I drove 5 spd, i rarely used parking brake.  I just left it on 1st gear.  But now that I own auto, I use it on regular basis.
Why?  I dunno, I just feel safer with parking brake on.  
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:38:12 AM EDT
[#13]
Should cycle the lever/pedal periodically to keep the cable from seizing to the outer jacket ( most domestic are using bare cable w/ steel jacket, and most foreign are coated cable w/ linered jacket, but the arms in the drum brake  or caliper apply system will get stuck if you not move them once in a while. Pull the release lever and cycle the pedal a few times, some wont let you do this, must hit pedal again to release. Lever type you can hold the button and cycle. DO NOT ADJUST a hand brake, without making sure the main service adjust is correct (std drum brake).
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:49:00 AM EDT
[#14]
I use it all the time!

BigDozer66
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:52:18 AM EDT
[#15]
Good JooJoo to use the brake EXCEPT when you are expecting a sudden freeze...the cable can tighten and make it difficult to release.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:55:42 AM EDT
[#16]
Quoted:
I use mine for pulling 180s to get away from the cops.
View Quote


mental note to self...

Link Posted: 12/30/2002 2:38:39 PM EDT
[#17]
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 2:40:41 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Some friends of mine had a Saab (manual trans), and they didn't set the parking brake. One day they went to the store and left their dog in the car.  The dog walked between the bucket seats and knocked the shifter into neutral.  The car began to roll, rolled out of the parking lot, and hit a station wagon tooling down the road.  The folks in the station wagon got out to see who hit them only to find a dog looking at them from the car.  There were no injuries.

I am in the habit of setting my parking brake.

DrMark
View Quote


That's odd.... the Saab I had would lock into reverse when you take the key out of the ignition.  Of course, when I got it, the locking mechanism wasn't working.  Only after the ignition key cylinder wore out, and was replaced, would it lock in reverse.  You HAD to lock it in reverse to get the key out.  

Link Posted: 12/30/2002 2:59:46 PM EDT
[#19]
i use it whenever i park.

and when i get the itch to do a "Starsky and Hutch" type slide in and around the neighborhood.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 3:04:50 PM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
I use mine for pulling 180s to get away from the cops.
View Quote


BAH!!! LOL
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 3:51:14 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
I use mine for pulling 180s to get away from the cops.
View Quote


Down here in the south we still call 'em "bootleg " turns.
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 3:58:15 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted:
I use mine for pulling 180s to get away from the cops.
View Quote


LOL!!  [:D]



I drive a 1 ton dully with a stick so I use it everytime.

Link Posted: 12/30/2002 10:11:45 PM EDT
[#23]
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 10:56:13 PM EDT
[#24]
Most of you folks must live in the flatlands. If you've ever parked a vehicle on a sharp incline, you already know the importance of setting the parking brake, letting the vehicle's weight settle back on it, and THEN shifting into Park — that is, if you ever want to be able to shift out of Park again!

I have a 17,000 pound motorhome that tows a 3,800 pound "dinghy" vehicle behind it. The transmission is essentially an ordinary Chrysler TorqueFlite A727. For the first 5 years that I owned, it, the parking brake didn't work. Can't imagine how the parking pawl in that transmission survived 21,000 pounds of rolling weight, but it did...
Link Posted: 12/30/2002 11:00:00 PM EDT
[#25]
I use it all the time.  I just dont like the idea of the weight of the vehicle sitting against the tranny.  

Its actually madatory that they are used at work.  To many idiots didnt use them and their vehicles rolled into antenna farm.
Link Posted: 12/31/2002 5:36:00 AM EDT
[#26]
I use it all the time. Park, turn off engine while keeping my foot on the brake, engage the emergency brake THEN remove my foot from the brake. This ensures the emergency brake is taking on most of the load.
Link Posted: 12/31/2002 6:34:08 AM EDT
[#27]
Parking brake is like turnsignals - rarely used!
Link Posted: 12/31/2002 6:26:21 PM EDT
[#28]
I use it in my manual Jeep if it ISN'T wintertime.  I don't want to have to wait for a above 32 degrees days to drive it.  The line freezes up or sumtin.  I just put it in 1st.

-DEERSNIPER
[sniper]
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