Parking Brake - 'Tearing' the rachet

[Sullivj]

When I was younger, my Dad (who taught me to drive), would always complain if I pulled up his handbrake without pressing the button on the end.

Now I have a pedal operated parking brake, I tend to just press it down whenever I need it. Without pulling the realease handle 1st, this gives a similar clicking noise to one I heard all those years ago..

If you have a foot brake, do you pull the handle, push the pedal and then release the handle or just do what I do and make it click?

 

[pascal]

John

Thats why it has a ratchet. The only time I would dissengage the ratchet would be for doing handbrake turns.:-D. Admit to jamming button in:twisted:

But yes, With a handbrake on other manual cars in the past, I confess to bypassing the ratchet on stop start uphill driving.

Pascal

 

[jberks]

I think it was common advice on the old handle type levers, especially on manuals. Out of habit, I push in the button too, but its easy as the button is on the handle so its just good practice. That said, I have never come across a car with a worn ratchet, even in a scrap yard, so I suspect it was probably a 50's thing, or even an old wives tale!
On the Merc, the parking brake is used far less often as its not required for hill starts etc, so I don't think it really matters.
I just press the pedal - when I use it at all.

 

[mercman_1]

Hi
On the older cars with a HAND brake the ratchet was a set of metal teeth and could wear down causing the brake to slip,on the new FOOT parking brake the ratchet (clicking noise)you hear is actually just a plastic thing for effect even when its broken as mine was the parking brake still operates OK.

2001 C200K.

 

[catgate]

"That said, I have never come across a car with a worn ratchet, even in a scrap yard,"


Cold this be something to do with the longevity (or even shortevity) of cars compared to those of a bygone era???? Maybe modern car bodies should be compose entirely of handbrake ratchets???

 

[tom7035]

I've taken in what is said above, but I still don't like the 'clunk' when operating the release lever. I always press the parking brake pedal a little before using the release lever, in effect releasing the parking brake with my foot, if only just to exercise some of what we used to call 'car sympathy'!

 

[Myros]

mine's a manual box

so I can't do that, except on downhill starts if I'm sharpish on the pedals and go for 2nd or 3d. I'd have preferred an old brolly-handle type to the foot-pedal for a manual box.

 

[tom7035]

Obviously with a manual you've really no choice Myros. I'm with you on the 'proper' HAND brake. I don't like the footpedal idea one little bit.