Parking brake

[Spectrum]

Just out of curiosity, how many of you use your parking brake? My mom always told me to apply it, even on flat ground. My dad on the other hand never uses it. I use it only when parking on slopes.

[OSVHURST/OLDS]

The only time i've ever used a parking brake was when i owned a 95 neon sport in high school and that was only to slide it around corners

[Andrew]

i only use it on hills, so the stress isnt on the trans.

[ns87]

I used to love to use it, until it broke 2 years ago Maybe with my 94 brake upgrade I wont have a hard time installing my new/old cables and can use it again

[19Cutlass94]

All the time...

[Q-Ball]

If mine worked, I'd use it daily.

[97loudcut]

I am actually afraid to use mine. I haven't used it before, and I have heard the horror stories of these parking brakes getting stuck. Anyone else heard about this?

[BXX]

I completely removed mine, including that damn pump to set lever

[Pontiac6KSTEAWD]

Useing your ebrake is mandatory. Rear calipers are expensive, and if you dont use the ebrake, they will seize and die. Which means you fail a safety inspection!

[BXX]

I don't have to worry about safety inspections... Not to mention, the calipers and such won't be on the car long enough to matter.

[Euro]

i dont have safety inspections here...I never used the one on my Lumina. It had "never" been used and was rusted. Didn't matter to me.

[pwmin]

i use it all the time on my manuals (except the big truck has air brakes) and only when on hills w/ my automatics.

 

we dont have inspections here, either. they even did away w/ emissions at the beginning of the year.

[Euro]

they even did away w/ emissions at the beginning of the year.

 

they're doing that for us too. Just when I get rid of my OBD 1 car they get rid of emissions!!! lol

[Q-Ball]

I am actually afraid to use mine. I haven't used it before, and I have heard the horror stories of these parking brakes getting stuck. Anyone else heard about this?

 

Yup, I decided to try mine. All it does it make my cable not dangle anymore. Still doesnt work though.

[GnatGoSplat]

Useing your ebrake is mandatory. Rear calipers are expensive, and if you dont use the ebrake, they will seize and die. Which means you fail a safety inspection!

 

I disagree with the mandatory part.

94+ works fine whether you use it regularly or not. I haven't been able to use mine since upgrading to 94 rear calipers on the 89.

88-93 brakes are so shitty it doesn't matter whether you use them regularly or not, they will eventually seize and die even if you use the p-brake every day. On my 88-93 W's, I used to use them regularly and the damn rear calipers still died untimely deaths.

 

Anyway, on my 89 I don't use them because they're not hooked up.

 

[J]

94- every time i put it in park.

92 lumi- never! i don't trust the pump to set type

[Addicted To Boost]

HAHA! The second day I had my GP, I tried using the parking brake to see if it worked. I set the PB, it worked. I pulled the PB release and backed outta the garage and both of my back wheels were locked up and left two nice rubber marks across teh garage. The cables were corroded and stuck- I could NOT get them to unlock whatever I tried, so I disconnected teh cables from my rear calipers.

I bought new PB cables and am waiting for it to get nice out so I can put the new ones on.

[Justin]

I have to use it on my CS or the remote start won't work. After getting them working they've worked flawlessly for me, and if you keep them adjusted they only take one pump. I swear my '89 is the only car in the nation with perfectly functioning early W brakes.

[GutlessSupreme]

I use mine literallly every time I park in these cars. Not in anyone elses though, unless I'm on a hill. It's a good habit to keep so your calipers stay in adjustment and don't freeze up.

[tdaye]

People don't seem to know that using your parking brake is what keeps your rear calipers adjusted on these cars. This is why people are changing their front pads so often.

 

I use mine often, if it isn't used, the calipers can freeze up.

[digitaloutsider]

Starangely enough, the only car I've ever had with a working parking brake is the Regal. The Cutlass doesn't even have a parking brake pedal. Man that car has had some smart owners in the past.

 

At any rate, I use mine all the time. The parking pawl is not designed to hold the car all the time. It's there as a back up for the parking brake! Scary concept, huh?

[GutlessSupreme]

People don't seem to know that using your parking brake is what keeps your rear calipers adjusted on these cars. This is why people are changing their front pads so often.

 

completely illogical design too, because how often do normal people use parking brakes. half of them probably don't even use them on hills.

[w-bodys_are_the_best]

Use mine in the 96 when the roads are slick and I want to turn around quicklike I used to use my 94 alot more, but only while moving, I did some crazy shit with that 94. One night I went out on this freshly paved wide highway by LeRoy, and got to about 50-60 MPH, started towards the other lane, back to mine, hit the parking brake, whip the wheel, when almost stopped, let it up, and put the gas straight to the floor, get to around 60 and do it again, I did a bunch of figure 8's. That was at about 3 am when the road was empty. None of my friends beleived I actually did that, so I gave them a ride out and showed them the marks at like 4pm the next day. They said that was crazy, so on the way back to town without notice I did one, and another to turn around, and headed back to town, wish I would have video taped it. I think that may be why, my right rear strut wore out worse than the left one There is also a set of 35 MPH curves that are banked pretty damn good north of town, first one has gravels on both ends, second one has a paved county road in the middle coming off of it. That night I did that shit, I was having a bit of fun I also did some ebrakes out there (not at 60 though), did one on the 2nd curve while turning onto that county road, ass came around and front tires stayed on the top of the bank, while the back two got real light going over the banked part onto the other road, the 94's ass whipped so fast it felt exactly like the tilt-a-whirl , I quit for the night after that It was awesome.

 

By the way, according to MN law it is illegal to park your car on a public street without setting your parking brake. I remember that one very well from the driver's ed class, I don't think most people actully do this, but that is the law.

[Addicted To Boost]

By the way' date=' according to MN law [b']it is illegal to park your car on a public street without setting your parking brake[/b]. I remember that one very well from the driver's ed class, I don't think most people actully do this, but that is the law.

REALLY?? Its the law? Wow I don't know ANYBODY who sets their parking brake (unless it is a manual). I would use mine in the GP, but like I mentioned before, it doesn't work.

[GP1138]

On a lot of cars, especially one you haven't been driving, using the parking brake can be risky.