Using handbrake to stop a moving car?

[narreth]

I know the handbrake isn't meant for this type of use, but say a car is moving not too fast (<40 km/hr), is it possible to stop the car by using the handbrake? I'm wondering if its possible to teach someone to drive, with the handbrake as a backup incase anything stupid happens. (like how driving instructors have the 2nd rigged brake...)

 

[Zen0]

Nope, handbrake will have nearly no effect.

 

[Vette73]

Depends.

Is the car still being powered (i.e. think Toyota and run away car) or is it just stalled and the brakes stopped working (i.e. like pushing car down a hill)

If being powered then no. The engine should be able to break free MOST parking brake system.
If its just moving by itself maybe.

But I would NEVER teach someone to use the parking brake as a backup to the braking system. It will usually cause the rear end just to swing out and make things worse.

 

[Pariah]

Depends.
But I would NEVER teach someone to use the parking brake as a backup to the braking system. It will usually cause the rear end just to swing out and make things worse.

He doesn't want to teach someone to do that. He is saying that if he is in the passenger seat while teaching someone, can he pull the parking brake to stop the car if the student does something stupid.

The short answer, not a good idea. Pulling it at speed could very easily cause the car to spin which is something a learning drive is not going to be able to handle properly. You could also do some pretty serious damage to rear end of the car.

 

[bobdole369]

Since all the E-brake does is to manually actuate the rear wheel brakes - I fail to see how any damage can come of it (besides the obvious locked up rear end with panicking driver likely not able to comprehend that the thing is a ratcheting handle and you really have to engage it while holding the button down).

In fact every so often I bring her up to 25mph and use the e-brake to stop the car. (first popping into neutral of course) Its just something I've always done with my cars, gives me some reassurance that it actually works.

I honestly wouldn't pull it on somebody - especially a learning driver. If you are past like 45mph there really is a risk you'll cause one or the other wheels to lock up or both.

 

[vshah]

Since all the E-brake does is to manually actuate the rear wheel brakes - I fail to see how any damage can come of it (besides the obvious locked up rear end with panicking driver likely not able to comprehend that the thing is a ratcheting handle and you really have to engage it while holding the button down).

In fact every so often I bring her up to 25mph and use the e-brake to stop the car. (first popping into neutral of course) Its just something I've always done with my cars, gives me some reassurance that it actually works.

I honestly wouldn't pull it on somebody - especially a learning driver. If you are past like 45mph there really is a risk you'll cause one or the other wheels to lock up or both.

applying the rear brakes without applying the front brakes is a bad idea.

 

[Vette73]

Since all the E-brake does is to manually actuate the rear wheel brakes - I fail to see how any damage can come of it (besides the obvious locked up rear end with panicking driver likely not able to comprehend that the thing is a ratcheting handle and you really have to engage it while holding the button down).

In fact every so often I bring her up to 25mph and use the e-brake to stop the car. (first popping into neutral of course) Its just something I've always done with my cars, gives me some reassurance that it actually works.

I honestly wouldn't pull it on somebody - especially a learning driver. If you are past like 45mph there really is a risk you'll cause one or the other wheels to lock up or both.

Hahahhahahahaaaa... quoted for stupid.

 

[Demo24]

Could you? Yes. A good idea? Not really.

If the car is still being powered it's not going to be able to stop the vehicle. In RWD mode the engine will most likely overpower the brakes, in FWD it will probably just drag the rears as it goes, awd..sorta both. Not all parking brakes use the same brakes (in fact far as I know very few do) as the rear brakes, in some cases it's a separate unit (in mine theres a drum brake inside the brake rotor).


If there was no power to the vehicle then yes you could definitely slow it down and then stop it. Just be careful as there is a fine line between locking up the tires and applying enough force to bring the vehicle to a stop. Locking them up for to long would mean flat spots and that would be damn annoying!

 

[JulesMaximus]

That's a really bad idea. It is a great way to lock up the rear wheels and have your "student" lose control of the car.

I don't think you should be teaching someone else how to drive.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

That's a really bad idea. It is a great way to lock up the rear wheels and have your "student" lose control of the car.

I don't think you should be teaching someone else how to drive.

Agreed.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Just try using the handbrake on an empty parking lot. You will see what others are talking about.

 

[dpodblood]

Bad idea. It will slow down the car, and if the student it doing something wrong pulling the HB will make it even worse.

 

[Meghan54]

Depends.

Is the car still being powered (i.e. think Toyota and run away car) or is it just stalled and the brakes stopped working (i.e. like pushing car down a hill)

You do understand that even if the engine shuts off, the brake system don't stop working....the power assist disappears, but the brake system still works, just needs more force to actuate.

Since all the E-brake does is to manually actuate the rear wheel brakes - I fail to see how any damage can come of it (besides the obvious locked up rear end with panicking driver likely not able to comprehend that the thing is a ratcheting handle and you really have to engage it while holding the button down).

And you do know a lot of vehicles use separate brake pad(s) for their parking brake, right? Much smaller than the rear brake pads because all it's designed to do is keep the vehicle from rolling, not stop the vehicle after it's begun moving. So, parking brakes, (and they're NOT E-BRAKES!---they're not emergency brakes, they're parking brakes)------can easily be overcome and burned out by a vehicle moving over a couple of miles an hour.

 

[Zargon]

Hahahhahahahaaaa... quoted for stupid.

eh its not entirely untrue.

on some older vehicles that had drum brakes, often the ebrake handle was just a cable that manually actuated the shoes

 

[jtvang125]

eh its not entirely untrue.

on some older vehicles that had drum brakes, often the ebrake handle was just a cable that manually actuated the shoes

On my old car it had all disc brakes but the parking brake was its own entire system with miniature brake shoes. I can pull all I want on it and it's never strong enough to lock the rear wheels.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yes, many cars have entirely separate brakes for the park brake. It's not part of the regular brakes at all. It's often a weak drum setup inside the rear disc rotors. It's only a parking brake system, period.

 

[Howard]

On an somewhat unrelated note, how do I make my parking brake more effective? Even at the limits of the pedal engage, I'm not comfortable on a steep incline (and a big dick slap to those who would denigrate me for this).

All disc brake, separate unit at rears for parking brake.

 

[LTC8K6]

On an somewhat unrelated note, how do I make my parking brake more effective? Even at the limits of the pedal engage, I'm not comfortable on a steep incline (and a big dick slap to those who would denigrate me for this).

All disc brake, separate unit at rears for parking brake.

Have it adjusted so it holds properly.

 

[Howard]

Have it adjusted so it holds properly.

Is this something I can do on my own?

 

[LTC8K6]

Is this something I can do on my own?

Usually. I knew how to do it on old cars...:biggrin: