Wife was driving her Jeep TJ when the rear brake line failed. She used the E/P brake to stop it safely on the side of the freeway. Then she drove it home by using only that brake when needed. Married the right woman!
@@donniev8181 Neutral just takes you to the point of the collision that then stops you. Had a ‘73 Mustang eat a rear line too, and the parking brake was all that stopped it too.
Ray mentioned the person painted their rotors, and I was expecting a "Just Rolled In' type of look. But you can see the pattern of how the owner masked off the braking surface before painting. Well done, driver!
During an inspection they said to fix the parking brakes was $980 - found the cable was stretched & adjusted shoes - $40 cable fix plus my labor which is priceless
The old train set smell comes from the brushed motors creating ozone as they ran. It was and is especially familiar with post war o gauge locomotives like Lionel untill they eventually went to brushless motors in the 2000s. To me it's part of the smell of my childhood and Christmas with the trains running around the tree. A tradition I also did for my kids growing up.
Dave is correct about that smell from old electric model trains. That smell is ozone that is generated when the brushes and commutator arc. Lightening does the same thing.
As an old guy, I am amused that Ray has to go back to basics to explain brake shoes. This was common place years ago when drum brakes were used on many if not all vehicles.
On my 2001 F150, the shoe adjustment is done by removing the plug on the backside and using a brake spoon. With the wheel off the ground and the truck on a jackstand, tighten until it stops the wheel from turning, then back it off until the wheel will turn freely. Replace the plug and it's good to go, and you have a tight parking brake.
Those vehicles with the parking brake actuated by a lever in the center console area can be useful as an "emergency" brake for those of us who live in parts of the world where it snows and gets icy. I used mine once coming down a steep hill to make the rear wheels drag while the fronts were free to roll and provide steering. One of the hairiest 1/4 to 1/2 mile drives I've ever done, but I stayed fully on the road and out of the gutters, and stopped at the intersection to avoid being t-boned by the city bus that had the right-of-way.
For the DIYers count the number of clicks on each side that way they are even especially for rear drum brakes,also you should hear a slight rubbing noise this means they are adjusted correctly.
Leading and trailing edges on brake shoes are made with the 'leading' edge thinner than the trailing edge, so when you poked the leading edge (it appears thinner) was entirely correct. I so love 'Rainman training days' :)
I can’t believe I have a tool that Ray doesn’t. It’s a special tool for adjusting brakes, from back in the day when cars had drums brakes. I have the spring pliers (you used it to remove and reinstall springs - those things were strong) , and the retainer removal tool, too. Haha.
Hi Ray, and welcome back! I very much appreciate you setting the record straight about how these brakes SHOULD be more commonly referred to as parking brakes. However I can also see how they might sometimes be considered as emergency brakes. Let me share with you 2 scenarios that I have personally experienced. In the first, I would have called it a parking brake. I had a 1986 Dodge Lancer that was purchased used in 1992 with only 82,000 kilometers (I live in Canada) with a 2.2L four banger. My ex wife's minivan was always parked under the carport and my Lancer was always in the driveway behind her which had a downward slope. Wherever I parked the car (before I discovered the benefits of using the parking brake), the car would lean on the trans and I couldn't get the thing to shift out of park. She would have to get in the driver's seat, while I physically rocked the car back and forth while she tried to shift the car into any gear. After a few of these very annoying instances, I learned the value of the parking brake. The car in mention had a foot pedal like the Tahoe you were working on. Slipping the trans into neutral, engaging the parking brake and then shifting to park, solved the problem. Scenario 2. I've had many cars that were manual and automatics that had the parking brake situated between the drivers and passengers seat. The handle in the center, with a button to press on the end. Don't remember which car it was but one day my brake lines ruptured or master cylinder died while driving. Brake pedal went right down to the floor as I was approaching a busy intersection. I pushed the button on the parking brake and pulled up on it while modulating my pressure on my pull. I was able to stop the car safely without wheel lockup before it went into the intersection. In a case like this; I can see why some might call this an emergency brake.
Many times in my past when I drove shitty cars, I’ve experienced total failure and instinctively grabbed or stomped the wee pedal. What you MUST remember is to release the pawl that locks the E Brake. This makes sure that you don’t lock up the E Brake. Keep in mind that these were early 60’s vehicles. Great video 👍🏆
Since wear occurs only when the brake pad is applied to a moving drum a parking brake lining theoretically never "wear out" unless it is being used as an emergency brake since tthe vehicle is not moving when parked.
The shoes tend to delaminate with age. I did the ones on my 2007 Toyota when I did the rear brakes this last time. All new shoes and small parts. The friction material was thin but the new ones weren't much thicker. This exercise reminded me just how much drum brakes are a pain to replace.
I was really jonesing for a Ray's video! Thanks for another interesting video and explanation of the inner workings of the parking brake. To your question about why the adjuster is on the bottom on one side and top on the other... I'd say it's because they use one part for both sides and that would require it in order to adjust properly. Maybe?
This site reminds me of my first car. It went 25mph uphill because the motor was bad and went 95mph down the other side because the brakes were shot. It all evened out. Welcome back!
Here in Saltlandia, that exposed one-to-two split and adjuster is usually a domain of the Rust God. So nobody I know even TRIES to adjust things from there.
I was brought up with it being called a Handbrake, British cars used a handle between the seats to apply it, Very useful for turning a car in a hurry on a dirt road! 😁
The reason they mount the ajuster on the bottom and the top is so when you are attempting to adjust the pads from the back, you always will turn the adjuster one-way!
Kinda. If you look at the old cars with drum brakes the self adjusters were mounted in the same position...right or left side...usually at the bottom. That meant that the self adjuster screws had to be right hand thread or left hand tread depending on which side of the car they were used. The old self adjusters were stamped 'R' or 'L' for that reason. That meant the the car companies had to inventory two brake self adjusters and they also had to make sure the guys on the assembly line were mindful of which side they were working on. Flipping the self adjuster position allows the car companies to use the same self adjuster for both sides (probably a right hand thread), thereby saving a nickle and increasing share holder equity.
I agree with you 100% that it is a PARKING brake, not an emergency brake! However... I ALWAYS use my parking brake when I park my vehicle, NOT just when I park on a hill.
Emergency brakes go back to the days when the master cylinder wasn't separated by front and back, if the seal went out or the MC ran dry I assure you that cable brake was an emergency brake, most the people I know had an occurrence or 3 to use them.
Yes and i 1974 in drivers education we learned how to and were given the occasion to use the Emergency brake , but with the evolution of lighter Cheeper manufactured brake parts that braking system has lost any ability to stop or even slow down a car
Using the E-Brake to stop a school bus was an actual part of the license road test. School bus brakes, at least back in the 70s, clamped down on the drive shaft. We lost a lot of center bearings that way! I used the E-Brake twice to stop a car. One time the master cylinder locked up and nothing could be done to push the pedal down. The other time was an old VW that lost brakes descending a rather steep hill. One of my coworkers back in the day drove a customer's car through the garage door pulling a brakeless Dodge in for a brake job. He could have E-braked it and saved the boss a lot of money.
My rule has always been. Always engage the parking brake. Even on level looking ground. Even a slight grade can still have your vehicle roll into the parking lock in the tranny. And with really big vehicles, than could eventually cause unexpected premature failure.
They have the adjuster at the top one side and at the bottom on the other, because its the same brake assembly both sides. They turn it over to keep the brake caliper pointing forward both sides. Helps keep the number of handed parts down, that whole brake assembly can used on either side.
We've been in the position to have to use the parking brake when the main brakes failed. However, I agree with you that by far the most common use for that brake is for parking.
11:50. In the old days I could just pull a little rubber grommet off of the backing plate and adjust it using the backing plate as a fulcrum point. I made sure to put the grommet back when I was done because you don’t want dirt up in there.
In my 2007 Ford Fusion, the Parking brake is still cable driven, but the cable runs to the caliper and actuates the piston in the caliper to use the brake pads and rotor to apply the parking brake force. Suppose if my master fails or whatever, that'd actually work as an emergency brake.
in 2022 I had a pad slip free of the caliper, damage the piston, rotate around with the rotor, and end up back in the caliper with the rotor spinning free. I used my ratcheting cable-operated eBrake to get to my shop since it uses the rear drums only without pressurizing the brake lines. The parking brake definitely worked as an emergency brake for me, though I would’ve much preferred a hand brake for that.
On your test drive you proved what this 80 year oldd mechanic said. It actually is called an emergency brake. On EVERY state that has a Safty inspection program It is called EMERGENCY brake on those inspections too. Florida Had a Safty inspection program in the LATE 60s. I was an Inspector in Alachua county back then and moved to North carolina in 1970 and went to work here as a Fleet Mechanic for Ward Baking company which later became flowers baking company and I was A safty and emissions inspector for them until I retred
Ray Chevy has a nice setup with rotor drum. Brake/park brake. The park brake shoes looked like there was plenty of wear left on them. Have a good day Ray
It was an E-brake when one of my brake calipers fell off! I pulled onto the shoulder at speed, slowed with down shifting, then used the “parking” brake to stop.
You should use the p brake every time you park. Stop vehicle, put in neutral, apply brake, then put in park or in gear with a manual trans. If your vehicle gets hit by some head of knuckle while it's parked, the prawl pin ( hope I'm spelling it right) can break off also. Plus the vehicle won't go rolling down the road to end up hitting something else
in the 60's they were Emergency brakes. DOT mandated a mechanical back up for the brakes on at least one axle. And they called them EMERGENCY BRAKES in the books and laws.
I drove around with no brakes in my 5-speed Sentra for about 3 months until I could afford new calipers and everything. I didn't drive very far from home though. You can get pretty good at it when you have to.
My brakes went out on my old 54 Ford going down the hill on my street before turning into my parents driveway. Engine compression slowed me down but the e-brake brought me to a stop about a foot into the garage door. Oopsie daisy. My dad was not happy. My mom was freaking out the whole time. Found out the brake light switch was mounted on the master cylinder and puked its guts losing all my fluid. Dumb design.
The rocks! That bit intentional or not was hilarious! I've used my "parking" brake for non parking situations. One-time I used it to snow drift the rear end around a car avoiding an accident. But most of the time it was icy parking lot spinny fun time.
Here in Australia we call them "handbrakes" as they're usually but not always a hand lever between the front seats. On some vehicles mostly utes (pickups) they are T handle levers in the dash by the drivers leg. To my knowledge these brakes are primarily designed for parking but can be used in an emergency situation - hence the colloquial name. Personally I've only ever had to use them as that once - 15ish years ago I had a hatchback that stuck it's throttle plate wide open going down the highway, to stop it redlining I had to kill the engine while moving so no vacuum to the brakes. Between standing on the brake pedal and short on/off use of the handbrake I was able to pull over safely.
You know what I miss? 1987 Taurus automatic. While in drive the parking/Emergency Brake pedal would not latch ON, twas like having a console mounted handle.
So I actually had the exact situation happen in my 84 regal. The front line blew then the rear line so I tried "parking brake" and it didn't work. So I got it sideways around a corner and slammed it In park. And Dave is right model trains!
We brits mainly call it a hand brake, as until recently it was applied by hand using a lever between the front seats. In a manual car UK drivers are taught to use it when pulling away uphill.
That technique is supposed to be used here in the United States too, but I could never master it and learned to move my feet quickly and just right to come off the brake,engage the clutch and start revving the engine almost simultaneously
@@Pointlesschan The last car I had with a manual, I learned to do it with the foot parking brake in a Ford Ranger, not easy to do, as you have to have your hand on the release lever, and do the foot dance from clutch to accelerator and release the parking brake, hopefully with little to no roll back on a hill. I miss the dash mounted hand brake in trucks. It is much easier if you have a handbrake IMO.
@@johnhpalmer6098 I have driven a manual Mercedes with a foot operated parking brake with a hand release, it felt a bit like trying to rub your stomach whilst tapping the top of your head 😃
Swing the wheel round, dip the clutch and yank the hand brake. Wheeeeeeeeee. Cops weren’t too pleased with me doing that in the supermarket car parks at night. 😊😊
Many years ago when I was a young PC twice a year I would get sent out with a local DOT officer to do road side safety inspections. Automatic check was what then was called a duel braking system, E brake and hydraulic brakes. Three equipment violations equalled Automatic tow for operating an unsafe motor vehicle plus the fine that went with it.
There use to be a hole in the backing plates so you could adjust with a brake spoon with tires still on, the tpms light is probably due to tires being off and will go away in a driving cycle or two.
Usually when I see that the rear rotors with drum type parking brake come off that easily, adjustment is needed. Also the star adjuster was pretty much in from what I saw.
My brakes did that to me. I used the automatic adjustment feature on my car by going in reverse and then braking fairly hard. Did that a couple of times and when I pulled my parking brake lever I could it engaging much earlier.
I usually put two nuts back on before the caliper and that will hold the disk in place and hopefully center the shoes when you press on the park brake. That way if you need to readjust the shoes again then you only have two nuts to remove the rotor/drum.
There is no lock in the manual gearbox. With front-wheel drive car, im used to first letting the car stop on the engine and then applying the handbrake, the front wheels also have small braking effect. Here in Finland in the winter it is good to have all the wheels braked, which reduces the possibility of the car start sliding downhill on icy roads.
If you look at the old cars with drum brakes the self adjusters were mounted in the same position...right or left side...usually at the bottom. That meant that the self adjuster screws had to be right hand thread or left hand tread depending on which side of the car they were used. The old self adjusters were stamped 'R' or 'L' for that reason. That meant the the car companies had to inventory two brake self adjusters and they also had to make sure the guys on the assembly line were mindful of which side they were working on. Flipping the self adjuster position allows the car companies to use the same self adjuster for both sides (probably a right hand thread), thereby saving a nickle and increasing share holder equity.
Ray, you have missed something very important. On the brake disc (rotor for you American types) there are two inspection holes. This holes match up with the two holes in the hub. Using a torch and a long screwdriver, you can adjust the shoes until they bind to the drum. Then back them off a couple of clicks. You now have balanced breaking without relying on the adjuster to compensate. Being old does occasionally come in handy.
Grew up in PA, taught not to set the parking brake especially in the Winter, it might freeze up or get stuck by rust. Been in flat Florida for 35 yrs, still don't use it unless on a grade.
Welcome back. Many moons ago 1950s and earlier they were emergency brakes. They had their own shoes hardware because hydraulic brakes weren't trusted. Now they are parking brakes
Yep, and I thought the change was due to going to dual chamber brakes in 1967 where today, the likelihood of total brake failure is not as great as it was before when you either had them, or you didn't, so the e brake was used in an emergency.
Depends on the vehicle. My 2014 Jeep has rear drums and the hand brake mechanically operates the rear shoes the same as my 1968 GMC, 1970 Cadillac, and 1971 VW. Some rear disc setups use a mechanical actuator on the rear calipers. In both setups you have normal rear brake application mechanically if the hydraulic system fails. It's the small drums with rear discs that don't seem as effective, but it's still better than nothing if you loose the hydraulic systems. The electrically operated calipers are the ones that I really don't see as usable in an emergency. But I've never tested them like I have my old vehicles with rear drums.
Only in America. The rest of the world has always called them parking or hand brakes, normally always used because we aren't brain dead enough with auto transmissions not to be able to use a vehicles equipment in the manner intended. Ray was completely correct, they aren't emergency brakes.
@@johnhpalmer6098 dual circuit systems reduce the chance of total failure, but doesn't eliminate it. Hydraulic lines can still rot/rust. The mechanical application of the rear brakes (drum or disc) would still work in such a situation.
Parking brakes are effective for "Parking". But it can also be a good learning tool - here in wintery weather, creating a skid condition is excellent practice for drivers not to freak out when it happens spontaneously.
Wife was driving her Jeep TJ when the rear brake line failed. She used the E/P brake to stop it safely on the side of the freeway. Then she drove it home by using only that brake when needed. Married the right woman!
Neutral works too
@@donniev8181 Neutral just takes you to the point of the collision that then stops you. Had a ‘73 Mustang eat a rear line too, and the parking brake was all that stopped it too.
@@DerDuckPond neutral, engine off, it's over
I did the same thing on a 96 buick when I was a teenager. Breaks gave out and I found out exiting the highway
@@donniev8181 You do realize that if your in neutral, that engine on or off makes absolutely no difference? Not sure why you even mentioned it.
Dave’s comment about the train sets took me back 35+ years!
That sort of repair is what makes a client come back to an honest repairer. Keep the customers happy and it keeps the business going.
Ray mentioned the person painted their rotors, and I was expecting a "Just Rolled In' type of look. But you can see the pattern of how the owner masked off the braking surface before painting.
Well done, driver!
During an inspection they said to fix the parking brakes was $980 - found the cable was stretched & adjusted shoes - $40 cable fix plus my labor which is priceless
The old train set smell comes from the brushed motors creating ozone as they ran. It was and is especially familiar with post war o gauge locomotives like Lionel untill they eventually went to brushless motors in the 2000s. To me it's part of the smell of my childhood and Christmas with the trains running around the tree. A tradition I also did for my kids growing up.
Dave is correct about that smell from old electric model trains. That smell is ozone that is generated when the brushes and commutator arc. Lightening does the same thing.
You're having a bad day if you smell ozone from lightning. I know.
As an old guy, I am amused that Ray has to go back to basics to explain brake shoes. This was common place years ago when drum brakes were used on many if not all vehicles.
On my 2001 F150, the shoe adjustment is done by removing the plug on the backside and using a brake spoon. With the wheel off the ground and the truck on a jackstand, tighten until it stops the wheel from turning, then back it off until the wheel will turn freely. Replace the plug and it's good to go, and you have a tight parking brake.
Those vehicles with the parking brake actuated by a lever in the center console area can be useful as an "emergency" brake for those of us who live in parts of the world where it snows and gets icy.
I used mine once coming down a steep hill to make the rear wheels drag while the fronts were free to roll and provide steering.
One of the hairiest 1/4 to 1/2 mile drives I've ever done, but I stayed fully on the road and out of the gutters, and stopped at the intersection to avoid being t-boned by the city bus that had the right-of-way.
Whew I barely survived TH-cam without you 😎 needed brake clean fix
Welcome Back Ray ,hope you had a great time.
For the DIYers count the number of clicks on each side that way they are even especially for rear drum brakes,also you should hear a slight rubbing noise this means they are adjusted correctly.
That’s ozone baby. The train set comment brought back memories, as well as slot cars.
Welcome back, glad yall didn't get flooded out.
I have to say that finding mechanics like you are rare I had one for years but he retired you are a good honest mechanic
Leading and trailing edges on brake shoes are made with the 'leading' edge thinner than the trailing edge, so when you poked the leading edge (it appears thinner) was entirely correct. I so love 'Rainman training days' :)
I can’t believe I have a tool that Ray doesn’t. It’s a special tool for adjusting brakes, from back in the day when cars had drums brakes. I have the spring pliers (you used it to remove and reinstall springs - those things were strong) , and the retainer removal tool, too. Haha.
Welcome back Ray. You have been missed.
Hi Ray, and welcome back! I very much appreciate you setting the record straight about how these brakes SHOULD be more commonly referred to as parking brakes. However I can also see how they might sometimes be considered as emergency brakes. Let me share with you 2 scenarios that I have personally experienced. In the first, I would have called it a parking brake. I had a 1986 Dodge Lancer that was purchased used in 1992 with only 82,000 kilometers (I live in Canada) with a 2.2L four banger. My ex wife's minivan was always parked under the carport and my Lancer was always in the driveway behind her which had a downward slope. Wherever I parked the car (before I discovered the benefits of using the parking brake), the car would lean on the trans and I couldn't get the thing to shift out of park. She would have to get in the driver's seat, while I physically rocked the car back and forth while she tried to shift the car into any gear. After a few of these very annoying instances, I learned the value of the parking brake. The car in mention had a foot pedal like the Tahoe you were working on. Slipping the trans into neutral, engaging the parking brake and then shifting to park, solved the problem. Scenario 2. I've had many cars that were manual and automatics that had the parking brake situated between the drivers and passengers seat. The handle in the center, with a button to press on the end. Don't remember which car it was but one day my brake lines ruptured or master cylinder died while driving. Brake pedal went right down to the floor as I was approaching a busy intersection. I pushed the button on the parking brake and pulled up on it while modulating my pressure on my pull. I was able to stop the car safely without wheel lockup before it went into the intersection. In a case like this; I can see why some might call this an emergency brake.
Many times in my past when I drove shitty cars, I’ve experienced total failure and instinctively grabbed or stomped the wee pedal. What you MUST remember is to release the pawl that locks the E Brake. This makes sure that you don’t lock up the E Brake. Keep in mind that these were early 60’s vehicles. Great video 👍🏆
Since wear occurs only when the brake pad is applied to a moving drum a parking brake lining theoretically never "wear out" unless it is being used as an emergency brake since tthe vehicle is not moving when parked.
The shoes tend to delaminate with age. I did the ones on my 2007 Toyota when I did the rear brakes this last time. All new shoes and small parts. The friction material was thin but the new ones weren't much thicker. This exercise reminded me just how much drum brakes are a pain to replace.
Remember the day a person parked in first or reverse with the tire turned to the curb.
We still do it like that here.
Petridge Farm remembers.
I still do.
90s fords park brakes are useless. We have to 😅
Manual transmission on a hill still do it
Best to apply the parking brake, then ease off on the brake to ensure the parking break takes hold, before shifting the transmission into park.
Hi Ray.Nice easy repair.Thanks again for being a honest mechanic saving the customer money.
I was really jonesing for a Ray's video! Thanks for another interesting video and explanation of the inner workings of the parking brake. To your question about why the adjuster is on the bottom on one side and top on the other... I'd say it's because they use one part for both sides and that would require it in order to adjust properly. Maybe?
Welcome back, Ray. Hope vacation was fun.
You are so correct in pointing out the fallacy of the “e-brake”. vernacular.
This site reminds me of my first car.
It went 25mph uphill because the motor was bad and went 95mph down the other side because the brakes were shot.
It all evened out.
Welcome back!
Yeah those were known as a rolls canarly,rolls down one hill and canarly get up the other one😂😂😂 😂😂😂😂😂😂
thank you in Europe we use them all the time and we call it a parking brake or a hand brake
And emergency brake.
The way you did the adjustment is absolutely the correct way. It gives you an opportunity to inspect the shoes and other internal parts.
i would hope so, hes a mechanic
Adjust the adjuster at the shoe first, then only do the cable adjustment if the cable is stretched.
Here in Saltlandia, that exposed one-to-two split and adjuster is usually a domain of the Rust God.
So nobody I know even TRIES to adjust things from there.
I was brought up with it being called a Handbrake, British cars used a handle between the seats to apply it, Very useful for turning a car in a hurry on a dirt road! 😁
Amazing, you actually used brake cleaner to clean brakes! Don't believe I have ever seen it used for that.
YAY!!! Brake Clean effects!!! Was missing those Ray! Cheers!!
The reason they mount the ajuster on the bottom and the top is so when you are attempting to adjust the pads from the back, you always will turn the adjuster one-way!
Kinda. If you look at the old cars with drum brakes the self adjusters were mounted in the same position...right or left side...usually at the bottom. That meant that the self adjuster screws had to be right hand thread or left hand tread depending on which side of the car they were used. The old self adjusters were stamped 'R' or 'L' for that reason. That meant the the car companies had to inventory two brake self adjusters and they also had to make sure the guys on the assembly line were mindful of which side they were working on. Flipping the self adjuster position allows the car companies to use the same self adjuster for both sides (probably a right hand thread), thereby saving a nickle and increasing share holder equity.
I agree with you 100% that it is a PARKING brake, not an emergency brake! However... I ALWAYS use my parking brake when I park my vehicle, NOT just when I park on a hill.
Recent subscriber from Portugal, awesome content, awesome atitude, excelent professionalism. Keep it up !
Missed you Ray! Don’t leave again! 😊
Emergency brakes go back to the days when the master cylinder wasn't separated by front and back, if the seal went out or the MC ran dry I assure you that cable brake was an emergency brake, most the people I know had an occurrence or 3 to use them.
Yes and i 1974 in drivers education we learned how to and were given the occasion to use the Emergency brake , but with the evolution of lighter Cheeper manufactured brake parts that braking system has lost any ability to stop or even slow down a car
Using the E-Brake to stop a school bus was an actual part of the license road test. School bus brakes, at least back in the 70s, clamped down on the drive shaft. We lost a lot of center bearings that way! I used the E-Brake twice to stop a car. One time the master cylinder locked up and nothing could be done to push the pedal down. The other time was an old VW that lost brakes descending a rather steep hill. One of my coworkers back in the day drove a customer's car through the garage door pulling a brakeless Dodge in for a brake job. He could have E-braked it and saved the boss a lot of money.
You are a good man Ray. That's why your customers love you.
YIKES!! Can’t believe your comment about the brush/train smell really took me back more years than I care to admit.
I've got to adjust my parking brakes too.
Always reminding me.
I've been avoiding so many little things, time to make a list!
🎉H.O. Scale trains! Good shop decor idea!🎉🎉. Just running around the perimeter walls mounted up high on the wall.
I love the burning brush smell, brings back fond childhood memories
My rule has always been. Always engage the parking brake. Even on level looking ground. Even a slight grade can still have your vehicle roll into the parking lock in the tranny. And with really big vehicles, than could eventually cause unexpected premature failure.
They have the adjuster at the top one side and at the bottom on the other, because its the same brake assembly both sides. They turn it over to keep the brake caliper pointing forward both sides. Helps keep the number of handed parts down, that whole brake assembly can used on either side.
We've been in the position to have to use the parking brake when the main brakes failed. However, I agree with you that by far the most common use for that brake is for parking.
Just had this pop up. Good timing.
That's always a good thing when you don't have to throw parts at job great work Ray you man
Always set the parking brake. If you get nudged while parked, the nudge can damage or destroy the parking pawl.
Always use mine as a parking brake. I try to take the pressure off the transmission when I park. Makes me feel better.😊
Hope you all had a good vacation. Thanks for videos it has taught me a few things
Welcome back
11:50. In the old days I could just pull a little rubber grommet off of the backing plate and adjust it using the backing plate as a fulcrum point. I made sure to put the grommet back when I was done because you don’t want dirt up in there.
Those grommets used to cost 25 cents if you need one.
They are 4 to 5 dollars now, at least for my vehicle.
In my 2007 Ford Fusion, the Parking brake is still cable driven, but the cable runs to the caliper and actuates the piston in the caliper to use the brake pads and rotor to apply the parking brake force. Suppose if my master fails or whatever, that'd actually work as an emergency brake.
in 2022 I had a pad slip free of the caliper, damage the piston, rotate around with the rotor, and end up back in the caliper with the rotor spinning free. I used my ratcheting cable-operated eBrake to get to my shop since it uses the rear drums only without pressurizing the brake lines.
The parking brake definitely worked as an emergency brake for me, though I would’ve much preferred a hand brake for that.
Yes! It's a parking brake! Like the under the car camera angles while in motion.
On your test drive you proved what this 80 year oldd mechanic said. It actually is called an emergency brake. On EVERY state that has a Safty inspection program It is called EMERGENCY brake on those inspections too. Florida Had a Safty inspection program in the LATE 60s. I was an Inspector in Alachua county back then and moved to North carolina in 1970 and went to work here as a Fleet Mechanic for Ward Baking company which later became flowers baking company and I was A safty and emissions inspector for them until I retred
RAY RAY having withdrawal from your videos so hi to Dave as well, hope you had some time for yourself
Hope Ray's family is doing good with the flooding in his area. Also great video .
Ray Chevy has a nice setup with rotor drum. Brake/park brake. The park brake shoes looked like there was plenty of wear left on them. Have a good day Ray
Welcome back Ray hope you and the family had a great vacation.
Hope you enjoyed your vacation!! Glad to see you back.
rainman rays repairs video withdrawals fixed. have a great day
Thanks ray, i forgot about those parking brake adjustors
Thank you for correcting them. I have been saying that forever and everyone thinks I am crazy! It is a parking brake, not an emergency brake!
Yet in this case it can indeed serve as an emergency brake.
Time to clean the shop. :) Thank you for sharing and welcome back.
Glad you are back.
Nicely done Ray !
It was an E-brake when one of my brake calipers fell off! I pulled onto the shoulder at speed, slowed with down shifting, then used the “parking” brake to stop.
I noticed that your customer has a BANKS unit, they must be viewers, I love my BANKS. 🙂 Good work Ray.
You should apply the brakes with the rotor on to center the friction material in between adjustment.
your channel is great, I'm in nz and your views are a welcome positive outlook compared to much of the ranting I am seeing on other channels
In Tennessee we use the Parking Brake because of the hills we have.
You should use the p brake every time you park. Stop vehicle, put in neutral, apply brake, then put in park or in gear with a manual trans. If your vehicle gets hit by some head of knuckle while it's parked, the prawl pin ( hope I'm spelling it right) can break off also. Plus the vehicle won't go rolling down the road to end up hitting something else
As a kid my brakes failed ( back when single line existed)
Used my gears to slow car and parking brake to stop
It worked in the 1960s
I drove a 54 Chevy truck 170 miles with just the gears and parking brake from a guy I bought it from. Fun times.
in the 60's they were Emergency brakes. DOT mandated a mechanical back up for the brakes on at least one axle. And they called them EMERGENCY BRAKES in the books and laws.
@jw-hy5nq , then political correctness became a thing. E- brake or Emergency Brake was the correct vernacular for us older folks.
I drove around with no brakes in my 5-speed Sentra for about 3 months until I could afford new calipers and everything.
I didn't drive very far from home though.
You can get pretty good at it when you have to.
My brakes went out on my old 54 Ford going down the hill on my street before turning into my parents driveway. Engine compression slowed me down but the e-brake brought me to a stop about a foot into the garage door. Oopsie daisy. My dad was not happy. My mom was freaking out the whole time. Found out the brake light switch was mounted on the master cylinder and puked its guts losing all my fluid. Dumb design.
Good afternoon Ray. You came back to flooding Florida. Hopefully you just gotten wet and had no damage.
Great explanation of the parking brakes...thanks
The rocks! That bit intentional or not was hilarious!
I've used my "parking" brake for non parking situations. One-time I used it to snow drift the rear end around a car avoiding an accident.
But most of the time it was icy parking lot spinny fun time.
Here in Australia we call them "handbrakes" as they're usually but not always a hand lever between the front seats. On some vehicles mostly utes (pickups) they are T handle levers in the dash by the drivers leg.
To my knowledge these brakes are primarily designed for parking but can be used in an emergency situation - hence the colloquial name.
Personally I've only ever had to use them as that once - 15ish years ago I had a hatchback that stuck it's throttle plate wide open going down the highway, to stop it redlining I had to kill the engine while moving so no vacuum to the brakes.
Between standing on the brake pedal and short on/off use of the handbrake I was able to pull over safely.
You know what I miss? 1987 Taurus automatic. While in drive the parking/Emergency Brake pedal would not latch ON, twas like having a console mounted handle.
So I actually had the exact situation happen in my 84 regal. The front line blew then the rear line so I tried "parking brake" and it didn't work. So I got it sideways around a corner and slammed it In park. And Dave is right model trains!
We brits mainly call it a hand brake, as until recently it was applied by hand using a lever between the front seats. In a manual car UK drivers are taught to use it when pulling away uphill.
That technique is supposed to be used here in the United States too, but I could never master it and learned to move my feet quickly and just right to come off the brake,engage the clutch and start revving the engine almost simultaneously
@@Pointlesschan The last car I had with a manual, I learned to do it with the foot parking brake in a Ford Ranger, not easy to do, as you have to have your hand on the release lever, and do the foot dance from clutch to accelerator and release the parking brake, hopefully with little to no roll back on a hill. I miss the dash mounted hand brake in trucks.
It is much easier if you have a handbrake IMO.
@@johnhpalmer6098 I couldn’t do it with a handbrake even.. not coordinated enough
@@johnhpalmer6098 I have driven a manual Mercedes with a foot operated parking brake with a hand release, it felt a bit like trying to rub your stomach whilst tapping the top of your head 😃
Swing the wheel round, dip the clutch and yank the hand brake. Wheeeeeeeeee. Cops weren’t too pleased with me doing that in the supermarket car parks at night. 😊😊
BTW-you should visit Eagle River during the Snowmobile Grand Prix!
Damn, he was that far up? Coulda had him look at my Exploder! 😂
Many years ago when I was a young PC twice a year I would get sent out with a local DOT officer to do road side safety inspections. Automatic check was what then was called a duel braking system, E brake and hydraulic brakes. Three equipment violations equalled Automatic tow for operating an unsafe motor vehicle plus the fine that went with it.
There use to be a hole in the backing plates so you could adjust with a brake spoon with tires still on, the tpms light is probably due to tires being off and will go away in a driving cycle or two.
Glad to see you back, hope the vacation was good.
Usually when I see that the rear rotors with drum type parking brake come off that easily, adjustment is needed. Also the star adjuster was pretty much in from what I saw.
My brakes did that to me. I used the automatic adjustment feature on my car by going in reverse and then braking fairly hard. Did that a couple of times and when I pulled my parking brake lever I could it engaging much earlier.
Great to see you back and well....to bad that heavy storm co-incided with your vacation. I missed your episodes
I usually put two nuts back on before the caliper and that will hold the disk in place and hopefully center the shoes when you press on the park brake. That way if you need to readjust the shoes again then you only have two nuts to remove the rotor/drum.
Those are some clean looking brakes.
There is no lock in the manual gearbox.
With front-wheel drive car, im used to first letting the car stop on the engine and then applying the handbrake, the front wheels also have small braking effect.
Here in Finland in the winter it is good to have all the wheels braked, which reduces the possibility of the car start sliding downhill on icy roads.
If you look at the old cars with drum brakes the self adjusters were mounted in the same position...right or left side...usually at the bottom. That meant that the self adjuster screws had to be right hand thread or left hand tread depending on which side of the car they were used. The old self adjusters were stamped 'R' or 'L' for that reason. That meant the the car companies had to inventory two brake self adjusters and they also had to make sure the guys on the assembly line were mindful of which side they were working on. Flipping the self adjuster position allows the car companies to use the same self adjuster for both sides (probably a right hand thread), thereby saving a nickle and increasing share holder equity.
Ray, you have missed something very important.
On the brake disc (rotor for you American types) there are two inspection holes. This holes match up with the two holes in the hub.
Using a torch and a long screwdriver, you can adjust the shoes until they bind to the drum. Then back them off a couple of clicks.
You now have balanced breaking without relying on the adjuster to compensate.
Being old does occasionally come in handy.
Grew up in PA, taught not to set the parking brake especially in the Winter, it might freeze up or get stuck by rust. Been in flat Florida for 35 yrs, still don't use it unless on a grade.
I am glad to see you back and safe.
Welcome back. Many moons ago 1950s and earlier they were emergency brakes. They had their own shoes hardware because hydraulic brakes weren't trusted. Now they are parking brakes
Yep, and I thought the change was due to going to dual chamber brakes in 1967 where today, the likelihood of total brake failure is not as great as it was before when you either had them, or you didn't, so the e brake was used in an emergency.
Depends on the vehicle. My 2014 Jeep has rear drums and the hand brake mechanically operates the rear shoes the same as my 1968 GMC, 1970 Cadillac, and 1971 VW.
Some rear disc setups use a mechanical actuator on the rear calipers.
In both setups you have normal rear brake application mechanically if the hydraulic system fails.
It's the small drums with rear discs that don't seem as effective, but it's still better than nothing if you loose the hydraulic systems.
The electrically operated calipers are the ones that I really don't see as usable in an emergency. But I've never tested them like I have my old vehicles with rear drums.
Only in America. The rest of the world has always called them parking or hand brakes, normally always used because we aren't brain dead enough with auto transmissions not to be able to use a vehicles equipment in the manner intended. Ray was completely correct, they aren't emergency brakes.
@@johnhpalmer6098 dual circuit systems reduce the chance of total failure, but doesn't eliminate it. Hydraulic lines can still rot/rust.
The mechanical application of the rear brakes (drum or disc) would still work in such a situation.
@@TEDodd Oh I agree. Dual circuits just reduces the chances of total brake failure.
A day without Ray, is just a day.
Parking brakes are effective for "Parking". But it can also be a good learning tool - here in wintery weather, creating a skid condition is excellent practice for drivers not to freak out when it happens spontaneously.