Minimum use of parking brake to keep it working

You should use the parking brake every time you park. This is one of the questions on the driving test here and is a law.

Exactly. Every time... this is not rocket science.

I have a 3/4 ton Chevy with even a more sophisticated system. It has rear disc brakes with a integral drum assembly with small drum type shoes for a parking brake. They have already broken once at the cable ends. For the new set, I spray Krown rust inhibitor , (I suppose Fluid Film would work just as well) on the cable ends outside where the pivot assembly is, every fall and spring . My rule is to apply them if I stop on any surface with a grade. :)

This type of system is very common. All my old Mercedes use exactly this setup, so it was in use at least back to the late 70s. My 1998 Chevy had this setup too...

for whatever reason, the Mercedes design always works. My Chevy setup is pretty weak, even though I use it every time. The return spring is much weaker than Mercedes’ as well. But even my Dodge Ram, whichnjust has giant rear drums, doesn’t have thst great of a pb.
 
I life on a hill, so I use mine every day. Still works great!

Grew up with an 84 Caravan (5 speed!) that would work for maybe one winter after hardware replacement. Just junk.
 
Those levers through the backing plates rusted nearly solid on my 2017 ram 1500 in roughly 2yrs/40k miles and i exercised the parking brake once or twice a month.

Some designs and climates are more prone than others. I was able to free mine up myself (have a thread or 2 on it here). I keep the contact points gooped with antiseize now.
When I appraise Rams for trade in, I look at the parking brake pedal.
Most have never been touched from when the factory shipped the truck.
2018s and older will have a seized/rusted PB.
$1300 in parts and labor to get it operating again and pass a safety inspection.
There are better designs out there ....
 
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You will never wear out a parking brake when used for parking, the trick is not to drive with it on. Not using it is asking for it to lock up the next time you set it. Your lever has more than enough power to set it but the spring return may not have enough to release it. Use it every time to keep the rust from building up just dont stand on the pedal or pull yourself down in the seat with the lever.
 
That’s backwards if I recall. Hopefully someone will chime in here. It’s been a long time since my drivers test and that particular part isn’t something we see much here. Roads are barely enough for two vehicles let alone parking on the sides.

The funny thing is, if you think about it, the wheel can be turned either way, car up or down.. and tires still be hitting the curb.

This always confused me, so an example I just thought of is.. if the nose of the car is facing downhill, and somehow one way the other the third or the fourth it was to be put in neutral so that I would be rolling and gravity pulling it down hill, then with the wheels turned into the curb it wouldn't go anywhere. That is maybe the most sense I can make of which direction the wheels go.

if the car was facing uphill in the wheels turn the other way than that would stop it from rolling too so maybe that's the answer.

Though you really should put your manual transmission in first gear when you park so it's not in neutral. I always was taught, for as much as your family members teaching you how to drive stick on your first car, that a parking brake is more for a manual car than for an automatic but hey the parking brake topic came up so here it is 🤷
 
+1 here! I imagine it's an automatic transmission thing. Those of us that were brought up using a stick use the E-brake out of habit. One reason not to use the E-brake is in extreme cold. It can freeze and be a real PITA to get to release.

Volkswagen Fox, when it gets cold outside, the horn freezes to the honking position and it won't go off until a good while until the whole car warms up.

Not sure the e-brake/parking brake (are they two different things? What country are you in, ollie) should ever freeze .

Has anyone else ever had a parking brake freeze and not work as intended due to the cold alone ? ? ...
 
I never use the parking brake with auto tranny. Neither does my wife. Never had an issue with it seizing. I only use it when jacking up the car. Didn't know this was a thing. I live in the flatlands of NJ.
 
I have never heard of a parking brake not working due to cold alone. Even with snow I can't see how it would somehow not work. Has anyone else had an experience like that?
 
I use mine each time I leave van running (dogs, or wife stays in AC) while I go into store. I remember Ford having a problem with car jumping out of park
 
I think it's an auto transmission thing. While I learned on a stick and had a few stick vehicles I have had only auto transmissions for a few decades. Putting it in PARK solidly locks the transmission up and prevents rolling.

But I realize if I want to keep the parking brake in working order I need to use it once and awhile.
 
I generally don't use them on autos. Will use on manuals.

My first auto I found out it wouldn't hold on any incline; searching on the web indicated that this was very common (2nd gen Tundra). These days it's still free but it won't disengage--maybe there is rust in the line but the release spring gave out and I keep forgetting to order a new one (or jerry rig something). My second auto has a much better parking brake, but the button to release is bad and often it will not stay engaged. Good for e-brake turns though.
 
And always chalk your tires!!
I think you mean "chock" not chalk. :giggle: Did a double take when I first read your response, wasn't sure what checking for tire wear here had to do with the parking brake... :) 'tis ok, we've all mistyped something.
 
I may have used mine (electronic) once to see how it worked in the 7 years of ownership. Perhaps I will check it out the next time I'm in the car.
 
2/3 in the fleet are manual, the parking brake doesn't work on the VW currently (cable keeps falling out of the assembly under the console), so I always leave it in 1st and if on a hill, park with the wheels touching the curb. The 95 Nissan parking brake seems indestructable. It went long periods of sitting outside with the brake applied, everything still works great and looks new when I pull the rotor off. Why can't they make more assemblies like that. The Xterra one doesn't work but the cables are loose. I've tried to fix it a couple times but it only works again for 1 or 2 tries...

I will use it every time on a manual if I can. On an auto I only will use it if the incline is steep.
 
I am feeling convicted. I never use my parking brake unless I am on a monster hill.
 
Everytime I park...all my car but one are manual, and habit is there. Never had parking brake problems, just replaced cables on the Barchetta after 20ish years.
 
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