Renewing parking brake shoes/1996 4.0

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Jun 16, 2013 | 03:48 PM

#21

RagJag

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Joined: May 2012

Posts: 798

Likes: 100

From: Richmond, VA

Yeah, Gregh. than's what I did with the top/handbrake/park thing. I unplugged the top module and now I can raise and lower the top as I wish. It is amazing the number of things that have been added to autos these last 30 years that complicate their operation and break quite often. All to keep stupid folks from getting in trouble, I suppose.
Cheers, RagJag

May 23, 2014 | 09:20 PM

#22

vjsimone

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Joined: Jan 2013

Posts: 26

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From: Buckroe Beach

1989, XJS, Convertable, Parking Brake (shoes)

Good reading.
Planning to replace my parking brake shoes next month. Parking brake left slightly on during 200 mi run (so that's what that red light meant). Will contact you lads if I run into trouble.

May 23, 2014 | 10:47 PM

#23

Eaa

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Joined: Aug 2012

Posts: 245

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From: Milwaukee WI USA

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllanG

Slightly off topic but I have always been curious by the different approaches to handbrake use between the UK and US. Even though I have lived in the US now for almost 30 years it still drives me potty when someone parks a car with manual transmission by putting it in first gear and never applying the handbrake

Now when I drop my car off for service or hand over to the parking valet I always tell them it's in neutral, and the handbrake on and show them how to release it otherwise for certain they will drive off with the handbrake on!!

Even worse, when I get back in the car, I always have to remember to depress the clutch before starting the engine or else experience a nasty jolt forward!

In England we always park the car in neutral with handbrake on, it's drilled into us and incorrect use during a driving test would be an automatic fail.

Does anyone know why the approach is different over here? Is it just to-may-to, to-mah-to or is there a specific safety reason?

Thanks,

Allan

I grew up in Minnesota in the 1970's, and remember quite a few people saying they didn't use the parking brake in winter because it "might freeze on". I never really bought that, but due to the large quantities of salt used for snow removal there the brake cables got rusty pretty fast - memory is hazy but I don't think I bought a used car with a working parking brake until I was around 40 yrs old. Modern cars are probably better though.

May 24, 2014 | 10:51 AM

#24

vjsimone

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Joined: Jan 2013

Posts: 26

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From: Buckroe Beach

Thy do freeze up in the winter.

I lived in Alexandria VA for 3 years and my local state inspection guy would first, apply the parking brake, and then attempt to accelerate on his way to the inspection bay, I always failed. Until this, I never used or worked on a parking brake in 40 years. I exercise them all the time now, but still don't use them.

A few months ago, I lost my brakes on my jeep stored in Newfoundland, had to use the hand brake to stop on a 1 1/2 hour run to my cousins garage where I could do the repair out of the snow. A lot of downshifting was going on as well.