Parking brake

The Era of The Square Body Racing Comets
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mercuryman
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Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:08 pm
Location: Kalamazoo,Michigan

Parking brake

Post by mercuryman »

Thinking of just removing my parking brake lines on my 65 automatic. Good or bad idea? Don’t use them anyway. Doing a undercarriage strip down and paint job.

lavron
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Re: Parking brake

Post by lavron »

From someone who has lost his hydraulic brakes twice and only had the emergency brake to stop with I think it is a bad idea to remove them.

I believe some places you can't pass a safety inspection without a functioning e-brake.

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Jims65cyclone
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Re: Parking brake

Post by Jims65cyclone »

I'm no AT mechanic, but I was always told that an AT "has a pin that inserts into a hole" and locks the output shaft from turning when it's put into park. If you just put the car in park without applying the PARKING brake (not an emergency brake), the car can roll forward or backwards a few inches before the pin engages when you take your foot off the brake. It may even rock back and forth a time or two depending on the grade. This puts stress on the pin and can cause it shear after repeated cycles. If you shear the pin and have no parking brake, you can't keep the car from rolling off unless you park on perfectly flat grades, sit in the car with your foot on the brake, or carry a brick with you to chock the wheels. I'd keep the parking brakes.

Jim
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popscomet
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Re: Parking brake

Post by popscomet »

in 1977,ford had a problem with the c4 at not going into park and lockin all the way...a few yrs ago my 77 bronco with a C4 AT slipped out of park I did not apply the hand brk,it rolled back a couple of trk lengths and hit a brand new F250 in the side,,it was a slow roll so not much damage was done,,dent in the door,,,insurance took care of it,,,but if that f250 hadn't been there it would have hit a gas pump....have had it happen a few more times since then poppin out of park,,,so now I always listen for park to engage ,it'll make a snapping sound,,,then it will stay put til the cows come home,,,,ford fixed the problem by 78,,,but I read where that same thing had happened and caused severe personal injury resulting in law suits...so doing away with hand brk is not KOSHER ~~!! bottom line this die hard ford fan does not trust shoveing it up in park....good luck pop
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popscomet
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Re: Parking brake

Post by popscomet »

Jims65cyclone wrote:I'm no AT mechanic, but I was always told that an AT "has a pin that inserts into a hole" and locks the output shaft from turning when it's put into park. If you just put the car in park without applying the PARKING brake (not an emergency brake), the car can roll forward or backwards a few inches before the pin engages when you take your foot off the brake. It may even rock back and forth a time or two depending on the grade. This puts stress on the pin and can cause it shear after repeated cycles. If you shear the pin and have no parking brake, you can't keep the car from rolling off unless you park on perfectly flat grades, sit in the car with your foot on the brake, or carry a brick with you to chock the wheels. I'd keep the parking brakes.

Jim
type in c4 parking pawl operation,,,it will show you how park works,,,,pop
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thrnelson
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Re: Parking brake

Post by thrnelson »

I lost a U-joint once and was parked on a hill. I put the car in park and started to get out and the car started moving. OOPS lesson learned. Parking brake is important.
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mercuryman
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Re: Parking brake

Post by mercuryman »

Great advice guys. The parking brake stays.

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Groover
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Re: Parking brake

Post by Groover »

popscomet wrote: type in c4 parking pawl operation,,,it will show you how park works,,,,pop
The pawl (or the case) can and will break under certain circumstances (which I don't know) but I had one that did.
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Lip Ripper
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Re: Parking brake

Post by Lip Ripper »

Keep it, use it. It also keeps brakes adjusted. I use it on all my stuff; new and old. Why not?
66 Cyclone GT; 245/60R15's on 15x8's and 215/70R15's on 15x7 Magnum's.
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Tims1965MercuryComet
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Re: Parking brake

Post by Tims1965MercuryComet »

I always use my parking brake. I pull on the parking brake with transmission still in gear, then shift into park. That keeps it from rolling against the pawl. About three years ago I went to Walmart. there was two young men trying to help a young woman who had a flat tire. They had jacked up her car, and it rolled off the cheap scissors jack they used and bent it. I had a heavy duty scissors jack in my car, they could use. I asked her if she had set parking brake, no was her answer. Those two boys had to lift up her car so I could slide the jack under it. Keep the parking brake
Tim
1965 Caliente 4 door
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poboyjo65
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Re: Parking brake

Post by poboyjo65 »

Tims1965MercuryComet wrote:I always use my parking brake. I pull on the parking brake with transmission still in gear, then shift into park. That keeps it from rolling against the pawl.
on one of my trucks thats prone to pop out of park I do just the opposite,I let it roll out the slack so the pawl can get locked. then apply the brake. my thinking is I dont want it to get a rolling start at the pawl.
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SASSY
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Re: Parking brake

Post by SASSY »

Seems to me that ol Roy would have said something about those cars missing a pedal,,, :D
I'd rather do it myself if it's done right or not,,,isn't that what hotrodding is all about

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