Thread: What is the benefit of a transmission handbrake?

Originally Posted by garrycol

This begs the question of why handbrakes went on the rear wheels. Mt subaru had the handbrake operating the main disk brakes on the front wheels. A very simple setup and the handbrake being on the front worked a lot better than those on the rear.

Seemed to work as good as a transmission brake when parked downhill.

Garry

Probably because mechanically applying drum brakes is quite easy compared to mechanically applying disc brakes. It is only relatively recently that most cars went to disc rear brakes and many of those still retain a drum in disc arrangement for the hand brake.

Originally Posted by garrycol

This begs the question of why handbrakes went on the rear wheels. Mt subaru had the handbrake operating the main disk brakes on the front wheels. A very simple setup and the handbrake being on the front worked a lot better than those on the rear.

Seemed to work as good as a transmission brake when parked downhill.

Garry

The problem with putting a handbrake on the front brakes is the old one of getting a mechanical linkage that accommodates the steering. Of course, the solution to this is to fit inboard brakes, and in this case the linkage becomes very easy, as in my Citroen.

But few cars have inboard front brakes, so almost all cars have the handbrake operating on the rear wheels, or, as discussed in this thread, on the transmission.

John

also

a transmission break gives you a chance to make a coffee and goto the toilet without missing any of the show.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

The problem with putting a handbrake on the front brakes is the old one of getting a mechanical linkage that accommodates the steering. Of course, the solution to this is to fit inboard brakes, and in this case the linkage becomes very easy, as in my Citroen.

But few cars have inboard front brakes, so almost all cars have the handbrake operating on the rear wheels, or, as discussed in this thread, on the transmission.

John

That might be so but the subaru does not have inboard brakes and just has a heavy duty flexible cable that operates a lever directly on the main calipers - is simple, no extra equipment, easy to service and works very well.

Originally Posted by garrycol

That might be so but the subaru does not have inboard brakes and just has a heavy duty flexible cable that operates a lever directly on the main calipers - is simple, no extra equipment, easy to service and works very well.

And even Subaru don't do it anymore. They use drum in rear disc like most other manufacturers. My Brumby (a long time ago) siezed one of the hand brake cables. I never fixed it, the handbrake just worked on one wheel instead of two.

Originally Posted by garrycol

That might be so but the subaru does not have inboard brakes and just has a heavy duty flexible cable that operates a lever directly on the main calipers - is simple, no extra equipment, easy to service and works very well.

While these flexible cables have improved noticeably over the last fifty years, they are still a potent source of trouble, particularly where they go to wheel brakes and are exposed to water, mud, sticks and stones. See for example bigJon's post.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

And the mechanical mechanism on the wheel brakes gets immersed even in shallow wading, and probably sprayed with water and road dirt every time it rains, where the mechanism for the transmission brake is mostly out of the weather.

John

And Land Rovers never leak out of the transfer case into the handbrake drum, do they?

I also had an axle break on my 2A years ago on a steep hill with the free wheeling hubs unlocked and went sailing backward, luckily, no one was behind. I had to wedge it against a gutter before I got out and locked the FWHs and drove home on the front wheel drive.

I also dislike how in the D2 the parking brake loads up the auto in park, so I put the brake on, select neutral, release the foot brake, wait for it to roll the two or so inches, then put into park. Otherwise it makes a massive clunk as you pull it out of park.

Jeff

My first offroader, a 29 Model A had two drums at each rear wheel. One for main brake, one for handbrake operated by rods. Advantage was I put in two handbrake levers , one for each side. Served well when crossaxled.
Didiman