Thread: Use of handbrake on downhill

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

yep, see UTEmads post...

no such thing as too much engine braking on the black stuff, on the slippery stuff however....

Thanks,he was posting up as iwas typing up.
Cheers Dean.

Good discussion - no real hard and fast rules either way it seems.

Someone I go out with quite often has a GQ patrol. They have a similar set up to the Disco I am told ( brake on the driveshaft. ) He says he uses the handbrake to slow the vehicle.

Theres been talk about the Discos having good low range, but I find on the tracks we go on here in Victoria that the Disco can run away downhill, even in low first. I don't think these slopes are all that steep maybe 45 degrees from horizontal maximum. I suspect the gearing is Ok, but TDi has less engine braking effect than the Jap diesels.

Originally Posted by waynep

Theres been talk about the Discos having good low range, but I find on the tracks we go on here in Victoria that the Disco can run away downhill, even in low first. I don't think these slopes are all that steep maybe 45 degrees from horizontal maximum. I suspect the gearing is Ok, but TDi has less engine braking effect than the Jap diesels.

There have been a few hills that I have had to use the foot brake as well as low low. However I still think the Disco has excellent low range. When I consider I have to use the foot brake sometimes and not all the time .

I don't find it unusual to have to use brakes on decents in 1st low.

Originally Posted by waynep

Theres been talk about the Discos having good low range, but I find on the tracks we go on here in Victoria that the Disco can run away downhill, even in low first. I don't think these slopes are all that steep maybe 45 degrees from horizontal maximum. I suspect the gearing is Ok, but TDi has less engine braking effect than the Jap diesels.

Believe it or not, 45 degrees is actually very steep and near the vehicles limits. Most hills which people would consider very steep would be lucky to be 40 degrees at most. Its funny though, if you draw a 45" angle on a bit of paper you wouldn't think that it would be steep at all.

The main advantage to having the hand brake where it is(by design), is so you can use it to "control descend" the vehicle as described by one of your friends. That was one of the good points of the rangie (thirty years ago). And why the front brakes had a back up brake fluid suppply line(for emergency). The handbrake was not an ideal emergency brake in its position.
Pulse braking is another real good method(TC is just a fancy way of doing it). But pulse braking is used at a slightly higher target speed than control descent with the handbrake. So there is no competition between the two methods,, they are both valid, tried and trued methods, used for slightly differant situations.

The handbrake applied smoothly will do less damage to the drive train than most of us would do with normal, foot on the loud pedal, off road adventures.

Our handbrake in an emergency ? have a go,, on ya average set up rangie/disco handrake,, its an adventure in its self. if you can actually manage to lock the wheel you are in a four wheel sled(all or nothing). But normally the shuddering wingeing handbrake will just disappoint.(at normal drive speeds

I really only consider it a park brake, and I dont even use it for that, Mine is an auto.

to give you some idea of what i was pushing thru, these are from oziexplorer track log of trip, the brakes went at about 1/8 way down the slope... made for a fun ride.....





see my gallery for the bigger pics where you can read the scaling....

http://www.aulro.com/app/showgallery.php?cat=508

so far landrovers work on 60% approach/depart and 40% side I think it even holds for a Freelander.

0 degrees=0%=flat ground
90 degrees=100%=a wall

1%=.9 degrees
1 degree=1.11111 percent

so a rover can do near enough to 55 degrees up and down and 36 degrees side slope.

Limiting factors for front/rear slopes being the lubrication factors and fuel pick up (with less than 1/4 in the small tank on a series you starve out at about 40 degrees) and side to side being the lateral traction and vehicle stability.

Most people hit the pucker factor long before they come anywhere near the limits of a rover.