Thread: EPB. Why?

Originally Posted by PhilipA

<snip> AH, but the old drum brake on the driveshaft locks all four wheels when the diff is locked, and can be used on steep downhills if you feel the discs are getting hot. And they NEVER give problems.

Regards Philip A

Please correct me if i'm missing something.

A D3 or D4 if it had a drive shaft brake is likely only brake or lock one wheel on the front and one on the rear, but as the D3 and D4 center diff rarely locks up solid, so a drum handbrake may only work/brake on one rear wheel

First low range still works for down hill and HDC rarely over heats when in 1st low.

Originally Posted by Tony V

Please correct me if i'm missing something.

A D3 or D4 if it had a drive shaft brake is likely only brake or lock one wheel on the front and one on the rear, but as the D3 and D4 center diff rarely locks up solid, so a drum handbrake may only work/brake on one rear wheel

First low range still works for down hill and HDC rarely over heats when in 1st low.

Spot on Tony. The EPB works just fine if serviced annually. Unfortunately the reality is that dealers just don’t maintain it despite what the automated printout states they did. It also doesn’t take more than five minutes a side to do while you’re doing other wheel off activities. This isn’t any different to a hand brake which recommended an annual adjustment for wear and cable stretch.

Originally Posted by Tony V

A D3 or D4 if it had a drive shaft brake is likely only brake or lock one wheel on the front and one on the rear, but as the D3 and D4 center diff rarely locks up solid, so a drum handbrake may only work/brake on one rear wheel

The driveshaft park brake referred to is actually on the rear tail-shaft at the back of the gearbox.

As someone else said


"To me it is useless innovation for innovation's sake and judging by the many many posts about problems is just about the most troublesome "feature" of a D3."

And D4

Exactly.

Even regularly serviced correctly it can still be troublesome,and very expensive to fix.
And it isn't a fan of dust,dirt,and mud.

When the switch on mine decided to misbehave,i was left with no handbrake at all,nothing.Not good.

Given all the issues and problems I read about this EPB, I just dont use it. When I stop my car I just switch off and let the gearbox lock the car wheels. Around town I cannot see any need for it. Out in the bush I tend to try and stop on the flat.

Originally Posted by dirvine

Given all the issues and problems I read about this EPB, I just dont use it. When I stop my car I just switch off and let the gearbox lock the car wheels. Around town I cannot see any need for it. Out in the bush I tend to try and stop on the flat.

The pawl in the gearbox is apparently not supposed be used on hills. Its not designed to support the weight of the car on steep inclines and can snap/bend.

Yes it can be an expensive surprise if the EPB jams and you don't know about it. But if you are aware of it it's really not that hard to manage - adjust it every service.

Originally Posted by Disco-tastic

The pawl in the gearbox is apparently not supposed be used on hills. Its not designed to support the weight of the car on steep inclines and can snap/bend.

Yes it can be an expensive surprise if the EPB jams and you don't know about it. But if you are aware of it it's really not that hard to manage - adjust it every service.

Well, this is something else that frustrates me about the EPB. In my old D2, I could reef up the hand brake enough to hold the car on our sloped driveway, without the gearbox taking any strain. With the EPB, I can't reef it up, and it always ends up rolling back enough that the pawl is taking some of the weight.

I suppose I could stop in neutral, put on the EPB, foot off brake so the EPB takes the weight of the car and then put it in Park.

Originally Posted by Pinelli

I suppose I could stop in neutral, put on the EPB, foot off brake so the EPB takes the weight of the car and then put it in Park.

This is the process recommended by instructors at our Land Rover Experience day, and how we always park ours. It's not hard once you get in the habit.