Taco parking brake.....

If you went through the whole system and replaced anything that looked suspect first then it wouldn't be an unknown system anymore.

 

yup thats the point

 

I like my stuff to work correctly so I try to keep up on the maintenance.

 

I have an AT and I use mine every single time I park no matter what. It’s just a habit I guess.

 

Sorry, I don't understand this logic; when parking brakes fail, they fail to stop, they don't fail in such a way as to make the vehicle "stuck".

 

I've had it happen, cables kink or return springs brake, its no fun and not worth the risk.

 

Unfortunately they do.
You have quite a bit of mechanical advantage through the linkage when you apply the brake and can power through rust and sticky parts.

The release depends on some fairly light springs that can't overcome the rust, etc.

When I get a old used (usually cheap) vehicle the brake isn't applied until I have it in the garage and have pulled the drums, lubed the linkage, etc.

If it is going to give me problems I can correct them there rather than out on the road somewhere.

 

Hard to keep up on maintenance when the car already has 150k when you first drive it. your totally t the mercy of whoever had it last.

 

Agree.
You have to pick them carefully and spend some time and money getting everything up to spec.

I have had a lifetime of clunkers and wheezers, cheap old vehicles I could fix a bit and would serve the purpose.

I have taken care of them and they have given me good service.

 

Yup, but most of time, when I was poor, fixing up the parking brake wasn't worth my limited free time or the expense. When I got a better job those old junkers went away and I'm glad they did. On my new truck I use the parking brake every time I park so it stays in good condition.

 

The Tacoma is the only vehicle I ever went shopping for and the only one I ever made payments on.

I could never accept paying big money for a nice vehicle to sit in the parking lot at work all day when an oldie could sit there for a lot less.

 

You are supposed to release the main brakes before putting it in park. Drums have a self actuation aspect, the vehicle will often move enough to engage the pawl before the drums have enough hold.

 

Same here. Always have, no matter what tranny or whether Im on slope or flat ground. Its the way I was taught and old habits die hard I guess.

 

I was replying specifically to the question "does setting the parking brake take strain off the pawl?".

By setting the parking brake with the service brakes fully applied the shoes are already at maximum travel and the self energizing effect doesn't really come in to play.

If the brake is set firmly the vehicle isn't moving at all, the pawl becomes the backup, if the vehicle were to roll slightly because the brake wasn't fully applied the pawl would click into place if it hadn't already.

 

I never use it but my girlfriend swears by it so who knows if there is something people believe makes a huge difference

 

Generally speaking, there is no risk in using the parking brake when it’s below 32F. I use it year round in Minnesota and have never had an issue.

That said, I have had it lock up in the summer due to muddy water while wheeling.

 

Once again, a kinked cable or a broken spring will definitely not cause a brake to get stuck against the drum.

 

.... it uses spring force to return the shoes to center, if they break or can't overcome a rust seized cable the can and will get stuck on, and a kinked, not collapsed but kinked cable can again overcome the force of weak or rusted return springs. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

 

Not really.

 

I use mine in the bone flat garage ( manual). Ignore it with an an automatic when you really need it it won't work think about state safety inspections.