Rolling down the hill in 2nd....clutch?

So a while back I saw a thread about not using your E brake during the winter months. I have always been in the habit of using it, as an extra safety measure. Well, today it went from pretty warm and slushy (in minneapolis) to cold and snowy, so I figure, why tempt fate, lets try NOT using the E brake, just in case some of the slushy water made it into the line.

Well, I park my truck in the driveway (I back in) it has a slight grade to it, enough that if put a ball down, it will roll down with some speed, but not too steep. I get out of the truck and I feel it slip down the driveway about a foot. I figure I must have missed the gear or something. I re shift into 2nd and let go of the brake and with one foot out of the truck, I watch and feel the truck progressing it's way down the driveway with each revolution of the crankshaft.

so. is that something to worry about, like a clutch going bad? would be crazy if it was the clutch, there is only 35k on it, and I have been driving MT my whole life with no issues before, so I doubt it's user error (I would hope).

 

I read something similar about this recently and it was basically that the gear you are in is too high. Try parking it and putting it and first and see if the same thing happens. There is more resistance needed to move the truck if its in first (hence why people sometimes pop the clutch to start the truck in a higher gear)

 

interesting. I was wondering about that. I will give first a try.

 

Ebrake and a brick

 

Whenever you park it in gear you want to park it in the lowest possible gear. If you park facing down a hill, put it in first. If you park facing up a hill, put it in reverse.

Edit- And if you parallel park, turn the wheel so that the tire will catch the curb if the clutch/engine slips (facing uphill turn the wheel all the way left, facing downhill turn the wheel all the way right)

 

You want to be in 1st or Reverse. But, on a slope, the cylinder will eventually lose compression and move. Once it gets a touch of momentum, it might not stop.

Judging from the posts here, there are some E brake problems, but I have generally found that consistent use keeps it happy. A friend never used the E brake, then one day had to after a brake failure. The E brake was frozen for lack of use and he went into a tree, thankfully softly.

 

Use the "park Brake"... that's what it is designed for...!!

And yes, always in first or reverse..!

USE IT OR LOSE IT..

 

I am going to go back to using the E brake then! and first.

Thanks everyone

 

If your facing down hill, reverse is what you want to leave it in. If you facing uphill then you will want to leave it in 1st. I personally would not just leave it in gear if parked on an incline.