Are you supposed to use the parking brake

Idiot quetsion here:

When parking, are you supposed to use the handbrake? It says to in the manual but I never have. This is my first truck. Not sure if I will break anything by not using it.

 

Depends where you live. If you live in a hilly area, it's common to use the park brake and get in the habit to use it all the time.

Here in Michigan it's so flat no one uses the PB.

You can count on getting many replies both for and against.

 

I just base it off of the slope I'm parked at. Flat? No brake. Angled? Engage brake.

 

I use mine every time I park, with the transmission in first gear or reverse.

 

Manual tranny? Always.

Automatic? Depends on slope of parking area.

 

Not 3rd gen but I use mine 90 percent of time.
Standard 6sd

 

OMG! That's DANGEROUS! (not really). Use it as a reliable backup, but I never have. Just don't forget to dis-engage when starting out....

 

Auto here, I always use it out of habit from driving a MT for 10 years. You will want to use it whenever you're parked on an incline or decline for sure, your tranny can get stuck if it's a steep grade.

If I lived somewhere stupid cold like Alaska, I'd refrain from using it during the winter as much as possible. Mine got stuck once, was a bitch to get unstuck, plus I had to help a couple people get their parking brakes unstuck when I served a 3 year sentence to the hell hole known as Eielson AFB...

 

Always use mine. Parking pawl paranoia? I been driving a manual for the past 15 years. Old habit, but seriously on an auto I would worry about the parking pawl wearing, and eventually failing. I intended to keep it so yeah.

 

theres a thread here with a pic of the auto transmission park lock mechanism and it looks fragile! I usually dont use a parking brake on flat ground, but after seeing that photo, I always use it on hills.

 

I use it all the time. Keeps everything from freezing up with rust & helps keep the brakes adjusted. On a up or downhill grade, it's a must.

 

Use it or lose it, I live in the rust belt, plus manual transmission.

 

I use it on my wife's car and taught her to use it too. When it's on a hill in park the stupid thing is so hard to get into gear sometimes.

Letting the weight of the car sit on the transmission isn't good, but I've never heard of any transmission that failed because they didn't use a parking brake.

 

I always use the parking brake whether I’m driving an automatic or manual transmission vehicle. I prefer the added security and decreased tendency for vehicles to roll a bit after shifting to Park.

 

Important point, parking brake use is one of the primary ways the rear brakes shoes adjust.

 

I always use it but . . . . Don't yank the crap out of it. Just pull it up gently.

G.

 

I like that if I use the parking brake and leave the truck in neutral (auto trans) the radio stays on if I shut off the engine.

 

can anyone tell me the downside to using it?

cable stretch?.......i mean that can be adjusted.

sticking?.....ive had it happen a few times, always popped free when i started driving.

 

No downside. I use it 100% of the time.

 

I also use it 100% of the time. Foot on the brake, start the truck, shift into reverse and then disengage the parking brake and get going. Come to a stop, engage the parking brake, shift into park and then turn off ignition when I’m done. I’m OCD like that though.