Leaving E brake on in freezing temps

Simple answer is just don't use it if it is shitty out, I haven't lost my truck when i park it after 5 years now,
really just dont use it unless your parking on a 25 deg road.

 

You won't harm that transmission pin. Especially on flat ground with the engine off. The real reason for the E-brake is for if your regular brakes go out or if you drive a manual. No real reason to set it in an automatic on flat ground.

 

I never use my E brake unless parked on a steep incline. Never used it during Winter months as I know it is a no-no for chances of freezing up here in the Great North but I do put it on and off just to keep it from seizing up.Just saying

 

My experience is... it depends. This is based on my old rides ('78 Buick; '89 Olds; '06 Escape).

When I went driving in wet winter weather (cold rain, wet snow, melting snow), and I knew the temperature was going to drop below freezing, I'd avoid applying the parking brake to prevent the brakes from freezing up. Water gets sprayed up into the nooks and crannies and when the sun goes down, the temperature drops, and the cable / brake would get frozen into place. (First experienced with the '78, and pretty much when I pulled the handle, the e-brake pedal wouldn't come up..

If the underside of your ride is dry, go ahead and put the brake on.
If the underside is wet, avoid doing it unless you have no choice (i.e. - you're parking on a hill...)

 

Yes, they salt and brine the roads lie crazy. You go for a drive and the truck is covered in salt.

 

I use the park brake every night when I park in my steep driveway. Wet, dry, hot or -45C never had it freeze or seize.

 

am i missing something, or whats the issue with the parking brake and car washes?

 

there isn’t one.

 

There IS an issue. water gets into the brake assembly and causes the brake shoes to "stick" to the drum. It happens randomly when I wash my truck and happens weather it is above or below freezing.

The solution is to not use the e brake after washing until the truck has been driven enough to dry things out.

 

The issues is parking brake and car washes plus freezing temperatures.

 

You've had it happen above freezing? This doesn't make much sense to me unless you've got a rusty mess going on somewhere.

 

oh ok, I was confused why taking it through a car wash would create any issues.

 

Concern: OP is asking about e-brake sticking in below freezing temperatures
Root cause(s): possibility (1) rear brake shoes sticking to the rear drums once engaged by the e-brake - moisture and freezing temperatures may cause the shoes to stick to the drums (2) @lostMarbles pointed out below that it isn't the drums that freeze it is the line that freezes and the spring is not strong enough to break it free
Remedy: if concerned leave the car in park without the ebrake applied (only where safe to do so - no steep inclines), if the ebrake must be engaged you can free up the frozen brakes using 4LO and rocking back and forth

Moisture can get into the drums if an owner frequently washes the rig in the wintertime (removing salt + sand), driving in rain or slush then temps dip down to freezing, or any other situation where moisture and freezing temps exist. The car wash comment was about introducing moisture in freezing conditions.

 

yea it took a bit to click. I didn't recognize that people were talking about washing their trucks in freezing temps... sorry, its been a long, slow day at work haha

 

Never had a problem myself

 

Apparently there is but I’ve never experienced it, even after washing the undercarriage almost daily in winters.

 

The cable freezes (not the drums) and the springs are not strong enough to break it free. Put the hand brake down and give it a solid yank and it comes free. This was true on my 1st gen and is true on my 3rd gen as well.

 

I have pulled my drums after washing the truck and have personally seen water in the drums. There doesn't seem to be any correlation between how I wash it and water getting in. And the problem is not the cold. I think it might be related to the type of material used for the linings on the shoes. Maybe different productions runs have different compositions of the linings which would explain why some of us have this problem and others don't.

 

Actually this morning my brakes were froze too. Just crappy weather. Starting to wonder if I'd fair better in a drier climate that's cheaper.... like Oklahoma. Dry enough anyways... Saw snow there when I was a kid but not negative temps for months. Everytime I go outside I just have to stand in the door way for 1 minute contemplating life choices while I acclimate.

I dunno, I saw you can do a brake conversion and that intrigues me. The price doesn't, but the work does.

 

Washing Tacosha at local self service wand wash and outside temperature is below -20C, (any temp below 0), following one simple rule: drive few blocks around, braking
erratically and often, dry your rear brakes. Brake shoes and drums became warm, drying and there is no water to freeze between surfaces. Learn this lesson long ago with
parking brake pads of my Volvo 740, no any problem since then.