Foot pedal operated parking brakes are legal in the UK. Some M-B use them. And 'independant' is a large variable. Most share parts with the footbrake
- drums or discs and pads and shoes - and many older a great deal more. The Austin 7 for example had the handbrake operate on the actual footbrake mechanism.
IIRC, the requirements for a handbrake efficiency have changed since most cars now have dual circuit brakes, so it is now only a parking brake rather than that plus an emergency one.
Oh, that's simple. It doesn't. Because of their habit of jamming on, we never use the one on our D3. It's an auto, so it's no problem not to use it.
Some Australian company has developed a kit for them which allows you to fit a Real Handbrake (tm). I must look into it.
Almost certainly.
Right, that's it. [unplonk]
C'mon, dennis, what's the minimum speed limit on motorways?
It would do in the Yoo Ess.
Real motorways or the ones in dennisworld?
NT explained on 07/10/2011 :
Modern cars still have hand brakes, or were you referring to some other aspect?
Power steering on cars is only in any sense necessary at parking speeds. Even small trucks can be driven with no PS.
NT
I suspect that would be rather scary. I also don't know whether they even existed that far back in time.
Colin Bignell
relying on hydraulics to stay totally airtight for extended periods, or else vehicles can set off down a hill, sounds an inherently risky approach.
NT
Yes, they've dropped to the point of being useless to stop a car. Someone somewhere must have naively believed the idea that dual circuits brakes dont fail if one circuit leaks. I can assure you they do.
NT
but they're rather ineffective now. Go back to the 50s and you can drive with them.
NT
I used to drive a Range Rover without power steering - i'd agree about parking.
I always understood it was 30. He's allowed to be right once a century.
NT
NT formulated the question :
Both of mine are modern and if I wanted to, I could lock wheels on both with not very much effort.
I appreciate that they have now reclassified them, but that is not reason why they should be any less effective.
That depends on why the tow is taking place. If most towing is done because of engine or gearbox failure, this could cause a lot more damage. If it is because of anything to do with most other mechanicals, you shouldn't be towing it.
--=20 Davey.
We once had a cyclist do that, despite a warning rag on the rope. He was 'head down, I'm going this way' over the slack rope, until he suddenly got his bike saddle where he wasn't expecting it as the tow car pulled away.
--=20 Davey.
It's not.
He's not right and a century is not long enough for him to be right.
Even back in the 70's they were not that great..
I drove my (heavily modified) Triumph spitfire back from Oxford to Cambridge after the pipe connecting the (Ford Granada) brake servo fractured..
Engine braking alone and massive yanks on the handbrake rendered it feasible..but it was nightmare..I dared not drive fast, and people with better brakes would overtake, cut in to the massive 5 car length gap I had to leave, and slam on their anchors..
I am sure it was illegal, but I had not the money to get it trailered home in those days.
Only then because the other cars' brakes were just as ineffective.
Handbrakes haven't got worse, but foot brakes have massively improved.
power assistance and discs..can put the sort of pressure on them that no cable can.
There speaks a man who has never driven without it on cars designed to use it.
Sure if you have 100 turns lock to lock you can drive a 3 tonner without power steering, but how safe is that when you need to get round a corner in a hurry..you need to spin the wheel with one hand to get the lock on and off.
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required