Would this be a dumb idea?

[OR VietVet]

I heard a loooong time ago to keep it in drive (or reverse) with brake compressed and set the parking brake. And then switch to park. Been doing it like this for 20+ years without thinking about it. Have I been doing it wrong this entire time?! Please explain!

I was taught that way years ago and have done ever since. It was explained to me that the pressure against the park pawl is still there when shifted to park and then set park brake. I shift to neutral out of habit. If you think about it, there is no pressure against the park pawl when in drive or reverse and set park brake. So, either way would work to help protect the park pawl.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

A very interesting and informative discussion. I have never used my parking brake on automatic transmission vehicles. To be honest, I don't even know if it works on my truck.

Food for thought.....

 

[S33k3r]

I have never used my parking brake on automatic transmission vehicles. To be honest, I don't even know if it works on my truck.

Food for thought.....

I am not sure how well mine works on my 05 Suburban; it does provide some resistance, but my daughter drove it about 20 miles with it engaged... She complained that my Suburban had no power... I found out when I suggested she unset it and suddenly it had power...

 

[Jason in DLH]

A very interesting and informative discussion. I have never used my parking brake on automatic transmission vehicles. To be honest, I don't even know if it works on my truck.

Food for thought.....

I hear you...I only use the parking brake on hills. And I definitely need to adjust it as it doesn’t hold very well anymore.

 

[YukonRog]

Waaay back in the early 80's I had a young lady that worked at the plant I was Production Mgr for. I watched her drive in and park her 65 Pontiac in the parking spots that were slightly downhill. She just threw it into park and the car bounced back and forth. Back in those day they had the Powerglide Transmission. She couldn't get it out of park at the end of the day. She had bent the parking pin in the transmission. 6 of us guys started rocking it back and forth, putting most of the effort into reverse as she tried to shift from park to reverse. I believe we managed to "straighten" that pin so it finally shifted. I explained how to jam the parking brake on 1st.

 

[Jason in DLH]

I am not sure how well mine works on my 05 Suburban; it does provide some resistance, but my daughter drove it about 20 miles with it engaged... She complained that my Suburban had no power... I found out when I suggested she unset it and suddenly it had power...

Back when I was 16 I drove all the way across the city with it engaged during the winter and in snow, so I couldn’t tell at all. Went to apply my parking brake and was like, “doh!”

Same vehicle a year later I was pulling someone out of the ditch (during the snowy winter) and was having trouble pulling him out. Only after much effort he was free. Afterwards, I realized I had the PB on the entire time! Doh!

 

[YukonRog]

You guys are hilarious. Don't most vehicles come with a dash light that tells you it's on?

 

[OR VietVet]

Back when I was 16 I drove all the way across the city with it engaged during the winter and in snow, so I couldn’t tell at all. Went to apply my parking brake and was like, “doh!”

Same vehicle a year later I was pulling someone out of the ditch (during the snowy winter) and was having trouble pulling him out. Only after much effort he was free. Afterwards, I realized I had the PB on the entire time! Doh!

Repetition is key. If you set and release each and every time you park, it is second nature. That is why it should also be drilled in to the noggin that it is a park brake and not an emergency brake. Emergencies happen rarely but parking happens each and every time you drive a vehicle. How often do you hear about a truck driver not setting a parking brake?

 

[OR VietVet]

You guys are hilarious. Don't most vehicles come with a dash light that tells you it's on?

The light is there but so many times the light on the face of the cell phone is more important.

 

[YukonRog]

Okay back to more serious stuff for a moment. Does anyone have the torque specs for the brake caliper, bracket, and guide pins for my '05 Yukon? Also, I know the bracket bolts are assembled with yellow thread lock. Should I use blue loctite?