parking brake
09-30-2014, 02:12 AM
#2
Racer
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The rotor warping is complete BS since the e-brake is a drum brake that has no chance of warping anything.
The argument for the ebrake getting stuck is that the e-brake shoes would supposedly be cold when coming in contact with the rotor and could get stuck. I don't think this is true either since the whole brake assembly and hub will be hot, including the shoes and there will be no significant thermal shock. Now if the brakes are still smoking hot and you stay on them (regular brakes or e-brake), you could have the surface of the pad or shoe stick a bit to the rotor but that will got away very quickly.
I have always used my ebrake (autocross, track or hillclimbs) and no problem. For hillclimbs we sometimes have to park on a relatively steep downhill and the car will roll if it is just in gear, ebrake is mandatory. And I use Hawk blue series or DTC-70s so my rotors get really hot, definitely more hot than stock!
09-30-2014, 08:24 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
This is 'rule of thumb' type of advice not aimed specifically at Vettes (with their drum based e-brakes) but rather at a general cross section of cars, many of which use the rear calipers for e-brake (Mustang for example). The fear is that locking the hot pads against the rotor will make the area under the pads stay hot much longer than the rest of the rotor and result in uneven cooling and premature cracking.
09-30-2014, 11:35 AM
#4
The legend goes that if you put the parking brake when your brakes are hot you will warp your rotors or get your e-brake stuck.
The rotor warping is complete BS since the e-brake is a drum brake that has no chance of warping anything.
The argument for the ebrake getting stuck is that the e-brake shoes would supposedly be cold when coming in contact with the rotor and could get stuck. I don't think this is true either since the whole brake assembly and hub will be hot, including the shoes and there will be no significant thermal shock. Now if the brakes are still smoking hot and you stay on them (regular brakes or e-brake), you could have the surface of the pad or shoe stick a bit to the rotor but that will got away very quickly.
I have always used my ebrake (autocross, track or hillclimbs) and no problem. For hillclimbs we sometimes have to park on a relatively steep downhill and the car will roll if it is just in gear, ebrake is mandatory. And I use Hawk blue series or DTC-70s so my rotors get really hot, definitely more hot than stock!
The rotor warping is complete BS since the e-brake is a drum brake that has no chance of warping anything.
The argument for the ebrake getting stuck is that the e-brake shoes would supposedly be cold when coming in contact with the rotor and could get stuck. I don't think this is true either since the whole brake assembly and hub will be hot, including the shoes and there will be no significant thermal shock. Now if the brakes are still smoking hot and you stay on them (regular brakes or e-brake), you could have the surface of the pad or shoe stick a bit to the rotor but that will got away very quickly.
I have always used my ebrake (autocross, track or hillclimbs) and no problem. For hillclimbs we sometimes have to park on a relatively steep downhill and the car will roll if it is just in gear, ebrake is mandatory. And I use Hawk blue series or DTC-70s so my rotors get really hot, definitely more hot than stock!
10-02-2014, 02:44 PM
#5
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No real reason to use the parking brake so why bother setting it. With an auto you have park and with a manual you have reverse which pretty much means the only way the car will move is if the rear wheels are sliding.
Just using reverse might be different if you are driving a wimpy 4 cylinder but with any domestic V8 there is more than sufficient brake torque to hold the car on some pretty steep hills. Wish my parking brake held as well.
I guess it all depends when you learned how to drive and what you learned on. When I started driving hand brakes were still E Brakes and did very well stopping the car if you didn't have any hydraulic brakes. Especially nice on the old single circuit braking system. However, you never used it to park the car unless you were on a steep hill. There was too high a likelihood that it would freeze on during the winter months and that would leave you stranded. I can remember lots of cars that were stuck that way when I was still in high school. When I had my C3 Corvettes if I was taking the car into a shop for any work I would tape down the P Brake lever and put a sign on the tape telling whoever not to use the P Brake. C3 P Brakes were notorious for sticking once they were applied.
Bill
Just using reverse might be different if you are driving a wimpy 4 cylinder but with any domestic V8 there is more than sufficient brake torque to hold the car on some pretty steep hills. Wish my parking brake held as well.
I guess it all depends when you learned how to drive and what you learned on. When I started driving hand brakes were still E Brakes and did very well stopping the car if you didn't have any hydraulic brakes. Especially nice on the old single circuit braking system. However, you never used it to park the car unless you were on a steep hill. There was too high a likelihood that it would freeze on during the winter months and that would leave you stranded. I can remember lots of cars that were stuck that way when I was still in high school. When I had my C3 Corvettes if I was taking the car into a shop for any work I would tape down the P Brake lever and put a sign on the tape telling whoever not to use the P Brake. C3 P Brakes were notorious for sticking once they were applied.
Bill
10-02-2014, 08:24 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
I'm a believer in not using the parking brake when your rotors are in a scalding hot "off the track" state. Drum style or not. Where are you parking on a steep hill in neutral on a track? 
10-02-2014, 08:45 PM
#7
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I have a C3 too and the problem is not with the drum but the cable that get stuck in their sheating. For sure if you never use your ebrake, be ready for big trouble the day you try to use it. And you should never use more than 3 to 5 clicks when pulling the handle. If you need more than that, it means they are not properly adjusted.
10-02-2014, 09:49 PM
#8
Instructor
Thread Starter
We run at a defunct circle track so yes we do park on a hill. Most of the time I would not care. But when I have a co driver I like to turn the A/C on so the fans are running to cool the engine before the next run. When I drive I don't mind sitting in the car for a minute. Its hard to get some co drivers to do that.
10-06-2014, 06:46 PM
#9
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
All depends.....
On the C5/6 cars it is a iron rotor and iron inner drum. I don't know if you would deform the drum on the back of the car unless you tried to break the parking brake handle off inside the car. It could transfer a bit of heat to the shoes and they might stick, or deform.
Now if you are running an aftermarket BBK and they are using alum. bells with the brake it could very well deform those. Of course this would mean a lot of heat in the system and completely stopping the car with almost no cool down lap being done either.
The same is true for those guy that come into the pits and leave their foot on the brake pedal....this can transfer so much heat from the assembly you can screw up both the rotor and pad.
Do I think everyone is going to break their parking brakes if you do this...no....do I think it is a good idea not to set it...most certainly. Put it in gear, or use a parking wheel block to keep it from rolling.
by the way...to many brakes and breaks in this story.
On the C5/6 cars it is a iron rotor and iron inner drum. I don't know if you would deform the drum on the back of the car unless you tried to break the parking brake handle off inside the car. It could transfer a bit of heat to the shoes and they might stick, or deform.
Now if you are running an aftermarket BBK and they are using alum. bells with the brake it could very well deform those. Of course this would mean a lot of heat in the system and completely stopping the car with almost no cool down lap being done either.
The same is true for those guy that come into the pits and leave their foot on the brake pedal....this can transfer so much heat from the assembly you can screw up both the rotor and pad.
Do I think everyone is going to break their parking brakes if you do this...no....do I think it is a good idea not to set it...most certainly. Put it in gear, or use a parking wheel block to keep it from rolling.
by the way...to many brakes and breaks in this story.
Last edited by Anthony @ LGMotorsports; 10-07-2014 at 02:46 PM.
10-06-2014, 11:50 PM
#10
Advanced
Talking about parking brakes, mine don't work because the handle is broken. Chevy tells me the part is discontinued. Before anyone says why do I need a parking brake, I do because when I pull my 6 spd out of the garage I have to shut off the engine so I can close the screen door of my garage. (No I won't leave the screen half open). My driveway has an incline. Does anyone know were I can get a Parking Brake handle??
10-07-2014, 11:56 AM
#11
Drifting
I would not use the parking brake. The other year I had my parking brake adjusted along with new pads because it was not holding the car and I could pull the handle way up without it working.
I then went to the track and did not use the parking brake at all during the day but the adjustment along with the new pads was too close to the rotor and they melted/fused to the wheel without me even using it.
Later in the day I cracked a rotor and could not get the rotor off due to it completely fusing.
I ended up taking it to the Chevy dealer and they said my pads were completely melted.
I put new pads on and had them loosen the brake so it wasn't so close and I haven't had a problem since.
Bottom line, I wouldn't recommend using the parking brake on a track car.
I then went to the track and did not use the parking brake at all during the day but the adjustment along with the new pads was too close to the rotor and they melted/fused to the wheel without me even using it.
Later in the day I cracked a rotor and could not get the rotor off due to it completely fusing.
I ended up taking it to the Chevy dealer and they said my pads were completely melted.
I put new pads on and had them loosen the brake so it wasn't so close and I haven't had a problem since.
Bottom line, I wouldn't recommend using the parking brake on a track car.