

Parking brakes of this variety rely upon the actuation of a cable-driven lever, to force a caliper’s brake piston outward. Modified Disc Parking BrakeĪ number of newer vehicles equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes feature a modified disc brake design, which uses a vehicle’s rear calipers as the source of the application. When the parking brake cable is tensioned, internally-mounted brake shoes contact the interior surface of the rotor’s hat, thereby implying friction. This cable-driven assembly operates similarly to that utilized by standard drum brake-equipped vehicles. Many vehicles featuring 4-wheel disc brakes now utilize a separate drum-style parking brake assembly, mounted within the hat of a rear brake rotor. This occurs without any actuation of the assembly’s wheel cylinder, as is the case during typical hydraulic brake applications. Vehicles equipped with drum brakes utilize a specialty cable-driven lever to engage the assembly’s brake shoes, wedging them against the inner diameter of the brake drum itself. The following are the most common types of parking brakes in use today. The exact type of parking brake that a vehicle comes equipped with varies by manufacturer, as well as by model.

There are several different types of parking brakes currently in service along today’s roadways. Failing to do so before driving away will cause a vehicle’s emergency brakes to drag, often with dire consequences. Pressure is released upon this brake mechanism by disengaging a vehicle’s parking brake pedal, or by lowering a handbrake lever back to its neutral position. An application of this type pulls a vehicle’s parking brake cable, thereby applying pressure to a tensioning device. Parking brakes are almost always cable actuated by design, and are reliant upon the depression of a specialty pedal, or the sweep of a handbrake lever, depending upon the vehicle in question.

This eliminates the need for hydraulic or electrical input. In almost every case, a parking brake, or e-brake as it is often called, operates purely off of the principle of mechanical force. Can the Parking Brake Be Manually Disengaged?Ī parking brake is an auxiliary braking mechanism, capable of preventing forward or aft movement of a vehicle, even when traditional hydraulic brakes are not applied.Can You Drive If Your Emergency Brake is Stuck?.
