The function of the handbrake is to stabilize the vehicle after it stops and prevent the vehicle from rolling away on some roads and causing accidents. Many friends think that everything will be OK if the handbrake is pulled to the maximum, but in fact, pulling the handbrake to 100% strength for a long time will cause problems. The service life of the handbrake cable is shortened, because overstretching the metal or keeping it stretched for a long time will accelerate the deformation, leading to accelerated brake failure of the handbrake cable. In addition, the handbrake has its own independent braking mechanism. When the handbrake is not used, the brake shoe returns automatically through the return spring. If the handbrake is often used at 100% strength, the return spring will be under high-intensity stretching, which will cause the return spring to lose its return effect over time.
[Driving Tips from Car Owner’s Home]In daily driving life, the usage rate of handbrake is very high, but the handbrake is not a "universal insurance".Many weird accidents are caused by handbrakes, so how should car owners use and maintain handbrakes correctly?
Wrong usage
① Pull too tight
The function of the handbrake is to stabilize the vehicle after it stops and prevent the vehicle from rolling away on some roads and causing accidents. Many friends think that everything will be OK if the handbrake is pulled to the maximum, but in fact, pulling the handbrake to 100% strength for a long time will cause problems. The service life of the handbrake cable is shortened, because overstretching the metal or keeping it stretched for a long time will accelerate the deformation, leading to accelerated brake failure of the handbrake cable. In addition, the handbrake has its own independent braking mechanism. When the handbrake is not used, the brake shoe returns automatically through the return spring. If the handbrake is often used at 100% strength, the return spring will be under high-intensity stretching, which will cause the return spring to lose its return effect over time.
② Parking with the handbrake on a slope for a long time
Nowadays, parking spaces are in short supply, and many parking spaces are planned on slopes. After parking, car owners directly immobilize the car with the handbrake, because doing so will make the handbrake bear too much braking force and cause the handbrake to wear faster. It is more practical to use it. Method: Place bricks or other objects under the tires, then pull up the handbrake so that the wheel and handbrake bear the force together. If you are still worried, you can put the gear lever into 1st gear or reverse gear, which can provide multiple insurances. For automatic transmission models, you must first apply the handbrake to immobilize the car, and then put the gearbox into P gear to ease the shifting. The load of the box prevents the P block latch from getting stuck and causing the lock to be unable to be unlocked normally.
However, we recommend that car owners try not to park on ramps, as this may injure their cars and themselves.
③It is strictly prohibited to use the handbrake when driving at high speeds
When driving at high speed, pulling the handbrake can easily cause one of the rear wheels to lock up and cause sideslip. The correct way is to slow down by downshifting, and only pull the handbrake to stop the car when the speed is very low.
How to maintain the handbrake
As a mechanical thing, in addition to good usage habits, regular maintenance is also very important. Here are some maintenance precautions for handbrakes.
① Check the effectiveness of the handbrake mechanism
Like the foot brake pedal, the handbrake handle also has a pulling stroke. Usually, when the handle is lifted to 70% of the entire stroke, the handbrake system should be in the normal braking position. Therefore, before checking the braking force of the handbrake, you should first find out the 70% working point. This working point can be passed Count the ratchet sounds to make sure. You can park the car in a quiet place, slowly pull up the handbrake, and count the clicks of the ratchet until the handle is pulled to the end. Then calculate the 70% position of the total number of sounds. This position is the effective working point of the handbrake handle.
②Test the sensitivity of the handbrake
In addition to braking effectiveness, you should also check the sensitivity of the handbrake, which is especially important when starting on a slope. Driving slowly on a road with no slope, slowly lift the handbrake handle and feel the sensitivity and joint point of the handle. This inspection method will cause wear and tear on the handbrake mechanism, so the number of inspections should not be too many. During the inspection, if the braking performance or sensitivity of the handbrake is found to be unsatisfactory, it can usually be solved by adjusting the operating cable of the handbrake. There is an adjustable compensation mechanism at the connection between the bottom of the handbrake handle and the steel cable (usually covered by interior trim parts). Use a wrench to loosen the locking nut to stretch the length of the brake cable. However, the adjustment mechanism of some cars is located under the car. If you are not familiar with it, you should ask professional maintenance personnel to handle it.
Summarize:Although the handbrake seems simple, it is a "system" that we often use in our daily driving life. Reasonable and correct use and understanding of the handbrake can make future use smoother, which is very important for safety. In addition, it can also extend its adjustment cycle and reduce the cost of repair and replacement. cost.
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