PAKirk

My driveway is on a slight incline (or decline, depending on your outlook on life), and my garage floor has a slight angle to it, too, for runoff. I always park in gear (usually R) with the brake on. In all of my other cars, the handle needs only to be pulled a few "clicks" to be fully engaged, and prevent the car from rolling (I engage the brake before I take my foot off the clutch), but with the Vette, I have to yank that sucker up like I'm trying to punch out of the cockpit or something. I understand that the parking brake assembly is a good bit different on the Vette than my other cars, using a drum/shoe combo to engage.

Anyway, as I'm new to this car and this type of setup, I'm just wondering if that's normal, or something that can be adjusted a little bit. If it's just a case of having to put more pressure on it because of the shoe/drum setup, then that's fine. Just checking.

Thanks!

Gannet

Completely normal. The parking brakes on all Vettes are really weak. You have to reef on it to get it to hold. My advice when parking on any incline at all is to stop in neutral, set the parking brake, take your foot off the brakes to see that it holds, and then put it in gear, reverse or first, your choice.

matsarge

I pull mine (without trying to yank it into the car behind me) until it stops.

PAKirk

Thanks! I think I've read references on here before about how high it needs to be pulled; just wanted to check. To clarify, I'm not talking about pulling hard and trying to rip the thing out of the console; I'm talking about the distance you have to pull it up to get it to hold.

My procedure when parking on an incline is to have the car in 1st gear, foot on brake and clutch, pull parking brake, foot off brake to see that it holds (keep in 1st in case it doesn't hold and you need to stop from rolling or readjust your parking position), then shift to reverse when parking brake holds (optional) and shut the car off. In all my years of driving manuals, this is the only car I park in reverse, and I only do that because of the DBS that I read about. Yes, I know it was only for early C6s, but I got in the habit anyway. I park all of my other cars in 1st.

Thanks again!

Seeker135

I just don't trust parking brakes in Vettes. I had 2 of them fail; one in an '86 and one in my old '98 Pace Car. the Pace Car one was my fault as I left it on 1 click for about 5 miles and that was enough. Had to move the lever back and forth rapidly about 10 times to get it to work after that.

PAKirk

Another good reason to always park in gear as well

Wayne O

I never thought much about how high the parking brake level is...I just raise it until I feel the parking brake is secure.

Perhaps your parking brake needs to be adjusted. Short of pulling the rear rotors, measuring and adjusting...try cycling (apply and fully release) the parking brake level three (3) times to re-tension the cables.

OK...I measured my parking brake handle in its up position...from the end of the handle straight down to where the boot material meets the edge of the console is not quite 4.5".

KWIKC6

With what he said. I have been driving manuals all my life, I always set the brake, make sure it holds then put it in gear.

KWIKC6

I think the main reason reverse has been the preferred method in most cars for years is that reverse is usually the lowest ratio thus will hold most cars on an incline. I had an old 63 Volkswagen in High School that if I left it in anything other than 1st or reverse on an incline it did not have enough compression to keep the car from rolling. Other cars like my 77 Tran-Am had an interlock with the steering column, it had to he in reverse to remove the key!

Cal Vert Man

If you're parking on an incline, it's always nice to turn the wheel to the right if you're headed downhill, and the the left if you're headed uphill.

That way if the P break fails and the tranny pops out of first or reverse, the car will only roll a few inches before the curb stops it.

dvilin

Never give it much thought I just put the car in reverse and pull the emergency brake back and get out. Does not seem like any extra effort is needed.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

for the most part.

The parking brake on Vettes is weak. Pull that sucker up and let it click when you are doing it.

Some push the button on the brake and pull it up, but from my C5 days, I recall something about the cable adjustment being influenced, so best to allow it to click up when you pull it.

Also, I tend to put mine in gear first, reverse or first, holding the brake pedal and the clutch in and then pulling up the parking brake up as far as I can. Not disagreeing with Gannet's method, just my own personal preference.

'06 Quicksilver Z06

I was always taught that reverse was your strongest gear and that this was the reason for leaving the car in reverse when it was parked.

When I was in high school, a buddy of mine had an old Karman Ghia. He would put it in neutral and pull the parking brake whenever he parked it.

And thats how I learned NEVER to put a manual in neutral and pull the brake to secure the car.

Hoonose

Pull it back!
A few years ago I suffered minor front end damage when my car moved forward on an almost imperceptible grade. The e brake was on but not fully engaged.
I was in the process of loading 6 CD's with the car running in neutral when I felt this very slight bump!

Zotic

Enough to where it feels comfortable by way of pressure, and not as if you're parking a semi.

danl72

*FAÇADE*

BigJoe

I must be weird (or lucky). I doubt I've used my parking brake more than 10 time in the 3 years I've had the car. And most of those 10 are at my dentist's parking lot (talk about steep ) Whenever I do use it it seems to hold well without putting a lot of muscle into to it...

KWIKC6

It seems most people I know that have autos tend not to use the parking brake. Most I know that have manuals tend to use it. I have always used the parking brake wether an auto or manual. On an auto I apply the parking brake let off the brake, then put it in park. I don't trust the park pall in an auto, I have seen them fail!

WAwatchnut

That's assuming there is a curb... otherwise you want to turn it so the car rolls away from the middle of the street. (At least according to my driving instructor from...wayyyyy too many years ago!


I have to pull my parking brake up until the last stop - otherwise the car will still roll if it's in neutral.