Saw a car moving with back wheels not moving
Saw a car moving with back wheels not moving
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Discussion

cornflakes2

Original Poster:

230 posts

100 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
So the other day I saw a car moving down the road slowly making a horribly loud screeching sound of the tires and noticed
the front wheels were moving (FWD) but the back tires were locked and not moving. The tires were screeching until they stopped.

The first and only thing that came to my mind was that the driver left the parking brake on/up. Is that what it was? Does a parking brake
only lock up the rear wheels on a FWD car (hence why they use parking brakes for drifting?).

Anyways, I went up to the driver and helped them out acting like I knew exactly what I was doing. I told them it was their parking brake was
still on and to release it. She said it was released (don't know) but she ended up driving away fine. Maybe she released it I couldn't tell.

paintman

7,852 posts

213 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
Not had anything to do with electrically operated parking brakes but with the exception of some Land Rovers (incl my RRC) where the parking brake operates on the propshaft all the cars we've had FWD & RWD the parking brake has only ever been on the rear wheels.
So very likely that was the issue.
It MAY also have been faulty & sticking on. (BTW a common issue with caravans where the shoes will rust to the drums which is why you are better chocking their wheels instead of leaving the brake on. Can be an absolute pig to release. Boat trailers where the wheels are immersed can be the same.)

steveo3002

11,058 posts

197 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
wasnt that chap on here that was struggling with his handbrake repair was it?

E-bmw

12,270 posts

175 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
steveo3002 said:
wasnt that chap on here that was struggling with his handbrake repair was it?
thumbup

E-bmw

12,270 posts

175 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
cornflakes2 said:
So the other day I saw a car moving down the road slowly making a horribly loud screeching sound of the tires and noticed
the front wheels were moving (FWD) but the back tires were locked and not moving. The tires were screeching until they stopped.

The first and only thing that came to my mind was that the driver left the parking brake on/up. Is that what it was? Does a parking brake
only lock up the rear wheels on a FWD car (hence why they use parking brakes for drifting?).

Anyways, I went up to the driver and helped them out acting like I knew exactly what I was doing. I told them it was their parking brake was
still on and to release it. She said it was released (don't know) but she ended up driving away fine. Maybe she released it I couldn't tell.
Yes, parking (handbrakes as we call them, e-brakes in the US) generally only work on the rear wheels except for some older SAABs, whether F/RWD pretty much all are rear only.

The other common reason for this is seized on shoes as above & this can then release after a shock while driving so could have been this.

drdino

1,257 posts

165 months

Friday 18th December 2020
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
Yes, parking (handbrakes as we call them, e-brakes in the US) generally only work on the rear wheels except for some older SAABs, whether F/RWD pretty much all are rear only.
A few Citroens, too.

E-bmw

12,270 posts

175 months

Saturday 19th December 2020
quotequote all
drdino said:
E-bmw said:
Yes, parking (handbrakes as we call them, e-brakes in the US) generally only work on the rear wheels except for some older SAABs, whether F/RWD pretty much all are rear only.
A few Citroens, too.
Good point, forgot them.

Wouldn't be surprised if there are the odd others.

warch

2,941 posts

177 months

Saturday 19th December 2020
quotequote all
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.

paintman

7,852 posts

213 months

Saturday 19th December 2020
quotequote all
warch said:
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.
Still around.
My Sprinter van for one!

Higgs boson

1,105 posts

176 months

Monday 21st December 2020
quotequote all
drdino said:
E-bmw said:
Yes, parking (handbrakes as we call them, e-brakes in the US) generally only work on the rear wheels except for some older SAABs, whether F/RWD pretty much all are rear only.
A few Citroens, too.
Alfas, as well.

E-bmw

12,270 posts

175 months

Monday 21st December 2020
quotequote all
paintman said:
warch said:
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.
Still around.
My Sprinter van for one!
And many, many BMWs.

warch

2,941 posts

177 months

Monday 21st December 2020
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
paintman said:
warch said:
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.
Still around.
My Sprinter van for one!
And many, many BMWs.
Oh God really! It always looked like a really clumsy solution to me.

E-bmw

12,270 posts

175 months

Monday 21st December 2020
quotequote all
warch said:
E-bmw said:
paintman said:
warch said:
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.
Still around.
My Sprinter van for one!
And many, many BMWs.
Oh God really! It always looked like a really clumsy solution to me.
IMHO it is pretty much perfect as both braking "methods" are totally separate and in-dependant of each other.

Arnie Cunningham

4,498 posts

276 months

Monday 21st December 2020
quotequote all
Yes. I plan on the basis of an annual rebuild for brakes on boat trailers that are immersed.

paintman said:
Boat trailers where the wheels are immersed can be the same.)

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

266 months

Monday 21st December 2020
quotequote all
Higgs boson said:
drdino said:
E-bmw said:
Yes, parking (handbrakes as we call them, e-brakes in the US) generally only work on the rear wheels except for some older SAABs, whether F/RWD pretty much all are rear only.
A few Citroens, too.
Alfas, as well.
Alfasud & Sprint. Alfa were well known for doing weird things with brakes.

Martin350

4,054 posts

218 months

Saturday 26th December 2020
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
warch said:
E-bmw said:
paintman said:
warch said:
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.
Still around.
My Sprinter van for one!
And many, many BMWs.
Oh God really! It always looked like a really clumsy solution to me.
IMHO it is pretty much perfect as both braking "methods" are totally separate and in-dependant of each other.
A lot of the time they are adjusted incorrectly, when they are properly set up they are very effective.

njw1

2,663 posts

134 months

Saturday 26th December 2020
quotequote all
Martin350 said:
E-bmw said:
warch said:
E-bmw said:
paintman said:
warch said:
It sounds like the handbrake mechanism had seized on at the wheels, so released the brake lever wouldn't make any difference. Handbrake mechanisms do tend to deteriorate over time, due to being located right in the firing like of muck and road salt. Some cars this year have spent months sitting there without turning a wheel, so quite a few will have slight seizing issues. I tend to leave the handbrake off on my old Land Rover (which has a transmission brake) or my car to stop them seizing on.

My old Calibra Turbo had that horrible old handbrake design with a set of drums built into the disc brake hub, thank god that pretty much got abandoned.
Still around.
My Sprinter van for one!
And many, many BMWs.
Oh God really! It always looked like a really clumsy solution to me.
IMHO it is pretty much perfect as both braking "methods" are totally separate and in-dependant of each other.
A lot of the time they are adjusted incorrectly, when they are properly set up they are very effective.


Yep, a set up like this is far superior to having the rear pads acting on the discs as a handbrake because as the disc cools and contracts the obvious happens and you end up getting up in the morning to find that your Mondeo has rolled four feet forward and blocked the road...

...And that, typically, was the only time I left an old Ford out of gear...

Martin350

4,054 posts

218 months

Sunday 27th December 2020
quotequote all
njw1 said:


Yep, a set up like this is far superior to having the rear pads acting on the discs as a handbrake because as the disc cools and contracts the obvious happens and you end up getting up in the morning to find that your Mondeo has rolled four feet forward and blocked the road...

...And that, typically, was the only time I left an old Ford out of gear...
Haha, after repeatedly suggesting to my ex that leaving her MR2 Roadster in gear on her steeply sloped drive would be a good idea, she finally agreed after waking up early one morning to see it neatly parked length ways across the road!