Hand brake reminder!
Author
Discussion

DsDetective

Original Poster:

118 posts

234 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2008
quotequote all
Just a quick reminder regarding hand brakes, elises and bad weather!

My elise 111R is normally kept in a garage, but I left it on my parents gravel driveway for 1.5 weeks over Christmas.

Tried to drive home last night and could only spin the rear tires, drag the front ones backwards and lightly cook the clutch… Basically, I'd forgotten that you never leave the hand brake on if you're leaving your elise outside in the wet because the pads stick to the disks.

Big thumbs up to Lotus Assist (aka the AA), who rather amazingly turned up within half an hour (despite my parents living in the middle of no-where) and fixing it within 20. They ended up having to take both front wheels off as the only way of freeing the things up, having given up on hammers and all other normal means!

Apparently it's pretty common, particularly on gravel driveways where there's no grip and the moisture is retained and also with performance brakes like the AP racing ones as the pads are quite soft.

21TonyK

13,381 posts

240 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2008
quotequote all
Better than the AA bloke who came out to me last week when the central locking packed up. Just said, "nuffin' on my database" and suggested smashing a window.

10 mins and a phone call after he left I was in rolleyes

tricky 100

954 posts

273 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2008
quotequote all
Errr , but the handbrake works on the rear wheels only . Therefore if your rear wheels are spinning and dragging the front along , not using your handbrake would have no effect .

S Works

10,166 posts

281 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2008
quotequote all
tricky 100 said:
Errr , but the handbrake works on the rear wheels only . Therefore if your rear wheels are spinning and dragging the front along , not using your handbrake would have no effect .
rofl

21TonyK

13,381 posts

240 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2008
quotequote all
S Works said:
tricky 100 said:
Errr , but the handbrake works on the rear wheels only . Therefore if your rear wheels are spinning and dragging the front along , not using your handbrake would have no effect .
rofl
LOL missed that one...

DsDetective

Original Poster:

118 posts

234 months

Thursday 3rd January 2008
quotequote all
OK - for hand brake reminder, read don't leave them outside I guess!

bananamana

168 posts

234 months

Thursday 3rd January 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for this, Ive had a few 'sticky' mornings already smile