my father told me ,never use the emergency break during freezing weather ,because it will freeze on ! is this true? we drive toyota’s with rear drum’s.
Your father is correct.
The e-BRAKE cable has a tendency to freeze under the right conditions.
The result is an e-BRAKE that cannot be released, and this is true whether the brakes themselves are of the disk or drum variety.
A few years back the Emergency/Parking brake froze up on my 95 Dodge Dakota under the following circumstances. When I drove into the work the roads were covered with slush and the temperature was just above freezing. During the day the temperature dropped enough to freeze the slush that had been kicked up during the drive into work. The frozen slush prevented the release of the parking brake on the left rear wheel of the truck. By the time I got home the wheel was hot enough to the touch to burn (don’t ask). I had to go underneath the truck to chip away the frozen slush to release the brake. Since then I don’t use the parking brake under those conditions.
Ed B.
While it is true that e-brake cables can freeze under certain wet concitions, 99% of the time they will not. It is best not to use the e-brake in severly cold, wet conditions if not really nessessary.
Agree; the perfect opportunity for a freeze up is a wet day just above freezing with the temperature dropping rapidly during the day. Then park your car outside overnight in freezing weather.
I worked with a person who parked in the heated underground garage at his apartment, then drove a short distance to work where he had to park outside, and applied his E brake. His car froze up several times, but being the HR manager, he needed a detailed explanation why his beloved Mustang froze up.
Just a quick comment. The correct term is parking brake. If you have ever needed to use it in an emergency, you will understand. BTW it should be regularly used for parking to help keep it functional and to help prevent wear on a transmission part and to provide additional security from having the car move down hill when parked.
The older, the freezier. Freezing cold right after wet weather is the time for frozen brake cables.
I agree with Joseph. It is a parking brake and in some jurisdictions, it must be used. Check your local laws before you stop using your parking brake. If you don’t set it and the car rolls downhill into something, you may be guilty of negligence.
When you park be sure you have the wheels turned in the direction that will do the least damage if the car gets loose. This goes for the cases when you use the parking brake and in the rate case when you decide not to use it.