Use emergency brake while going downhill?

But the front brakes in RWD vehicles are designed to accommodate 80% of the braking. So I would think that even on a RWD vehicle the front brakes were designed not to be overstressed by accommodating 80% of the braking.

The difference I see is that fwd have a weight distribution more like a 65/35, while rwd will be, say 55/45, so the fwd car will do more of the braking with the front axle than the rwd car, right? If both had the same weight distribution the braking would be the same. But that’s usually not the case.

As an extreme, compare a Porsche 911 to an Accord - more braking load on the rear axle of the 911.

When the Chevy Citation came out with a V6 automatic, skilled drivers could achieve front wheel-stands, both rear wheels clear of the pavement…The weight distribution found in many FWD cars, especially the V6 and V8 variety with automatic transmissions can place 100% of the braking effort on the front wheels. At least in cars that start off with 50-50 weight distribution, the rear brakes remain (somewhat) effective under heavy braking…

If both had the same weight distribution the braking would be the same.

Weight distribution is NOT static. It shifts toward the front during deceleration. Since a FWD usually has a higher percentage of weight in the front compared to a RWD vehicle…the FWD vehicle front brakes may need to work more. But it’s going to depend a lot on the car.

I think that , now with rear disc brakes, that old 80 % bias must have been changed.
I have never sold so many rear brakes in the past until the inception of rear disc brakes on nearly every thing.
I’ve already put rears on my 08 Expedition and 06 Escape hybrid…but not fronts.
Never put rear shoes on the explorers, just one set of fronts each.

The 79 chevy however , must be farther biased that the 80 %. Sitting at a stoplight on an icy street…STOPPED mind you, the front wheels stopped, the REAR wheels are turning slowly !
JAM my feet on the brake pedal and the rears stoll roll…sideways now from the arc of the pavement !
Had to put it in neutral to stay stopped.

That’s called quasi logic. I admit…the rear disc brakes do wear out much faster then the shoe brake setup on my Pathfinders…but if you look at the rear brakes you’ll understand why. The calipers and pads are about half the size of the front disc and pads.

The harder you decelerate…the more weight is shifted to the front of a vehicle. You want the better brakes where the weight is. Physics hasn’t changed.

Another thought just occurred to me. If you try to use your parking brakes going downhill to control your speed on winter roads you just may find yourself spinning off the side of the road. With so much of the weight on the front tires and so little on the rears, it won’t take much to stop the rears from rolling on slick roads. You won;t be able to touch the brake pedal at all without losing the rear traction.

Rear wheel lockup is always a concern on hills or on snow. Lock up t he rears when your breaking in snow…and you’ll end up in a ditch. One reason why some trucks only have rear wheel ABS.

It’ll be much more of a concern if you’re dragging the parking brake pads…

Makes absolutely no difference.

Reality is the car should be more than capable with its regular brakes to stop the car and are never overworked in any car especially Honda built from 1980’s forward.

“…its regular brakes…are never overworked in any car especially Honda built from 1980’s forward”

I am going to disagree with that statement.
If a driver of any make of car is naïve enough to rely only on his brakes on a long, steep downgrade, he will likely find that he has little braking ability left when he needs it the most, due to the brakes having been overworked.

While the pads may be perfectly functional, overworking the brakes like this can lead to boiling of the brake fluid–especially if the brake fluid has not been changed every 3 yrs–and the net effect is a loss of braking ability.

Once you take your foot of the accelerator, unless you down shift, the brakes don’t care if the car is front or rwd… I feel @caddyman " knows " the difference but the statement as written is pretty definitive and subject to a “huh ?” ;=() I think what is implied is that fwd cars may have rear wheel parking brakes which if used may upset the proper braking distribution front to back which I agree with 100%. But, my rwd car also has a parking brake on the rear. That’s why the “huh?”

I have never driven a car with a parking brake that actuated the front brakes. They are put on the rear for two very good reasons I can think of. Fun in parking lots !!! ( and really, render the front wheels unsteerable if used in an emergency if they were on the front)

@Doc and @same have hit the nail on the head. Someone is not using engine braking sufficiently and feels compelled to search for other ways of slowing down.

Allow me to point out, however, that the OP had the good sense to visit us and ask the question. I tip my hat to the OP for that.

I’ve never routinely used the e-brake while moving. I’d be concerned about wearing it out, then it wouldn’t work in an actual emergency. This actually happened to me one time in my Ford truck, the brake pedal came loose from its moorings, and the only way to stop was the emergency brake. Whether the idea that the emergency brake can wear out is bogus or not probably depends on the make/model/year of the vehicle. In my Corolla, I do use the e-brake when stopped at a stoplight sometimes, so I don’t have to constantly hold my foot on the brake pedal.

If the brakes suddenly stop working, what is the correct way to stop the car?

I would think that putting the trans to 1st gear (engine braking) is better than Neutral and then pumping the parking brake.

I would think that putting the trans to 1st gear (engine braking) is better than Neutral and then pumping the parking brake

You NEVER want to put the tranny in neutral when going down-hill. You don’t need first gear or you’ll be crawling down the hill.

@xaml: pumping the parking brake???

I’ve NEVER heard anyone give that advice before. Further, most parking brakes lock into position: itd be darnded tricky to “pump” a hand e-brake, and close to impossible for a foot brake!

Anyways, the front wheels remain unbraked, so you have no loss of steering control to worry about. I suppose you could avoid flat-spotting the rear tires by doing this, but in a total-loss-of-hydraulic-braking scenario, I’d be perfectly inclined to “write off” the rear tires (and my boxers, LOL).

You need to revisit what we told you about braking technique: 99+% of the time, you should NOT be pumping your brakes.