when i pull of my ebrake it really doesnt work like it should. if im doing 20 and i yank on it it doesnt really stop the car.... its just slows down to an eventual stop. what should i check for?

 

Check the pads on the rear brakes, or you can adjust the e-brake tension. However, using the e-brake to stop the car is terrible for your brakes and you can easily get rear ended.

 

i wouldnt use my ebrakes to stop... i just like knowing things on my car work... thanks

 

Ah, that's good to know

I don't know how these things are designed, but it would seem to me that they're designed to slow you quickly, but not abruptly. If they make you screech to a halt you could lock up the rear wheels and lose control. Remember, the e-brake only affects the rear wheels and doesn't have the extra boost of the power brake system. Interesting question, now you've got me thinking...

 

It really shouldn't stop you like hitting the brakes would. If you really yank it, it should lock up the rear brakes, but only if you really yank on it. Other than that it won't give you much more than a gental stop.

Remember that 75% of the braking is done by the front wheels... the ebrake is only the rear wheels like shellebelle said.

 

yah i know.... im only bringing this up because it feels different that before. it use to just lock up the back wheels... lets say for instance... when i burn out (very rare) it doesnt hold the back wheel like it use to. geez.... i guess im not the only one that cant sleep tonite and is on hcf.
thanks guys... and girl. i dont feel lonely

 

Lol, I'm working but should be asleep.

If it's not holding like it used to and you're doing burnouts, I'd say your pads are worn. Unfotunately, drum brakes are a bit of a pain to deal with (judging by the amount of swearing from my dad while changing them the last time). Plus, I don't think rear brakes screech as much as the front ones do when they're worn because of the weight difference.

 

oh... i dunno if its important or not... but i have disc brakes in the back... oops if that was important for any reason.

 

I think Mitch Hedberg said it best...




"Sometimes I drive with the emergency brake on...Which doesn't say much for the driver, but it REALLY doesn't say much for the 'emergency' brake. Its more like an emergency make the car smell funny lever."

 

i cant drive with the e-brake on in my car, im sure if i pushed the gas enough it would, but when i first got the standerd i always forgot the e-brake up and it would jus do a really big jurk when i start to press the gas...with my sunbird tho it was really bad, i remember driving with them sometimes, just like a minit and then i would notice somthing was wrong, the e-brake was crap on that..i remeber one time i was pulling out of a parking lot and there was snow on the ground and my car started going side ways..forgot the e-brake on