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Why do handbrakes stop the back wheels only?

2»

Comments

  • #32
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Cartoon_Head wrote: »
    One practical reason I can think of would be if the car needed to be towed away for some reason (illegally parked, causing an obstruction, abandoned...).

    If the handbrake had lock all four wheels, towing the car would be quite difficult, not impossible but it could possibly flat spot the tyres if it were applied very hard.

    With only two wheels locked, the rear of the car (or the front if it's an eccentric Citroen) can be raised and the car towed away.
    Cartoon_Head wrote: »
    Re-read my post.

    I was saying that whatever set of wheels were locked could be raised leaving the unlocked wheels free to rotate and not drag.


    ...most folks leave manual cars in gear when parked, automatics are left in park, neither condusive to being towed away.


  • #33
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,370 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    corglass wrote: »
    Where's that logic coming from robbie?

    Any car has more braking traction on the front wheels when going forward and the brakes are applied. Look at the discs front and back on cars with alloy wheels (so you can see the discs), you might notice the front ones are bigger, simply because the front wheels do most of the braking.

    A car braking, and more weight actually goes down onto the front wheels, and possibly reduces on the back ones if heavy breaking and no back seat passengers, engine is also at the front, giving more traction.


  • #34
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    They would actually have a lot more stopping power if on the front wheels, if they were able to apply good braking force on the discs.

    ..... only if they were servo assisted like the service brake, a mechanical brake system like most parking brakes wouldn't apply the required force give actual stopping power to the front.


  • #35
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,370 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    RoverJames wrote: »
    robbie7730 wrote: »
    They would actually have a lot more stopping power if on the front wheels, if they were able to apply good braking force on the discs.

    ..... only if they were servo assisted like the service brake, a mechanical brake system like most parking brakes wouldn't apply the required force give actual stopping power to the front.

    Very true, as i said, if they were able to apply good braking force, which they wont with a cable setup like you say.

    Although if they are able to lock up the back wheels on a car while in motion, so are not getting their full braking potential used there. It would be harder to lock the front ones in the same situation, so more of the braking power would be used, if they were used as emergency brakes.


  • #36
    Dilbert75
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,723 ✭✭✭Dilbert75


    Remember hearing before about a front-wheel handbraked car (must have been a Xantia) which, if driven in a "spirited" fashion, would heat its front brakes causing them to expand quite a bit. However, the expansion was such that, when parked, its brakes would cool & contract, releasing the handbrake...

    Dunno how true (or legible) that is.


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  • #37
    Mycroft H
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,306 ✭✭✭Mycroft H


    I also forgot that things like Defenders have transmission brakes which would be disasterous if applied when moving.


  • #38
    Anan1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,770 ✭✭✭✭Anan1


    CJhaughey wrote: »
    On vehicles with permanent 4wd like TLCs the handbrake effectively operates on all 4 wheels when applied.
    Only with fully locked differentials.


  • #39
    mcwhirter
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭mcwhirter


    idunnoshur wrote: »
    Why do handbrakes stop the back wheels only? Is it because it's easier to run the cable to the back wheels than the front?

    What are the advantages? So far I can only think of one disadvantage (it's not a very big one either) and that's young fellas flying around pulling the handbrake, if they stopped the front wheels they wouldn't bother with them.

    Thanks
    ids

    On the old alfasud, handbrake was on front discs.Some of the saabs as well I think.


  • #40
    si_guru
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭si_guru


    Subarus had front wheel hand brakes too.

    Also many cars used to have cable operated main brakes.

    Land Rovers - the parking brake operates on the propshaft.


  • #41
    alfastud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24 ✭alfastud


    The alfasud/sprint had their hand brake at the front also.


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  • #42
    lomb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,003 ✭✭✭lomb


    Cable at front could get stressed though and could snap from all the twisting while steering etc.
    Also the handbrake being on the transmission tunnel is probably easier/ cheaper to engineer going backwards being less cluttered than going forward to both wheels through the engine bay.


  • #43
    si_guru
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,345 ✭✭✭si_guru


    lomb wrote: »
    Cable at front could get stressed though and could snap from all the twisting while steering etc..

    The Alfasud had in-board discs so this wasn't an issue.


  • #44
    johnayo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭johnayo


    I done a lot of work on these back in the day. A customer of mine at the time used to rally an alfasud sprint and he always complained that he couldn't do any handbrake turns with it.:mad:


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