Originally Posted by bullwinkle
I'll usually use the parking/e-brake on hills, slopes, or when loading/unloading a trailer or rolling something up ramps into the back of the van/truck. The only way to keep the load off the parking pawl is to set the brake before you put it in park (& make sure it holds like bdcardinal said above). If I'm on a flat surface, I don't think it makes much of a difference.
Ditto. Although on flat ground I'm disinclined to use. For whatever reason, on manual transmissions I "always" used the brake but on my automatics I rarely did (or do). I've had to get my wife to stop using the parking brake on my truck as one spot has loaded up with rust and it no longer releases properly (I can easily get under and release but the springs are too weak--and that was with yearly dousing with FF, so, so much for that).
I'll usually use the parking/e-brake on hills, slopes, or when loading/unloading a trailer or rolling something up ramps into the back of the van/truck. The only way to keep the load off the parking pawl is to set the brake before you put it in park (& make sure it holds like bdcardinal said above). If I'm on a flat surface, I don't think it makes much of a difference.
Ditto. Although on flat ground I'm disinclined to use. For whatever reason, on manual transmissions I "always" used the brake but on my automatics I rarely did (or do). I've had to get my wife to stop using the parking brake on my truck as one spot has loaded up with rust and it no longer releases properly (I can easily get under and release but the springs are too weak--and that was with yearly dousing with FF, so, so much for that).