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#459328 Aug 1, 10:40am
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 3
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I feel like this is a dumb question: is my E-brake supposed to completely stop the car, or just slow it down? I can hear/feel them engage, but not enough to immediately stop the car unless I was going < 5 mph.

Story time: I just swapped out my rear drums/shoes, and they seem to be working fine as far as i can tell. Before I put the tires back on, while the car was up on jack stands, I engaged the e-brake and the rear drums locked up as expected. So far so good. On the test drive, I tested the e-brake and noticed the problem. Today I adjusted the e-brake cable down to ~ 7 clicks but it didnt seem to impact the e-brake effectiveness.

It's very possible this has been like this for years (forever?) and I just never bothered to care; I've had the car almost 15 years now and I don't think I've ever tested it like this. Or I maybe I installed the drum auto-adjuster incorrectly, so the shoes don't fully engage with the drum. Or maybe this is just how the GT rolls, if this is just a parking brake and not a true emergency brake.

Thoughts? Thanks

Joined: May 2002
Posts: 806
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CelicaSpecialist
2008 Scion tC
CelicaSpecialist
2008 Scion tC
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 806
Likes: 15
Quote
Is There a Difference Between a Parking Brake and an Emergency Brake?

An auxiliary brake is a brake system that's separate from your regular foot-pedal brake system. Auxiliary brakes are more commonly called a parking brake, an emergency brake, or a handbrake, and are connected to calipers that grip onto the rear wheel rotors. These are not the same calipers that the normal brakes use because the emergency brake system is separate from the main brakes in case of brake failure.

The key difference between auxiliary brakes is that one is called a “parking brake” while the other is called an “emergency brake” but in essence there is no difference. The term "handbrake" is most commonly used in reference to performance vehicles.

Why different names?

The name that a particular brake bears depends on the intended use of it by the manufacturer:
• When the car has a manual transmission or when the brake is controlled electronically (activated by a button rather than a lever), it's called a parking brake. This is because it's used for keeping the car in place when it's parked on any surface. Manual vehicles are in neutral unless they are left in gear when parked, so the parking brake keeps them in place. Automatic cars benefit from the use of a parking brake, as it protects the parking pawl in the transmission that holds the car in place when the transmission is in Park.

The term "emergency brake" is a bit misleading. While the auxiliary brake may be used in an absolute emergency, it is still more useful in the practical sense to use it for parking. Since calling it a "parking brake" may seem confusing to customers who already put the car in park when they park it, it is called an "emergency brake" instead.

• In a performance or race vehicle, this part is called a handbrake, primarily because this particular brake locks up the rear wheels, allowing drivers to slide their car around corners with relative precision. This is also not a very safe practice, and should never be attempted on public roads.
source: https://www.autoblog.com/2015/11/30...ween-a-parking-brake-and-an-emergency-b/

Joined: Aug 2019
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OK thanks. So what I think you're telling me is that it's really just a parking brake, and what I described sounds like its operating as intended?


Joined: May 2002
Posts: 806
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CelicaSpecialist
2008 Scion tC
CelicaSpecialist
2008 Scion tC
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 806
Likes: 15
This is correct. Its not like the movies/TV shows where the actor is in trouble and they pull the break, and stop. Though, it should help you slow down if you have no other means of slowing down. You've probably heard stories of people driving with their parking break on -- a little sluggish, but they are not dragging their tires across the road like a pencil eraser laugh

Joined: Aug 2019
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Awesome, glad to know I didn't screw up the install. Wasn't looking forward to pulling the drum off and fighting those springs again. Thanks for your help!

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NeXuS
2002 Toyota Celica GT
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