Disco 2 Handbrake - a few questions

Hellastony said:

This is why LR supply wheel chocks as standard equipment with the jack etc.

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Is it not because with one wheel in the air there's nothing stopping it rolling away (if diff lock isn't applied)?

iansoady said:

Is it not because with one wheel in the air there's nothing stopping it rolling away (if diff lock isn't applied)?

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Yes, although my perfectly normal Peugeot partner comes with a wheel chock from new, as well as the five others I've had.

iansoady said:

Mine only gets used once a year for the MoT - leave it in park otherwise.......

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How strong is the parking pawl is some knobber shunts your disco when it is in Park and all the shock goes through it?
I thought the parking brake was a bit 'use it or lose it' too.

iansoady said:

Is it not because with one wheel in the air there's nothing stopping it rolling away (if diff lock isn't applied)?

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Ian,
Exactly yes, because its on the transmission, not the wheels. (Didn't think I needed to explain that otherwise it would roll away with one wheel up)...

There's a set of traffic lights just down the road from where I live and they're on a bit of a hill. Whenever I have stop there and apply the handbrake, even though I know exactly the reason for the inch or two drop back, I still find it slightly disconcerting and tend to let the foot brake off slowly, just in case .....

davidsmith1307 said:

How strong is the parking pawl is some knobber shunts your disco when it is in Park and all the shock goes through it?
I thought the parking brake was a bit 'use it or lose it' too.

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not very wouldnt take much to shear the screws securing

brian47 said:

There's a set of traffic lights just down the road from where I live and they're on a bit of a hill. Whenever I have stop there and apply the handbrake, even though I know exactly the reason for the inch or two drop back, I still find it slightly disconcerting and tend to let the foot brake off slowly, just in case .....

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How about the L/R drivers in San Francisco then! It does unnerve me a little that movement - our driveway carport rolls right down to our front door!

Experience that they quickly learn in San Francisco, for me I didn't worry about about it in the first year of my ownership of a LR, which was 30 years ago and still don't

Intestinalworm said:

It's the original handbrake/brake shoes/cable - so 14-15 years old now! Hard for me to to tell if it's badly worn though, but I presumed that once you applied the handbrake and then took your foot off the foot brake that the vehicle shouldn't move - vehicle rolls a few inches and then something bites! Is there movement because that is the nature of having a handbrake on the propeller shaft (bit of play to be taken up?) or do you think I am putting too much strain on the auto box/transfer box and the handbrake is really just doing nothing?

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If you've put it park on the gearbox then the little roll is just until the parking pawl engages itself on the transmission.If it's doing this while the handbrake is on then pretty safe to say handbrake is not working and the park is keeping it from moving

Seems to be a good feel with the handbrake when you pull it up to engage, so not a broken cable, maybe just need to adjust it up a bit more to get more bite? Wonder how likely it is that there could be a problem with the brake shoes in the drum, couldn't imagine they'd wear much, though I do see a handbrake kit, including brake shoes for sale here and there - I guess some people must overhaul it at some stage?!

Does the handbrake hold the vehicle on a hill with three clicks of the lever or does it not . Simples

TBH I'm not sure what would make the brake linings wear as the handbrake should never be used when the vehicle is moving? I take the point about someone driving into it but I suspect the handbrake wouldn't hold it anyway so the pawl would be stressed anyway.

discool said:

Does the handbrake hold the vehicle on a hill with three clicks of the lever or does it not . Simples

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I have never heard any clicks from the handbrake (if there are then they're not obvious to me) - press button in on handbrake handle, pull up with a little bit of effort and then let button out - certainly doesn't click like an old style ratcheting handbrake that I've used in the past. If I stop/park on a hill, I have my foot on the footbrake, apply handbrake, put auto in Park and turn off ignition and then when I release the foot brake it rolls a few inches then holds. Just wondered if the handbrake was actually doing anything or if it was the auto gearbox holding the vehicle.

Will have a look through the thread and a few suggestions (suggested the slight roll is normal as there is some give in the prop shafts) and then decide whether I should reschedule having a look at the handbrake.

You have never heard any clicks from the handbrake because you're pressing the button in on handbrake.
It certainly does click like an "old style" ratcheting handbrake, the principle is the same as any conventional cable operated handbrake system fitted to modern cars.

discool said:

You have never heard any clicks from the handbrake because you're pressing the button in on handbrake.
It certainly does click like an "old style" ratcheting handbrake, the principle is the same as any conventional cable operated handbrake system fitted to modern cars.

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Silly me!!! Yes - button clearly disengages pawl from ratchet and should not be pressed in when engaging the handbrake - only to release it. Just force of habit and not thinking it through!

I've always pressed the button when applying the handbrake on any car I've driven for 50 years or so*. I can't see the point of wearing the ratchet teeth unnecessarily (quite apart from the horrible noise!)

*Except a Spridget with a fly-off handbrake - remember them?

iansoady said:

I've always pressed the button when applying the handbrake on any car I've driven for 50 years or so*. I can't see the point of wearing the ratchet teeth unnecessarily (quite apart from the horrible noise!)

*Except a Spridget with a fly-off handbrake - remember them?

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Of course that's how it should be, 'press the button'. Can't say I've seen or used a fly-of handbrake, my MG Midget just had the normal but then that was a while ago, I assume a Sprite or Midget is a Spridget

Correct......
They weren't standard but some people fitted them for autotests and the like where you needed to do handbrake turns. With them, you press the button to lock the brake on rather than release it. A bit confusing if your regular driver had a conventional type.

discool said:

I assume a Sprite or Midget is a Spridget

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Built around the Austin/Morris "A" series engine, the MG Midget and the Austin Healey Sprite were to all intents and purposes the same vehicle but with some small outward body differences. Yes, the Mk1 Sprite, the "Frog-eye" was in a class of its own so far as looks were concerned. Once the Mk2 Sprite was released it was virtually identical to the Mk1 Midget. Mixing of parts was easy and quite acceptable, giving rise to the idea of the "Spridget".

The term "Spridget" wasn't used when I owned a Midget, or perhaps I never heard it in the three years of my MK1 Midget ownership, they were just called Austin Healey Sprite or MG Midget.
As for differences I think it was just the front grill and badges.