How bad is to use the hand brake
 

Hi

I arrived not too long ago to the Scoob world. Now, after I have been learning a bit of its handling and so, I would like to know how bad is to use the hand brake for turning with my '97 GT. Is it any bad for the differentials?

Cheers

Yup, fecks 'em. As does towing with 2 wheels off the floor and 2 wheel brake testing rollers. Rally cars disconnect drive to the rear wheels when the handbrake is pulled :idea:

think your more likely to seriously damage the gearbox, why do ya need the handbrake for turning :wonder: :wonder: ,USE THE POWER this way you can carry more speed through the bend

He's right yu know. For hairpins go in fast braking hard turning whilst still on the brakes, as the back end breaks free get back on the power and carry a 4 wheel drift through the apex. Any other corner, don't brake. Set the car up well in advance using 'box braking and carry more speed through supreme balance to the apex when you can get back on the power early. Roadcraft (Google it ;) )

as above but if you use you gearbox to break on the engine on the approach to relatively sharp bend,this way as long as your in the right gear the turbo will be already on boost and back will brakeaway easier thus quicker exit,

please try on clear roads first, be brave, its just part ov sub ownership

Heal'n'toe to keep the turbo spinning ;)

Heal'n'toe to keep the turbo spinning

your just getting giddy now if you can do that round a sharp bent whilest kicking the back out:notworthy :notworthy

I can, and usually just after that I plough through a dry stone wall and into a river :lol1:

:lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1: :lol1:

Not if you declutch when you pull on the handbrake which is the way I have always done it! You then feed in the power to keep the slide going.

Also, I recall reading many years ago that the centre diff only works in one direction and is effectively freewheeling in reverse. Not sure if this is true and ready to be shot down here but if it did not have a modicom of truth the handbrake would not be very effective as all 4 wheels would lock and this is something that has never happened on my few attempts at handbraking including last week in the snow to turn around in a closed road.

Does that mean when MOT station is checking the brakes it's likely to cause any damage ?

Where did this come from, never heard it before - have you just made it up :Suspiciou

I'm asking about the hand brake because I found it, when using, very effective to get oversteer and fairly easy to control. The thing is that I'm used to ligthwegith FWD and powerfull RWD, but this is my first AWD car so I need to learn everything over again...

Of course when pulling the hand brake I press the clutch pedal to dissengage the transmission from the tires. If you do this without pressing the clutch it will not block the whells.

I will try the hard braking while entering the apex... but as I said, being used to the FWD and RWD cars, this seems a little crazy to me :wonder: :lol1:

But it would be good to know how the center differential works, if it is 1 way or 2 way. I believe that if it is 2 way, then when using testing rollers the car should pop out of it.

clutch depressed or not using handbrake in a 4wd is gonna put alot ov strain on the gearbox, just think about it

That was why I was asking :) Now I know I have to find different ways to oversteer easily and be able to get the car fine in sharp turns

ok good luck, and be carefull , once you can make it lose tracktion on comand you 90% THERE

I have thought about it and whilst I see where you are coming from, the fact the front wheels are still turning means the gears do not just stop. Admittedly, it would be best to do everything gently and not lock anything up in the same way as gentle acceleration would minimise strain on the transmission but that is not what these cars are about.

read my post up the thread, think your missing the point, best thing to do is put wot your surgesting into practice approach reasonabally sharp bend then apply handbrake and see wot happens

Hi,

i was told this by my uncles MOT man, cos its full time 4 wheel drive when you turn the back wheels together its trying to turn the front wheels which dont turn as they are on the concrete... Same would apply for towing if the front wheels were fixed to a towing lifty thingy

thats what i was told anyway...

for mot 4wd car shouldnt even go on the brake tester , usually will drive it up the road and brake firmly and for gods sake dont ever let a recovery firm put your scoob on a spec lift 2 wheel up 2 on road guaranteed to make car very ill

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_370.htm

Does all this mean that is also bad to handbrake turn a RWD car?

I don't understand why it is bad to do it if the clutch is depressed and no drive is going to the rear wheels...can anyone explain?

Damo

But i thought a brake roller tester can spin one wheel at a time which means it shouldnt damage the diff:wonder:

ok on rwd just very bad on 4wd

Hold on I've just thought about my last comment....how stupid...the clutch is between the gearbox and engine so if the handbrake is pulled the gearbox would stop with the front wheels still turning...I get it now....or am I talking rubbish?

Damo

As all your wheels are connected, as in Permanent All Wheel Drive then spinning one wheel will always transfer forces through the drivetrain to the others.

Damocell, only a poor driver would need to use the handbrake on a RWD car (perhaps someone like Vicky Butler-Henderson :rolleyes: ). It's a useful tool on FWD, and on rally cars with a disconnecting rear drive. When I did my rally training they always disconnected the handbrake to force you to use balance and control instead.

think your sorta getting it :luxhello: :luxhello:

I'd advise stick using the handbrake on GT4 (Gran Turismo) on the PS2, not on the road though!! lol

On recent rally school day, I was told how to perform a hairpin turn, was to enter fast, press the clutch, pull the hand brake to start the rear sliding, engage first gear, apply power and steer to correct slide and exit the hairpin.

This all takes place in about 2 secs.

This was with a group n rally car, so could of had modified diff setup.

Andy

is this what u wanna do??
Black STI Slides - Google Video

Rally machines (and I believe STis, maybe only new ones) disconnect the centre diff when the handbrake is applied; this makes it okay.

WRXs etc. do not do this, so it's left to the centre diff to cater for the fact the rear wheels are trying to stop whilst the fronts are not. Not too good if you do it often I'd guess...