Parking Brakes

#1

Do real race cars have parking brakes?

We have always been told to avoid any use during a track weekend, and all the pieces and parts are just something else that could cause a problem.

What are the downsides anyone has experienced by removal?

Chris

#2

I have seen cars with and without…if you want to have the car running someplace not too level, it may roll…that is the only downside I can think of.

#3

I opted to leave mine installed…I’m glad I did. It helps to have a parking brake when trailering or is the car’s on a slope.

The only gotcha is using the parking brake after coming off track (hot brakes)…pushing the pads agains the rotors when everything is really hot is a bad thing. Other than that one instance, I have found leaving it installed has proven helpfull.

#4

I’ve always wondered if I had total brake failure, would I have time to pull the ebrake to slow the car down and would it really help given how weak they are?

I keep mine on mainly for trailering purposes.

#5

I removed mine but honestly, I don’t think I have ever finished higher on the podium because I didn’t have it. And the reasons listed here to keep it make sense to me.

Carter

#6

I leave mine in because…

I have had 2 instances of total brake failure, last year in a vintage race at VIR I had a front caliper "break", of course this happened going into turn 1, I ended up on the other side of the tire barrier, on top of the armco. They had to get a boom truck to pick the car up, I left the track at top speed, if I did not have the hand brake, I would have been in the swamp, I was able to get the car spinning and scrub a lot of speed.

The 2nd was in the Pittsburgh GP, crossing a bridge you are headed straight towards a statue of that Carnigie dude, there is a 90 degree right, surrounding the statue is jersey barrier…I had a pad break in half and come out of the caliper, I jack the handbrake, did a rally bootleg turn and went back to the pits to change underwear.

Brain’s post about trailering is very correct, drive the car on the trailer and set the brake, saves your trans from rocking in gear when you strap it down, also safer as you can kill yourself when it pops out of gear while you are exiting.

Al

#7

Chris - I’ll second Al recommendation for keeping the parking brake in the car (or emergency brake as I like to call it). I also had total brake failure at the end of the straight at Buttonwillow after a backing plate literally melted, sending the piston out of the caliper & losing all brake fluid during an endurance race in April. EEK!!! Pulling the parking brake let me drop enough speed to make the corner & limp the car back to the pits.

#8

Undie comment - LOL

jp

:sick:

#9

I’m leaving mine in for drifting purposes.B)

#10

The post about rotors/pads and warping is incorrect. The parking brake is a drumb type affair that is independent in its activation from the rotor and caliper. So, you can remove the innards of the parking brake parts. But, for the weight savings of , say 2-3 pounds per wheel, I would not advise removing the parking brakes.Pull into the pits hot, set the parking brake and walk away. That’s how it is done in NASA SE racing. Regards,Robert Patton

#11

Patton wrote:

But since the parking brake drum is the rotor hat, you can cause the material on parking brake shoe to delaminate by engaging it while parking with hot rotors. Once enough of it is gone, the parking brake will rust weld itself to the drum if left engaged for a couple of days – ask me how I know.

+3 on Brain’s advice that it makes trailering so much easier and safer to leave the parking brake intact.

However, when parking the car for more than 2-3 days, it’s best to chock the wheels and leave it in gear, rather than set the e-brake. If, it does rust weld in place, rock the car in 1st and reverse 2-3 times and that should unstick it.