The thing is, the parking brake only applies to 1 wheel (typically), and I've had more than a few encounters where that wheel slips on sand or dirt. While I understand the reasoning, I think in reality it doesn't work very well. Just my 2 cents. Also - the typical shunt from behind is in stop and go traffic, where the stop -> go transitions are too quick for application of parking brake.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Only one wheel? I've never seen it NOT operate on both rear wheels, either by apply the rear wheel brakes, applying a second set of (drum) brakes that are built into the read disc brakes, or a big drum brake on the output shaft of the gearbox on light trucks, which in effect locks up both rear wheels.
+2
The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
Park brake locks both rear wheels without exception I'm pretty sure.
I don't know why it seems to be such a deal in the states, everyone else uses them liberally
Yeah, it's not about skill, it's about ensuring you don't roll back when stationary. Why are you people sat at a standstill with your foot on the brake?
Because it's generally more reliable? Throughout my driving life, I've had E-brakes stretch, have issues holding cars on severe inclines and/or fail, not to mention have some "travel" in them when you go from foot brake to e-brake. None of those lead me to believe it's the proper or safe way to start or keep yourself safe on a hill. I'm going to have to disagree with it as the "right way" given realistic conditions on steep hills, as opposed to idealized or small hill conditions.
The park brake is literally supposed to keep your car parked on a hill. The cables do stretch slightly over time, but that should be adjusted at the next service. I'm not sure what you mean by 'travel' between the park brake and the foot brake? If you're taking off on a hill from a dead stop where the car was held stationary by the park brake, then you don't need to touch the foot brake anyway.
Also, over here in the land where driving tests are more than "once around the block with no left turns" it's an automatic fail if you come to a complete stop without applying the handbrake.
If you're in a queue of traffic with your foot on the brake and someone shunts you from behind, your foot will come off the brake and you'll go into the car in front. We're taught that if the car is stopped then the handbrake should be applied. Which means that by default you'll be doing a hill start with the handbrake.
I'm still not sure why the myth of American driving tests being so easy is still being perpetuated. Sure, we don't break out the skidpads and moose tests, but it's not exactly simple.
In both Michigan and Indiana, if you are under 18 (which is most people learning to drive here) you have to take a two-week driver's education class with both classroom and driving portions. Then you're supposed to log 40 hours of drive time with a parent/guardian (10 of those at night) before taking the final test.
My driving test had me doing parking maneuvers both in a controlled environment and on the street, sections in the city, on a 55mph rural highway, and a 70mph interstate highway.
But they also allow you to do the whole thing with an automatic.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
Sounds like a fairly basic driving examination procedure, quite similar to the system in Australia.
I'm of the opinion the whole world should adopt the Finnish licensing requirements.
With the added requirements of retesting every 5 years, or every 3 over the age of 60.
That myth was perpetuated by examples like mine. School permit at 14, auto qualified to not take any driver ed course, easy written exam was easy, driving test was around a few blocks that included stop signs AND stop lights. One left turn on a "busy" street in the afternoon.
Done and done. That was in the 90s in Nebraska, USA. Oh, and in my junker 85 jag xjs, auto 12 cylinder. I just idled to 25 during the test mostly.
new battery... unsurprisingly even the battery in my car is more expensive than a normal battery. I would have imagined a rotory would be easier to crank, but no
I definitely think retesting needs to happen, especially for people over the age of 60. It would definitely not be bad for people under that age limit to get a refresher course either.
Yeah, it's not about skill, it's about ensuring you don't roll back when stationary. Why are you people sat at a standstill with your foot on the brake?
Because it's generally more reliable? Throughout my driving life, I've had E-brakes stretch, have issues holding cars on severe inclines and/or fail, not to mention have some "travel" in them when you go from foot brake to e-brake. None of those lead me to believe it's the proper or safe way to start or keep yourself safe on a hill. I'm going to have to disagree with it as the "right way" given realistic conditions on steep hills, as opposed to idealized or small hill conditions.
The park brake is literally supposed to keep your car parked on a hill. The cables do stretch slightly over time, but that should be adjusted at the next service. I'm not sure what you mean by 'travel' between the park brake and the foot brake? If you're taking off on a hill from a dead stop where the car was held stationary by the park brake, then you don't need to touch the foot brake anyway.
Also, over here in the land where driving tests are more than "once around the block with no left turns" it's an automatic fail if you come to a complete stop without applying the handbrake.
If you're in a queue of traffic with your foot on the brake and someone shunts you from behind, your foot will come off the brake and you'll go into the car in front. We're taught that if the car is stopped then the handbrake should be applied. Which means that by default you'll be doing a hill start with the handbrake.
I'm still not sure why the myth of American driving tests being so easy is still being perpetuated. Sure, we don't break out the skidpads and moose tests, but it's not exactly simple.
In both Michigan and Indiana, if you are under 18 (which is most people learning to drive here) you have to take a two-week driver's education class with both classroom and driving portions. Then you're supposed to log 40 hours of drive time with a parent/guardian (10 of those at night) before taking the final test.
My driving test had me doing parking maneuvers both in a controlled environment and on the street, sections in the city, on a 55mph rural highway, and a 70mph interstate highway.
But they also allow you to do the whole thing with an automatic.
bwuh... here's the test in florida
1) 20 minute written test
2) Three point turn
3) Decelerate from 40MPH as safely as possible
Then you're done. 15 year olds can drive without a guardian during daylight hours with that much testing.
In hindsight the way my driving teacher tought me how to stand and start on a hill might not be the the most gear box friendly way. Holding the car and starting using only the clutch, no brakes at all.
Using the hand brake for every single stop is something I've never heard. Didn't come up in theoretical or practical driving test either.
honovere on
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
new battery... unsurprisingly even the battery in my car is more expensive than a normal battery. I would have imagined a rotory would be easier to crank, but no
Get an AGM battery like an Odyssey, and then forget about it for ten years.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
In hindsight the way my driving teacher tought me how to stand and start on a hill might not be the the most gear box friendly way. Holding the car and starting using only the clutch, no brakes at all.
Using the hand brake for every single stop is something I've never heard. Didn't come up in theoretical or practical driving test either.
It burns out the clutch if you hold the car still against a hill for extended periods of time.
+2
Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
That myth was perpetuated by examples like mine. School permit at 14, auto qualified to not take any driver ed course, easy written exam was easy, driving test was around a few blocks that included stop signs AND stop lights. One left turn on a "busy" street in the afternoon.
Done and done. That was in the 90s in Nebraska, USA. Oh, and in my junker 85 jag xjs, auto 12 cylinder. I just idled to 25 during the test mostly.
Wait wait wait hold on a second here.
You drove an 85 Jag Sovereign with the V12 motor for the entirety of the test and it didn't break down once?
I don't like the idea of retesting being based on age.
I do, however, think everyone should retest every 5 years. Both the written and driving portions.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
I suggested 60 being the kick-off point for a higher frequency of retesting because that's generally when people's abilities to see and hear clearly, react quickly, and make split-second decisions begin to degrade.
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BhowSunny day, sweeping the clouds away.On my way to where the air is sweet.Registered Userregular
Yeah, it's not about skill, it's about ensuring you don't roll back when stationary. Why are you people sat at a standstill with your foot on the brake? ... it's an automatic fail if you come to a complete stop without applying the handbrake.
Apologies if this horse is already dead, but I'm not sure I'm understanding this correctly. If you come to a red light, you apply the handbrake before proceeding? Is it the same for a stop sign, if you have to wait for traffic? Inching forward at McD's drive-through?
I's be confuz-ed.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
In theory, that is the safest way to do things, even on flat ground.
That myth was perpetuated by examples like mine. School permit at 14, auto qualified to not take any driver ed course, easy written exam was easy, driving test was around a few blocks that included stop signs AND stop lights. One left turn on a "busy" street in the afternoon.
Done and done. That was in the 90s in Nebraska, USA. Oh, and in my junker 85 jag xjs, auto 12 cylinder. I just idled to 25 during the test mostly.
Wait wait wait hold on a second here.
You drove an 85 Jag Sovereign with the V12 motor for the entirety of the test and it didn't break down once?
Not once! And this was before my dad and I had done the rewiring, so shit was getting hot! Later that year I drove it too fast down an icy hill and did a 1080 in a wheat field. Ran even better after that. Soon after it was sold for more than I paid for it, but not more than I'd put into it. I'll get me one again some day!
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
It's kind of sad that Jaguar had such abysmal build quality through that period. It'd be awesome to get like 5 Sovereigns and build one really neat one out of the best bits of each.
A LOT of the V12 models over here have had their original engines swapped out for 350 Chev V8s in an effort to gain some reliability.
Achievement unlocked: drove in traffic and didn't stall once...at least while there were cars around <_< >_> . Points reduced for some horrendously bad shifts. Like wow I'm glad these transmissions are supposedly durable, cause there were some baaaad shifts. Accidentally hit the gas before putting the car into gear between 3 and 4, revved the engine to something like 4000 rpm, then put it in gear . No gear grinding yet though. My particular folly is jerky shifts and making the car lurch forward.
Achievement unlocked: drove in traffic and didn't stall once...at least while there were cars around <_< >_> . Points reduced for some horrendously bad shifts. Like wow I'm glad these transmissions are supposedly durable, cause there were some baaaad shifts. Accidentally hit the gas before putting the car into gear between 3 and 4, revved the engine to something like 4000 rpm, then put it in gear . No gear grinding yet though. My particular folly is jerky shifts and making the car lurch forward.
Also turbo is fun.
Just don't ever get really close to redline and then downshift.
I may have once gone from 4 -> 3 instead of 4 -> 5 by accident and went like 400 RPM over redline
that engine fucking SCREAMED for the split second before I jammed my foot on the clutch.
Luckily there seems to have been no damage and I have not been stupid and careless enough to make that mistake since
they said it was a backup frame that they rebuilt with spare parts. apparently the rebuilt thing was just weird german translation.
still terribly impressive though, building a racecar with a frame and a pile of parts in less than 24 hours. shame the driver got ruled out medically for precautionary reasons, hate to see that. at least he's ok though.
as far an endurance racing is concerned, a backup frame is a backup car. all the body panels can be stripped and replaced in a matter of minutes, brakes and suspension as well if needed.
earlier this year at Sebring, the Corvette team re-panelled the entire front end of their car in a single caution lap. (basically four minutes)
as far an endurance racing is concerned, a backup frame is a backup car. all the body panels can be stripped and replaced in a matter of minutes, brakes and suspension as well if needed.
earlier this year at Sebring, the Corvette team re-panelled the entire front end of their car in a single caution lap. (basically four minutes)
body panels are far less of a problem than internal components. ask porsche how quick it was to fix their suspension or driveshafts at spa. obviously quicker to repair and construct than a normal car, but it's still an impressive job.
Watching a WRC pit service crew doing all that in the mud in the middle of a forest is/was always entertaining. 'New gearbox? 10 minutes guv, let me bring the van around.'
+2
LuvTheMonkeyHigh Sierra SerenadeRegistered Userregular
great news, might not hear anymore news for another year
his situation reminds me of a comedian who had a similarly fierce head injury a couple of years ago named Larry Miller. Larry was hospitalized a couple months less than Michael... but once he was awake and alert, it took almost a year for him to return to "normal" activity.
The good news is, the memories and cognitive functions were all left in tact after a long rehab.
Get a call back, the car needs $1950 worth of repairs, ~800 of which is required for safety to let them release it. (They say that a front ball joint is broken, the control arm bushings are broken, and the rear brakes are at 0%).
Don't think I'm going to be repairing it. The only repairs I would do would be so that I could get around while looking for a new car, and I could rent one for a month at that price.
@Psykoma what kind of car do you have right now? Labor is of course pretty expensive, but that quote seems a bit high anyway. The parts to replace a ball joint, control arm bushings, and rear brake pads should be >$100.
Posts
I don't know why it seems to be such a deal in the states, everyone else uses them liberally
I'm still not sure why the myth of American driving tests being so easy is still being perpetuated. Sure, we don't break out the skidpads and moose tests, but it's not exactly simple.
In both Michigan and Indiana, if you are under 18 (which is most people learning to drive here) you have to take a two-week driver's education class with both classroom and driving portions. Then you're supposed to log 40 hours of drive time with a parent/guardian (10 of those at night) before taking the final test.
My driving test had me doing parking maneuvers both in a controlled environment and on the street, sections in the city, on a 55mph rural highway, and a 70mph interstate highway.
But they also allow you to do the whole thing with an automatic.
I'm of the opinion the whole world should adopt the Finnish licensing requirements.
With the added requirements of retesting every 5 years, or every 3 over the age of 60.
That myth was perpetuated by examples like mine. School permit at 14, auto qualified to not take any driver ed course, easy written exam was easy, driving test was around a few blocks that included stop signs AND stop lights. One left turn on a "busy" street in the afternoon.
Done and done. That was in the 90s in Nebraska, USA. Oh, and in my junker 85 jag xjs, auto 12 cylinder. I just idled to 25 during the test mostly.
bwuh... here's the test in florida
1) 20 minute written test
2) Three point turn
3) Decelerate from 40MPH as safely as possible
Then you're done. 15 year olds can drive without a guardian during daylight hours with that much testing.
Using the hand brake for every single stop is something I've never heard. Didn't come up in theoretical or practical driving test either.
Get an AGM battery like an Odyssey, and then forget about it for ten years.
It burns out the clutch if you hold the car still against a hill for extended periods of time.
Wait wait wait hold on a second here.
You drove an 85 Jag Sovereign with the V12 motor for the entirety of the test and it didn't break down once?
I do, however, think everyone should retest every 5 years. Both the written and driving portions.
Apologies if this horse is already dead, but I'm not sure I'm understanding this correctly. If you come to a red light, you apply the handbrake before proceeding? Is it the same for a stop sign, if you have to wait for traffic? Inching forward at McD's drive-through?
I's be confuz-ed.
In practice, pfft. Save it for hills.
Not once! And this was before my dad and I had done the rewiring, so shit was getting hot! Later that year I drove it too fast down an icy hill and did a 1080 in a wheat field. Ran even better after that. Soon after it was sold for more than I paid for it, but not more than I'd put into it. I'll get me one again some day!
A LOT of the V12 models over here have had their original engines swapped out for 350 Chev V8s in an effort to gain some reliability.
excruciatingly boring track, ultra low downforce, extreme danger to the participants.... its the European Indy 500!
Also turbo is fun.
I never finish anyth
They officially have more race cars than actual production cars
Just don't ever get really close to redline and then downshift.
I may have once gone from 4 -> 3 instead of 4 -> 5 by accident and went like 400 RPM over redline
that engine fucking SCREAMED for the split second before I jammed my foot on the clutch.
Luckily there seems to have been no damage and I have not been stupid and careless enough to make that mistake since
Pretty sure it's a backup car. You can't take something like that hulk of scrap and make it competitive in one day.
still terribly impressive though, building a racecar with a frame and a pile of parts in less than 24 hours. shame the driver got ruled out medically for precautionary reasons, hate to see that. at least he's ok though.
earlier this year at Sebring, the Corvette team re-panelled the entire front end of their car in a single caution lap. (basically four minutes)
Let's start small and see if we can get them to use their signal lights first.
In a related note, the Saab horn is soooooooo much better then the Subaru horn.
I never finish anyth
body panels are far less of a problem than internal components. ask porsche how quick it was to fix their suspension or driveshafts at spa. obviously quicker to repair and construct than a normal car, but it's still an impressive job.
his situation reminds me of a comedian who had a similarly fierce head injury a couple of years ago named Larry Miller. Larry was hospitalized a couple months less than Michael... but once he was awake and alert, it took almost a year for him to return to "normal" activity.
The good news is, the memories and cognitive functions were all left in tact after a long rehab.
Hopefully Michael is the same way.
Took my car for a tire change.
Get a call back, the car needs $1950 worth of repairs, ~800 of which is required for safety to let them release it. (They say that a front ball joint is broken, the control arm bushings are broken, and the rear brakes are at 0%).
Don't think I'm going to be repairing it. The only repairs I would do would be so that I could get around while looking for a new car, and I could rent one for a month at that price.
Blagh.