Demise of the handbrake.

[ebikeerwidnes]

You lightweights. I once drove a car that had no wheels. Corners were interesting.

Hovercraft??

 

[DRM]

When I worked at the garage we used to have loads of trouble with the SAAB 99 and early 900's failing the MOT because of excessive lever travel on the handbrake, when the cables are properly adjusted with a 15 thou feeler gauge they have 6 clicks to fully applied and they're on the front wheels. We had customers take their cars to MOT stations (our garage didn't do MOT's) now if we took a car to our local MOT station they knew about this so duly passed them but if they'd never done a SAAB before we would have customers ringing up saying "I've taken my car for a test and it failed" we even had one memorable case where they'd told a customer that the handbrake was inoperative whilst testing the rear wheels

Same as owners of Land Rovers taking the car for an MOT and it failing because they couldn't see a cable going to the rear brakes, the tester had no idea of the existence of a transmission brake!

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Every time I pull up at traffic lights on a slight incline I’m dazzled by a sea of red brake lights. Am I the only old fashioned driver who has a working handbrake?

I use it too, & sometimes use main-beam as a response, in the vehicles rear-view mirrors

 

[Bristolian]

A friend of mine encountered that on his Citroën Xantia, which also had a handbrake that operated on the front wheels.

I didn't know that until I saw a mechanic wheeling my Xantia out of the workshop bay he was using - he had a jack under the front of the car with the wheels off the ground

 

[Drago]

I use it too, & sometimes use main-beam as a response

You want a main beam like mine.

https://www.lazerlamps.com/vw-t6-1-...DEPXjsu2K07r4UD7gA_Kv9_n7DicWFxx-aWdPPe0168E6

The last thing that goes through their mind is that they have just witnessed a nuclear detonation.

 

[Profpointy]

Same as owners of Land Rovers taking the car for an MOT and it failing because they couldn't see a cable going to the rear brakes, the tester had no idea of the existence of a transmission brake!

Given the 4 to 1 mechanical advantage of the Landy handbrake it would gave to be in truly terrible condition not to work.

For those unfamiliar the Landy handbrake works on an extra drum brake on the gearbox rather than on the wheels thus before the gearing down of the diff(s)

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

You want a main beam like mine.

https://www.lazerlamps.com/vw-t6-1-...DEPXjsu2K07r4UD7gA_Kv9_n7DicWFxx-aWdPPe0168E6

The last thing that goes through their mind is that they have just witnessed a nuclear detonation.

I've looked at that site, there's no Skoda fitments

 

[Drago]

Thats a shame. Its fun giving third degree facial burns to oncoming drivers that dont dip.

 

[fossyant]

You want a main beam like mine.

https://www.lazerlamps.com/vw-t6-1-...DEPXjsu2K07r4UD7gA_Kv9_n7DicWFxx-aWdPPe0168E6

The last thing that goes through their mind is that they have just witnessed a nuclear detonation.

Ah, but don't most T6's have a candle as a headlight ! - Only kidding but it's a big VW complaint !

 

[Drago]

I have the T6.1 with the uprated twin H7 lights, which are better but still a bit weak on main beam. Hence I guess why Lazer are so popular.

The younger lads upgrade 6.1 lights to aftermarket LED units and the discarded H7 jobs sell well to owners of T6's.

 

[Julia9054]

What happens if the battery is flat? Can you still push the car if necessary?

No.
We had a car with an electronic hand brake. If you accidentally drain the battery on a campsite in France by charging up too many electronic gizmos and not driving, the handbrake is stuck on so you can't bump start it!

 

[fossyant]

I have the T6.1 with the uprated twin H7 lights, which are better but still a bit weak on main beam. Hence I guess why Lazer are so popular.

The younger lads upgrade 6.1 lights to aftermarket LED units and the discarded H7 jobs sell well to owners of T6's.

My Vx has the Xenon projector headlamps that are blooming great (not available on most of the vans other than the 'high level' passenger one) - loads of light on the road, super sharp cut off, without the LED dazzle. I've no idea what the main beam is but it's nuts.... I think it's a normal bulb, but I've not poked about enough yet.

I've checked bulb prices and I won't die if a bulb goes, £50-£100, but it's not a LED that are £ooo's

 

[fossyant]

No.
We had a car with an electronic hand brake. If you accidentally drain the battery on a campsite in France by charging up too many electronic gizmos and not driving, the handbrake is stuck on so you can't bump start it!

I carry a NOCO battery jump pack. It's been used a lot, on other campers doing the same thing.... you never know. It's ace.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Given the 4 to 1 mechanical advantage of the Landy handbrake it would gave to be in truly terrible condition not to work.

For those unfamiliar the Landy handbrake works on an extra drum brake on the gearbox rather than on the wheels thus before the gearing down of the diff(s)

The 'X Eng' handbrakes are even better, as a replacement
https://foundry4x4.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=65_1757&product_id=56

 

[Julia9054]

I carry a NOCO battery jump pack. It's been used a lot, on other campers doing the same thing.... you never know. It's ace.

We carry jumpleads now too!
No one on the campsite had any.
We had to call out the AA which turned out to be a young lad from London who was stationed in Nantes by the AA for the summer to rescue British idiots! He was loving his job as he'd never been abroad before.
He got us going whilst the Dutch couple in the campervan opposite massively took the piss. Which we deserved tbh!