Heres a question guys- is using the emergency break as a stealth break (if a cop is behind you) feasible/safe or am I going to lose control of the car/damage my e-brake if I do this. I know in that movie Ronin they used the e-brake to take turns fast.....any of you guys know if this is a good idea?

 

I remember a high school classmate doing that in his Escort GT (years ago). . . He was traveling at approximately 35mph, the use of the parking brake (or e-brake) caused his car to skid & created a few nice skid marks and the requisite smoke as well. . .

IMO, not a smart thing to try (especially with an officer of the law behind you)

You would probably be better off downshifting. . .

 

In the early days of autocrossing (they were called Gymkhanas back then) certain quick maneuvers were often accomplished through the use of the handbrake, and were called, appropriately enough, handbrake turns. I don't know whether this technique is still popular today.

 

I use the handbrake to slow down without activating the brake lights. Since it uses the same mechanism that your brake pedal uses (albeit, for two wheels instead of four), I'm pretty sure that there's no harm in using it as such. Just be sure you don't pull hard, because it will cause your tires to lock up. And needless to say, never use the handbrake while the gas pedal is depressed - not the sad kind of depressed

 

I'm sorry, I thought the handbrake controlled the rear wheels by a wire, and that if you pulled on it too much, you could snap the wire. Am I wrong or not???

 

I wouldnt' recommend it at greater speeds, I'd rather downshift hard and let the motor/tranny slow me down in situations like that. Just make sure to practice heel/toe techniques so your nose doesn't dive too much and give away the obvious.

 

I don't think there's any risk of hurting anything by using the parking brake to slow down. The only thing is I've noticed it's very inefficent compared to other cars I've owned.

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[grey]2000 S2000 - 1998 VFR800 - 2000 Atos[/grey]

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fed
[B]I'm sorry, I thought the handbrake controlled the rear wheels by a wire, and that if you pulled on it too much, you could snap the wire. Am I wrong or not???

 

Using the hand brake "lightly" will allow to slow down without having the nose dip or the brake lights flash. Of course you don't want your foot on the gas pedal while doing this. This is only effective if you aren't obviously speeding and the police haven't "clocked" you. Generally speaking, by the time you notice a cop behind you, it's too late. IMO.

 

Heel/toe is not going to prevent the front end from diving.