Parking Brake Sucks?
 

After reading that our Z lost major points in the C&D Drift competition partly due to the parking brake being unable to lock the wheels, I decided to test mine out a bit.

Not sure if you guys have used the parking brake much, but it absolutely blows. The damn thing can barely hold the car on a 2% grade with the brake fully 'pulled'. Even better...try using it to stop the car when you're rolling at 5 or 10 mph. A full, hard pull just slows the car very gradually.

Is this an adjustment issue or did Nissan install a joke of an e-brake?

Yeah I read that article and wondered. I did park at the gf's parents' house once and the e-brake wasn't up all the way. My car started to slowly roll as I was getting out. Luckily I noticed then. There has to be a way to adjust it, whether it be at the handle or in the rear.

The e-brake on the 350Z is a drum style E brake inside the rear rotor, which I assume it to be the same on the 370Z. This makes them very weak for drifting that is why most people who drift 350's have added hydro e-brakes.

The drum should be okay for parking, unless on a large incline, but then it should be put in gear, although I am not a fan of leaving the car in gear while parked.

Yeah me neither, I've trained myself to never leave it in gear. This helps when I want to add remote start too. Thankfully there is a neutral shifter position wire. I wonder what's out there as far as converting the e-brake....

The drum style brake should be ok for parking... but really does not do its job. Unless you leave the car in gear and it just starts to roll back. Ive had my car roll 3 times already and sits there in the middle of the road... waiting for another dude to come and knock on my door and give me the "your an idiot" look.

Silly question, but are there disadvantages to leaving the car in gear when you park? I've had it drilled into my brain to put it in 1st/Reverse depending on where you're parked.

All I know is that it puts a strain on the transmission, where the transmission was not designed to be an e-brake. Even in an automatic, not using your e-brake puts strain on your sprag and other components.

hmm, never had a problem with mine. i park on a steep driveway, and it locks the car solid in place. wonder if nissan just doesnt adjust them all properly (most are just a cable with a nut that adjusts it...)

Well it's not that I use ONLY the transmission. I use both at the same time. Does that still put a strain on the transmission??

no.

The strain placed on the spurs.... are neglectful. I have been leaving cars in gears for a good percentage of a quarter of a century... never had a problem. but it now intrigues me to find out how much strain the spurs are receiving.

I'm just gonna park it the way I always have then.

I'm amused to know how many of us park a certain way, e-brake only, e-brake + gear, gear only.

Gear only = ??? in my mind, but maybe it works lol

Yeah if you use your ebrake, then put it in gear after already putting the e-brake up there would be no strain on the trans unless you are on a HUGE hill and the e-brake is then doing nothing.

I doubt even then it will cause anything bad to happen.

I have just always used only the e-brake whenever possible. Cause in my eyes brake pads and rotors are cheap compared to a clutch and transmission, that's why I never downshift when coming to a stop light. Just put it in neutral and coast then use the brakes. But that is a whole different topic...

Another way to look at it would be if someone hits your car while it is parked, and it is in gear the car will not move, it will be like hitting a brick wall... but if someone hits your car and only the e-brake is on, the car will slightly move so it wont be as bad. I know this has nothing to do with you but something to think about, haha.

Yeah, I've always done both for the last 20 years. I pull the e-brake first and make sure it holds, and then throw it in gear as a safety. There's no strain on the spurs unless the e-brake was to fade or fail.

You can tighten the e-brake cable slack if it feels like there is too much play in the handle.

+1...None that I know of. I would NEVER depend on the parking brake to hold the car..My last several cars have all been marginal in this area. I don't think it's exclusive to the Z