Re: Driving With Two Brakes

Ed Pirrero wrote:
> On Apr 5, 1:40 am, Eeyore <rabbitsfriendsandrelati...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> wrote:
>> Ed Pirrero wrote:
>>> On Apr 4, 3:42 pm, "Neil" <nos...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>>> An additional note re. this. The reason this came to light was
because my
>>>> son's emergency brake wasn't holding the wheels. He brought it in,
asking
>>>> them to adjust the emergency brake, and they told him that the reason
the
>>>> emergency brake wasn't working was because of brake fluid that was
leaking
>>>> out of the rear cyclinders. (They said that one cyclinder was leaking
a
>>>> little, and another was leaking a lot.)
>>> Considering it's a mechanical hand brake mechanism, fluid (or lack
>>> thereof) isn't going to do anything, unless both rears are so
>>> contaminated the brake shoes won't hold in the drums.
>>> Seems unlikely.
>> That's exactly what happens. The friction material loses its friction
when
>> saturated with brake fluid. It is an oil of sorts after all !
> 
> You aren't really this dumb, are you?
> 
> Even oil-soaked shoes will provide SOME friction.
> 
> Enough to hold the car?  I have no idea.  Best not to test the
> condition empirically, methinks.

Considering many parking brakes are marginal to begin with, leaking 
brake fluid could easily make them next to useless. I ran my Jeep, which 
had a leaking axle seal at the time, through the brake tester at work, 
and on that wheel I had half the brake force compared the the other 
wheel. I know differential oil has different characteristics, but still...

> 
> E.P.
Ulf