I'm a firm believer in using the parking brake and never letting the trust rest against the transmission in Park.

In a manual car, with my foot on the clutch, I engage the parking brake, then release the brake, so the car rests on it, then I turn off the car and release the clutch. The transmission never holds the car.

In an automatic car, in every other automatic, if I hold the brake, put the transmission in park, engage the parking brake, and release the brake, the vehicle rests on the brake before it rests on the transmission.

In my truck ('11, F350 with 34K trouble-free miles), the very instant that I put the gear selector in Park, even if I haven't released the brake, somehow the transmission catches. I know this because if I go to park, while obviously holding the brake, and take it back out of park, while still holding the brake, it will be a very harsh shift and some clanking noise will come from the transmission. Mind you, the brake never got released, so the transmission never had a chance to "catch" to hold the truck.

Does that make sense?

What I've started doing is shifting to neutral, then going to park. If I do that, then the transmission doesn't get bound up and the truck will rest on the parking brake. If I go straight to park, the transmission catches first.

Does yours act this way? Do a comparison? Go to park, then come out of park and see if it's a harsh change. Then go to neutral, then park, then back out of park. It's a much easier gear change.

 

NO noise going to and from park ever.


The truck will roll a little bit after I set the parking break and release the main brakes.

 

On every auto transmission vehicle I hit the service brake, shift into neutral, park brake, let go of service brake, then into park. The park brake reminder is a bit overzealous on this truck because it starts going off as you cross from N through R to P, but that's fine.

The procedure you describe at the end of your post is, in my opinion, the only correct procedure. You don't go into park first THEN set the park brake because then it most likely rested on the transmission's park pin instead of on the park brake as intended.

Also should stop in neutral whenever going from R to D, that's why it's along the way! I hate seeing people back out of a parking spot in reverse, and slam it right into drive with the vehicle still moving backwards. But hey whatever it's your vehicle.

 

I also shift to N, set parking brake, release service brake then shift to park.
As you describe, these transmissions will make a loud clunk if the parking pawl takes the load.

 

Do your trucks all move much after setting the brake? I'd almost swear my brake doesn't work as much as it moves after pushing the brake down as far as it will go. I'm starting to think I have a made on Monday truck. Bad alignment from the factory, parking brake doesn't hold well, I get regens every 150-200 miles and have never gotten over 16 mpg's (even driving 60 mph on back country roads).

 

I used the parking brake on my '11 F 250 for the first time in 2 years. I was latching onto a trailer on a slight grade.

 

My parking brake holds great.
Best to set it first prior to loading a flatbed, too.

 

I fooled with mine a bit today. If I set the brake once I put it in park, it will set on the park pawl every time, then come out hard. I always set it to neutral, set the park brake, release the service brake, then go to park, so like you said, the weight is on the brakes not the trans. It held and came out smooth parked in my inlaws driveway today, (which is fairly steep) even after getting loaded with a big (heavy) load of green oak firewood.

 

Cold weather use of the park brake is often a bad idea up here.

 

Yes, that would probably bite me considering I normally never think of that.

 

There's a parking brake.... ???

 

Yep!!! It's to hold the truck on a hill when you pull the drive shaft out!!!







Sorry guys, I just couldn't help it!!!

 

Use it often enough - I use it whenever leaving the vehicle - and it's not an issue. The only time I hear of park brakes freezing with ice or seizing up due to corrosion is because they have never been regularly used.

 

Good thread. I was having the same thing happened to my truck when I parked on my sloped driveway. I have started using the recommended method and problem solved! Thanks so much guys.

 

Same with me and I now use the neutral, park brake, release service then park. I was on a boat ramp and it caught the park pawl and I thought the damn thing was going to be on the ground! But, it's also happened without heavy load like others have said.

I'm too lazy to look in the manual since its 108 outside, but I wonder if it addresses this.