should I use my parking brake?

[NotBudule]

Not sure if you guys have annual vehicle inspections up there or not but that would fail you here in WV , at a reputable shop anyway, I guess the Ranger could slow down if you think quick enough to hit sport mode and start downshifting , or ride out the ditch line , but the first thing your gonna do is reach for that E-Brake ...

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[DukeCanBuildit]

That seems like a decent plan when buying previously owned - not big on that deductible but it sure beats putting full bogey on a big repair. ?

Oh, also note that the block heater is Standard Equipment on my XLT - I’m sure it is on your Lariat too and likely the Canadian XLs as well - possibly tucked up out of the way somewhere - maybe when that scooter rack was installed.

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Not sure if you guys have annual vehicle inspections up there or not but that would fail you here in WV , at a reputable shop anyway, I guess the Ranger could slow down if you think quick enough to hit sport mode and start downshifting , or ride out the ditch line , but the first thing your gonna do is reach for that E-Brake ...

Only in some provinces - maybe even reduced to emissions tests only - we don’t have them at all in ON - our politicians learned quickly that doing away with these inspections would win votes.

 

[LaBalbe]

Oh, also note that the block heater is Standard Equipment on my XLT - I’m sure it is on your Lariat too and likely the Canadian XLs as well - possibly tucked up out of the way somewhere - maybe when that scooter rack was installed.

That could very well be the case. For the moment, I'm waiting for them to fix this leak issue, before I start poking around in parts. Last thing I need to do right now is strip a bolt and have them use that as an excuse to void the warranty.

 

[mtbikernate]

I had this problem with my 98 Ranger (purchased used). It was a manual transmission and I used the e-brake/parking brake every time I parked it, hill or not. it would freeze up in the wintertime and the brake would stay engaged. what would always get me would be when the roads were icy or snowy, so I wouldn't realize when I drove away that one of my wheels was just sliding. then I'd hit dry pavement somewhere and the wheel would start turning, but I was going fast enough by then that I wouldn't notice it. and then I'd smoke the brake.

if it happened when I was parked on dry pavement, I'd at least notice the resistance and I wouldn't drive it so I'd at least save the brakes from being smoked. but I still had to deal with getting it "fixed" at least once per winter. and that bill would hurt if the brakes got smoked.

I lived in apartments back then that prohibited residents from working on cars in the parking lot, so I didn't really have any other choice but to take it to a shop for a repair, and none of them bothered to chase down the root cause of the problem (where was the moisture getting in and what part was getting frozen?). That was the reason I ended up selling off that truck. I wish I didn't have to do that, but the loss in reliability was a problem.

in my current Ranger, I only use the hand brake when I'm parked on a steep slope. and my driveway is definitely one of those. I haven't had any issues with my parking brake freezing up like that, but I definitely think about it from time to time.

 

[Mlemos89]

I use mine anytime I'm on an incline ??‍, old habit I guess, but I'll keep doing it lol

 

[medrhunter]

Some call it a "parking brake" I always call it "emergency brake" , and have had to use it (not the Ranger)for that very reason , I would fix it ...

Some states also test it during inspections

 

[airline tech]

It is a good idea to at least actuate the park brake regularly to prevent this from happening, I was kind of shocked the OP has used it daily and this still happened.
If I park on an incline, I use it and when it’s cold and I am in the employee lot and intend on remote starting I use it.
I also will at least once a week just actuate the handle up and down a few cycles.
I also include lubing the cable during my winter protection spray down (Fluid Film)
Which I still need to do for this winter
All this in an attempt to eliminate the possibility of it seizing up.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

Here’s my situation. I have a 2021 Ford Ranger, and I’ve used the parking brake every time I park for the past 2.5 years. However, recently, my lines seized, (which I don’t even know how that happened because I used them every day). So now I’m wondering should I spend the money to get it fixed, or just leave them not working (like the mechanics suggested, he also said they will probably just seize again, and that on his own truck he ripped out the whole system).

So my question is, will I put unnecessary strain on my transmission by not using my parking break every time I park? I just don’t like feeling the vehicle clunk forward, even on a very slight incline.

My situation is a little different. I have had back surgery and cannot pull up on a parking/emergency brake without throwing my back into spasms. So, I just leave it off, avoid parking on steep inclines if possible, angle the wheels toward the curb, and so on. I have never had any problem with the truck slipping forward or, naturally, with the lines seizing up... It might do some long-term damage to the transmission, but, hey, better to blow up the trans than to blow out some more disks (in my back, I mean)...

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

I had this problem with my 98 Ranger (purchased used). It was a manual transmission and I used the e-brake/parking brake every time I parked it, hill or not. it would freeze up in the wintertime and the brake would stay engaged. what would always get me would be when the roads were icy or snowy, so I wouldn't realize when I drove away that one of my wheels was just sliding. then I'd hit dry pavement somewhere and the wheel would start turning, but I was going fast enough by then that I wouldn't notice it. and then I'd smoke the brake.

if it happened when I was parked on dry pavement, I'd at least notice the resistance and I wouldn't drive it so I'd at least save the brakes from being smoked. but I still had to deal with getting it "fixed" at least once per winter. and that bill would hurt if the brakes got smoked.

I lived in apartments back then that prohibited residents from working on cars in the parking lot, so I didn't really have any other choice but to take it to a shop for a repair, and none of them bothered to chase down the root cause of the problem (where was the moisture getting in and what part was getting frozen?). That was the reason I ended up selling off that truck. I wish I didn't have to do that, but the loss in reliability was a problem.

in my current Ranger, I only use the hand brake when I'm parked on a steep slope. and my driveway is definitely one of those. I haven't had any issues with my parking brake freezing up like that, but I definitely think about it from time to time.

Nate, I had similar issues with my ‘01 Ranger (manual) - the cable would lock up in the winter and leave the passenger side drum brake slightly applied - ice, corrosion, contaminants - not sure which but I think the trouble spot was where/how the cable split for left and right sides. I changed a few of those cable assemblies over the years. I’m pretty sure overheating of the stuck brake is what caused the rear cylinder to fail one day - having my foot go straight to the floor when approaching a busy intersection was more than a bit scary. ? Yikes!

 

[Motorpsychology]

I had this problem with my 98 Ranger (purchased used). It was a manual transmission and I used the e-brake/parking brake every time I parked it, hill or not. it would freeze up in the wintertime and the brake would stay engaged. what would always get me would be when the roads were icy or snowy, so I wouldn't realize when I drove away that one of my wheels was just sliding. then I'd hit dry pavement somewhere and the wheel would start turning, but I was going fast enough by then that I wouldn't notice it. and then I'd smoke the brake.

if it happened when I was parked on dry pavement, I'd at least notice the resistance and I wouldn't drive it so I'd at least save the brakes from being smoked. but I still had to deal with getting it "fixed" at least once per winter. and that bill would hurt if the brakes got smoked.

I lived in apartments back then that prohibited residents from working on cars in the parking lot, so I didn't really have any other choice but to take it to a shop for a repair, and none of them bothered to chase down the root cause of the problem (where was the moisture getting in and what part was getting frozen?). That was the reason I ended up selling off that truck. I wish I didn't have to do that, but the loss in reliability was a problem.

in my current Ranger, I only use the hand brake when I'm parked on a steep slope. and my driveway is definitely one of those. I haven't had any issues with my parking brake freezing up like that, but I definitely think about it from time to time.
Your '98 is long gone, but early in my truck driving career, occasionally I had the same problem with trailer brakes in the winter. If I set the air brakes after driving in wet, sub freezing temps, the brake pads would freeze to the brake drums after they cooled down. The tractor had enough power to brake its brakes loose, but I had to crawl under the trailer with a 3lb mall and bang on them at an awkward angle until they broke loose. After awhile, I started using a wheel chock and set only the trailer brakes

 

[JohnnyO]

I use mine at least once a week to keep it exercised.
I don't know if this is the case with the Ranger, but a while ago I learned that in some vehicles with rear disc brakes the rears self-adjust when you use the e-brake. If you don't use the e-brake then the rears become less functional as they wear down and in turn you wear out the front brakes quickly.

 

[Ramanicage]

I had this problem with my 98 Ranger (purchased used). It was a manual transmission and I used the e-brake/parking brake every time I parked it, hill or not. it would freeze up in the wintertime and the brake would stay engaged. what would always get me would be when the roads were icy or snowy, so I wouldn't realize when I drove away that one of my wheels was just sliding. then I'd hit dry pavement somewhere and the wheel would start turning, but I was going fast enough by then that I wouldn't notice it. and then I'd smoke the brake.

if it happened when I was parked on dry pavement, I'd at least notice the resistance and I wouldn't drive it so I'd at least save the brakes from being smoked. but I still had to deal with getting it "fixed" at least once per winter. and that bill would hurt if the brakes got smoked.

I lived in apartments back then that prohibited residents from working on cars in the parking lot, so I didn't really have any other choice but to take it to a shop for a repair, and none of them bothered to chase down the root cause of the problem I read (where was the moisture getting in and what part was getting frozen?). That was the reason I ended up selling off that truck. I wish I didn't have to do that, but the loss in reliability was a problem.

in my current Ranger, I only use the hand brake when I'm parked on a steep slope. and my driveway is definitely one of those. I haven't had any issues with my parking brake freezing up like that, but I definitely think about it from time to time.

On a manual transmission, I tried to keep it in first gear unless on a slope.

 

[Dgc333]

I use mine at least once a week to keep it exercised.
I don't know if this is the case with the Ranger, but a while ago I learned that in some vehicles with rear disc brakes the rears self-adjust when you use the e-brake. If you don't use the e-brake then the rears become less functional as they wear down and in turn you wear out the front brakes quickly.

All brake calipers are self adjusting. The fluid pressure pushes the piston/pad against the rotor. When the brakes are released the piston/pad relaxes but will stay lightly in contact with the rotor. It is the parking brake mechanism that self adjusts.

When the parking brake lever is pulled it has a defined amount of pull, because of the self adjusting going on in the caliper you will quickly run out of travel with the lever on the caliper and won't be able to apply the parking brake. A ratcheting mechanism is built into the caliper that keeps the lever mechanism adjusted as the caliper piston moves out to compensate for pad wear. This is why you need to use a tool to turn the piston back into the caliper when changing pads verse just pushing it back in on the front calipers.

 

[Dgc333]

I use my parking brake every time in both the '21 Ranger and the '09 Mariner. I always select a carwash that includes an under spray. Both vehicles get washed about twice a month, and the Mariner's foot-operated parking brake has worked flawlessly since new.

It took getting torque locked a couple times to start using it always. Once was on a hill and my buddies and I couldn't rock it enough to take the strain off of the transmission. There was a pay phone near, and one of my buddies called his dad, who came out and was able to push and hold my "63 Plymouth an inch or so and I got it free. The whole ordeal took two hours.

Personally I druther use my two rear brakes to hold my 4400 lb Ranger on a hill than this thing:
2019-2023 Ford Ranger Parking Pawl

Ford 10R80 Parking pawl operation:

The truck would be sliding on the tires long before you could shear off the pawl in the transmission. The only time these fail is if people are slamming the vehicle into park while the vehicle is still moving. That will wear it down so it does not securely engage.

I would trust the pawl to hold the vehicle on a hill long before I would the parking brake.

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