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1948 Chrysler Parking brake


Guest markrush

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Guest markrush

I happened to read a trouble shooting Q&A column in the latest Hemmings. The guy had brakes frozen up. Part of the response was to never leave your parking brake on. Is this true? I block my wheels, of course, because there is no back-up to the brake, but I prefer redundancy when it comes to safety. Is leaving the parking brake on a bad idea?

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It is on most cars because they use a cable to operate the rear brakes. If left on for more than a week it can rust and freeze up, locking the rear brakes, and making it impossible to remove the brake drums for repair.

As in most things, the old Chryslers are better than this. They have a brake on the back of the transmission. It is completely separate from the wheel brakes and does not get frozen up as easily.

I still wouldn't leave it on for more than a week or 2. For longer periods, block the wheels or jack the car up.

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I happened to read a trouble shooting Q&A column in the latest Hemmings. The guy had brakes frozen up. Part of the response was to never leave your parking brake on. Is this true? I block my wheels, of course, because there is no back-up to the brake, but I prefer redundancy when it comes to safety. Is leaving the parking brake on a bad idea?

Mark

Your e brakes are located behind the trans. They most likely wont freeze up in the climate were end. I left your e brake on for months at a time with no problem.

Edited by countrytravler (see edit history)
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Fortunately my garage floor is flat. I never park with the parking brake in storage. However some Mopars do not have a park in the tranny so I have to rely on the parking brake most everywhere else.

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My 1964 Plymouth with push buttons had a separate lever next to the buttons to engage the "Park" action. Without that lever in the park position the car could be moved as the trans was in neutral.

Terry

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The 56 Imperial does not have a park position. I know that the later trannys have a lever.

I have never seen the N then D thing that Rusty mentions. I would love to be enlightened if one could show me how that works.

I have never been able to get my cable adjusted to my liking, when I get drive, neutral, and reverse i cannot get the thing to lock into any lower gears. It is hilly where I live and I usually like to use some compression on long downhills.

I have had the thing on the lift numerous times in an attempt to get the cable adjusted correctly.

On a recent drive I was going down a long hill and tried to get into second or lo (to no avail), when I got to my destination I only had drive. I was able to park so that I could drive away without having to use reverse. I had the parking brake applied and jumped the starter and started at idle then drove it home and onto the lift. Was able to get it to have D, N, and R again but cannot seem to find any lower gears.

I have owned several push-button shift cars over the years and this one is the only one that I have ever had trouble with.

But its drivable so what the heck, live with it.

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It doesn't work. I made it up because I could not remember how it worked but I knew they had a Park position even though it was not on the pushbuttons.

Terry B explained that it was a separate lever on Chrysler products. Contrytravler explains that on some old GMs you shift into neutral then reverse with the engine off to go into park.

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Rusty, mine is a late 56 with three gears. I always get Torqueflite and Powerflite mixed up. But mine has three forward gears. I see some 56s that have only two so I assume that it was a running change.

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I have the Chrysler Torque-Flite transmission manual for sale in the Chrysler buy/sell section. The manual is dated 3-1956 and contains all the repair and ajustment info you might need, Jack. Let me know if you want me to look up something for you.

Terry

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I have a manual. I am thinking that the cable must be stretched a few thousandths. And although I have had it out of the car once and made much effort I can live with it. It is not tight, it slides vary easily.

There has been comment that there may be something in the transmission itself that wont let it adjust.

This is not the only Imperial that I have seen with three forward speeds.

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