# using parking brake on 2002 Xterra



## jpg (Mar 23, 2005)

I just bought a 2002 Exterra 2 wheel drive manual transmission.
My question is: how do you use the Park brake when you stop in a steep hill and you try to go without having a hand brake in the center of the vehicule.
I droved a lot of manual transmission, but never with a foot parking brake.

Later
J-P


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## wes (Apr 30, 2002)

Honestly I have never used the parking brake on a manual car even in san francisco. I use the clutch to hold the car steady just as you accelerate. You should learn how to feather the clutch out so slowely that you can get the car rolling in 1st gear without using the gas pdeal. This will help you to learn the engagement point relative to the pedal height and you will not have to rely on the parking brake.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

jpg said:


> I just bought a 2002 Exterra 2 wheel drive manual transmission.
> My question is: how do you use the Park brake when you stop in a steep hill and you try to go without having a hand brake in the center of the vehicule.
> I droved a lot of manual transmission, but never with a foot parking brake.
> 
> ...


Although a lot of us love to use the mechanical rear brakes to prevent excess wear on the clutch, you're probably going to have to do what wes described. The reason is that it is usually impossible to disengage a mechanical brake smoothly like you can with a mechanical hand brake. The only way you can smoothly release a foot brake smoothly is to hold up the brake release lever and slowly release pressure on the foot brake... but in order to do this in a manual transmission car you'd need an extra foot because you now have to work 3 pedals, a lever, and hold the steering wheel all at the same time. 

Even if you "pre-load" the rear brakes by starting to engage the clutch before you disengage the rear brakes, you will usually get a jerky start because the mechanical brake tends to release very suddenly.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

jpg, welcome to NF.com

in order to help YOU better, please use specific thread titles relating to the thread you're starting. Vague titles like "Xterra 2002" don't tell anyone what you're asking and therefore people who could be helping you avoid the thread instead


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## RBI*04 (Sep 10, 2004)

wes said:


> Honestly I have never used the parking brake on a manual car even in san francisco. I use the clutch to hold the car steady just as you accelerate. You should learn how to feather the clutch out so slowely that you can get the car rolling in 1st gear without using the gas pdeal. This will help you to learn the engagement point relative to the pedal height and you will not have to rely on the parking brake.


this is absolutley true. when i first was learning to drive stick i would use the hand brake and then work my feet to get the car moving forward, and not roll into the car behind me. but ive learned its just a matter of keeping your foot on the brake and letting the clutch up until it grabs, once it grabs and you cant really roll back quickly move your foot from the brake to the gas pedal, and procede as normal.


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