On Mon, 23 Jul 2018 09:18:19 +0100, NY wrote:

I wouldn't dare to apply the handbrake on my old Land Rover.
Transmission brake!

Sounds as if the Land Rover is an exception to the rule that the
handbrake operates the same pads as the footbrake except by mechanical
rather than hydraulic means.

This was a 1952 Series I, not sure when that changed later - but not for
quite a few years.

The handbrake (lever just behind the driver's left leg) operated a short
linkage to a dedicated drum brake on the back of the gearboxes (there
were two, the normal one and the transfer box). Bloody fierce.

Why would it matter whether the brake was at the wheels or further back
in the transmission itself - assuming that it is still a pad rubbing on
a disc or drum.

Some mechanical advantage, and a bloody big drum.

Does the presence of the differential affect things (assuming they have
not been set to the locked position): would it tend to brake some wheels
more than others, thus causing the car to spin, if you were on slippery
ground?

Quite possibly. This didn't have fancy stuff such as lockable or limited
slip diff!

It was a *very* good brake. When I was at uni, I had this Series I. It
was habit among my circle, if boxed in, to inch up to the next vehicle
and gently push it against the effect of the handbrake. Those who tried
it on my LR just saw the car crumple.



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